Propane Autogas: A Solution to the Rising Cost of Diesel
For many years the perception was that a diesel engine would last longer and was less expensive to operate than their gasoline counterparts. That has changed drastically over the past 10 years as emissions standards become tighter for diesel engines. Leaders, such as Ford, continue to innovate and build better gasoline engines that are prepped for propane and natural gas.
The complexity and cost of diesel engines, after treatments and fuel are driving fleets to find alternatives and instead of transitioning back to gasoline, there is a growing movement towards propane autogas in class 4-7 trucks.
NAFA Urges Senate to Continue Diesel Funding
Last week, NAFA Fleet Management Association Chief Executive Officer Phillip Russo, CAE, reached out to leaders in Washington urging continued funding for the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA). Letters from NAFA were sent to Jack Reed, Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Lisa Murkowski, Ranking Member for the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Barbara A. Mikulski, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations; and Richard Shelby, Ranking Member for the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
"Millions of older diesel engines are still in use by fleets. Thankfully, emissions from these older engines may be controlled with the use of modern, American-made control technologies that reduce emissions and create jobs here at home," said Russo in the communications. "Enacted through the Energy Policy Act of 2005, DERA provides funding for fleets to install retrofit technologies on existing heavy-duty diesel vehicles and engines, or replace engines and equipment, reducing harmful emissions by as much as 90 percent."
NAFA to Hold Essentials of Fleet Management Seminars in Orlando & Montreal
The fleet profession can be daunting for those who are new to the industry. NAFA’s Essentials of Fleet Management Seminar brings together a comprehensive perspective of what a fleet manager does, and provides the education to do it even better.
In the US, NAFA will be holding its next Essentials of Fleet Management Seminar (EFMS) July 8-10, at the Rosen Shingle Creek resort in Orlando, FL. This seminar is designed for new fleet professionals with less than 5 years of experience. Online registration closes on July 1.
In Canada, EFMS will be held September 9-11 at the Holiday Inn Select – Montreal Centre-Ville in Montreal. The seminar is designed to teach the building blocks that will help fleet managers run an efficient fleet, and will do so with information specific to Canadian regulation and finance.
Read more to learn how NAFA's EFMS can help you and your career!
NCSFA Launches Benchmarking Initiative!
NCSFA (National Conference of State Fleet Administrators) has launched a comprehensive benchmarking initiative that will take place over the next two months. States, universities and municipalities were invited to participate.
The benchmarking survey will encompass topics including but not limited to; how fleets are organized, telematics, key metrics, purchasing methodologies and cost, managing utilization, fleet policies, fleet information systems and alternative fuel vehicle management.
READ MORE and find out how to participate.
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About a Dealer Doc Fee
What's a doc fee, anyway? Doc fees cover the cost a dealership incurs to process a vehicle purchase. In other words, they pay for all the paperwork (and personnel) involved with selling you that shiny new ride. Doc fees originated when dealerships separated their Finance and Insurance departments, commonly dubbed F&I, from the rest of the dealership around the 1960s.
Doc fees can have a lot of names: conveyance fees, processing fees or service and handling fees. They can make a real difference in the final price, too, and where you buy your car can have a big impact. For example: a dealership in greater New York charge a $75 doc fee while a New Jersey dealer wanted $349.
That's because New York state has a $75 maximum for doc fees, according to the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association. New Jersey, like 34 other states and the District of Columbia, has no such cap.
READ MORE to learn about dealer doc fees.
