The $185 Million Campaign To Keep Uber And Lyft Drivers As Contractors In California
Uber and Lyft have built up massive fleets of workers over the years by treating them as independent contractors, who are paid on a gig-by-gig basis. But a new law which went into effect this year in California, threw a wrench into the model.
The amount of financing behind the ballot measure — the most expensive proposition in the state's history according to Ballotpedia — underscores how important its passage is to the future of the businesses.
Gig companies are fighting back with Proposition 22, the App-Based Drivers as Contractors and Labor Policies Initiative. If it passes, ride-hail and delivery drivers would continue to be treated as independent contractors with some benefit concessions granted by the proposition. If it doesn't pass, these workers would likely be considered employees who are entitled to a minimum wage, overtime pay, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance and paid sick leave.
Read the article at CNN.
Tough Times Don’t Last but Tough People Do
Many of us in the fleet orbit know Mike Pitcher, former CEO of LeasePlan, USA, and one of the most dynamic and charismatic leaders in the industry. You may know him for his early and enduring work in tackling the deadly problem of distracted driving. It's still his passion -- catch his video this week: Conversations Can Change Your Behavior.
We are all struggling to cope with the challenges of 2020 – we have seen nothing like this in our lifetime – so when we talked with Mike about writing a column centering on leadership, we knew it would be inspiring. It is that, and more.
In Leadership in a Virtual World, Mike first defines leadership: “Leadership is influence. If you are in a position to influence the thoughts, behaviors and/or attitudes of someone else, then you are in a leadership role.” Then he asks, “How will you influence those that you lead?” Start here: Be a positive force.
Janice Sutton
Editor in Chief
Always find time for the things that make you feel happy to be alive ~ Anonymous
Benefits of Using eDVIR Versus Traditional Paper Forms
By Steve Saltzgiver, Director of Strategic Innovation, RTA Fleet Management Software
October 2020
When operating complex equipment, it has been a long-standing fleet management practice (since the invention of personal conveyance and vocational vehicles) to perform daily safety inspections on the assets.
Ensuring equipment is safe to operate is an operator’s fiduciary responsibility to both themselves and their company -- as well as the general public-at-large. Unfortunately, this responsibility was not taken seriously, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) enacted stringent regulations in the early 90’s as part of the Commercial Driver License (CDL) requirements to ensure compliance.
Like everything else, with the advent of new computer applications and technology, the daily safety inspections were reimagined. As smart phones and handheld devices became widespread, eDVIR applications were created to streamline the process for both drivers and the shop.
U DRIVE. U TEXT. U PAY.
As a key part of NHTSA’s U Drive. U Text. U Pay. campaign, law enforcement will be hypervigilant, looking for distracted drivers and charging fines.
Since 2007, drivers age 16-24 have been distracted by devices at higher rates than other drivers, but we're all at risk for distracted driving crashes.
Consider these tips for safe driving:
* If you must send or receive a text, pull over to a safe location and park your car first.
* If you have passengers, appoint a “designated texter” to handle all your texting.
* If you can’t resist the temptation to look at it, keep your phone in the trunk.
Read the article at NHTSA.
Analysis: Annual Running Costs of EVs Less Than ICE; but with Purchase Price Factored In, it Flips
Self Financial, a fintech company, has compared the running costs of electric and non-electric vehicles in each state.
Across the US the average annual cost of running an electric vehicle is $2,721.96, while gasoline vehicles cost an average of $3,355.90 per year to run—a difference of $633.94 annually.
However, these annual costs don’t take into account the purchase cost of the vehicle itself and are purely the ‘running’ costs annually. When the purchase cost of each type of vehicle is factored in, average gasoline vehicles are $1,454 per year cheaper to run. EVs cost an average of $9,406 per year (including the purchase price) to run compared to $7,952 annually for gas vehicles (including the purchase price).
Read the article at Green Car Congress
