Amid COVID-19 Surge and New Restrictions, Auto Industry Aims to Keep Plants Open
As COVID-19 cases surge to record levels and the state of Michigan prepares to enact a new round of restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of the virus, Detroit's automakers hope the success so far of their safety protocols will allow them to keep plants open and production running.
The automakers already went through an eight-week plant closure in the spring. That shutdown caused the automakers to bleed billions of dollars in revenue, but they managed to pull off a production restart the likes of which the industry had never before experienced.
They are now nearly back to pre-pandemic production levels, and some plants are even working overtime to restock the trucks and SUVs whose strong sales delivered strong third-quarter financial results for the automakers.
Read the article at The Detroit News.
NAFA 2021 Institute & Expo Rescheduled to August
NAFA continues to evaluate the current conditions while planning to host a productive and safe in-person event in 2021.
The Board of Directors met recently and proactively decided to reschedule the 2021 NAFA Institute & Expo (I&E) to August 30 – September 1, 2021. The meeting will take place in Pittsburgh, PA at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
“In light of continued concerns, it doesn’t look very promising to host a large gathering in early 2021, and postponing I&E until August ensures more time to bring the industry together, “ said NAFA President Patti Earley, CAFM. “We thank everyone for the continued support and feedback as the industry is eager to come together and connect with peers.”
Cargo Van Crew Cab Conversions: How Work Truck Fleets Can Save Big Bucks
By Mark Boada, Executive Editor
If you run a fleet with cargo vans and want to send a crew of four to six to a work site, you may well have run across this problem: you can’t fit them all in the same vehicle.
With the first occupied by the driver and one passenger, and with the tools and parts in the back, one solution is to run the extra crew members in a second vehicle – but that means double the fuel and insurance costs, not to mention the double exposure to potential accident liability and an extra vehicle in your fleet you might not otherwise have to acquire or could use on another assignment.
Alternatively, you may get the whole crew where they need to go in a single crew cab pickup truck, which you may have upfitted with a service body. The problem there is three-fold: the pickup typically burns more fuel than a cargo van, the upfit could cost you north of $20,000 over and above the cost of the vehicle.
Fortunately, there’s a new company out there that can solve this problem and save you big money. READ MORE
Motus Arriver Services Bring Enterprise-Level Buying Power to the Individual Mobile Worker
Suite of Resources Empower Employees and Reduce Overhead as Businesses Shed Corporate-Owned Assets in Favor of Reimbursement Programs
Motus has introduced Arriver Services, a suite of resources empowering Motus end users (“Arrivers”) to find, purchase, insure and maintain their business-essential assets more easily and at the best price.
“At Motus, we are continually focused on making work life better for our end users. What will help make their field-level activities more seamless? What do they need to better do their jobs? As the market shifts to personally-owned assets, that means making it easier and more affordable to buy, insure, maintain and sell cars and mobile devices,” said Craig Powell, President and CEO of Motus.
Predictive Analytics Identifies Problems with High Opportunities
Donlen’s unique approach to Predictive Analytics looks at a wide spectrum of fleet data and identifies problems where the fixes offer significant opportunities.
