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Mike Antich
Former Editor and Associate Publisher
Automotive Fleet's former editor, Mike Antich, shared his opinions and ideas on the overall commercial fleet industry and draws interesting comments from fleet managers and other industry professionals from across the country. Mike was inducted in the Fleet Hall of Fame in 2010.
On Aug. 27, the Securities and Exchange Commission raised the possibility that approximately 110 U.S. publicly traded companies will be able to use international accounting standards (IAS) next year and may require all U.S. companies to switch to IAS between 2014-2016. There is a 60-day comment period about the SEC proposal. Fleet leasing will be impacted by the adoption of IAS. It is probable that all fleet leases in the U.S. will need to be capitalized sometime in the 2011-2016 timeframe.
Read More →With fuel prices remaining elevated, many companies are wondering whether they are charging enough for personal use. At some companies, this discussion is long overdue. When re-evaluating personal use charges, a common mistake is to focus solely on the cost of fuel, which is understandable because, after all, fuel is the catalyst for these discussions. However, doing so ignores the other “hidden” costs of personal use, which have also risen.
Read More →Interdepartmental conflicts are common in the medical and IT industries, and at most companies between sales and operations. However, for many years, fleet existed as a realm of its own. Management in other departments often didn’t fully understand the nuances of fleet management other than they got a new vehicle every 36 months. Fleet managers of that era (not that long ago) were the “kings” and “queens” of their own realms. However, that reality is rapidly changing.
Read More →The greatest challenge facing the future of fleet management is how we see ourselves as a profession. Are we administrators of a fleet or are we managers? Do we manage from a tactical level – putting out day-to-day fires – or from a strategic level focusing on specific long-term objectives using metrics to benchmark progress? In the future, you will need a strategic focus to succeed in fleet management; otherwise you run the risk of fading into irrelevancy.
Read More →The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (also known as HIPAA) makes it a criminal act to divulge medical information to a third-party without the employee’s permission. Many fleet managers believe HIPAA non-disclosure requirements are counter-productive to fleet safety. One fleet manager lamented to me that “HIPAA is the worst thing that has ever happened to fleet.”
Read More →In two decades of chronicling the history of fleet management, I have seen interest in fleet safety ebb and flow. In an annual survey I conduct of fleet managers, they rated fleet safety as their No. 2 concern, right behind the cost of fuel. Why the renewed interest in fleet safety? More and more fleet managers are reporting an uptick in preventable accidents. In addition, fleet managers are feeling pressure from other corporate departments to increase fleet driver safety.
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