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New Orleans — The Limousine & Sedan Steering Committee of the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA) met in New Orleans for a full-day planning session on December 2, 2015. Co-chairs Ira Goldstein of the Black Car Fund and the Black Car Assistance Corp in New York, N.Y., Mike O’Connor of Transdev/SuperShuttle/ExecuCar in Phoenix, Ariz., and Paige Coker of Transportation General in Birmingham, Ala. led the discussions.
Ira Goldstein, Black Car Fund
Much of the morning was spent discussing the changing customer expectations that limousine and sedan operators now face. To address those prospects, many of the committee members reported they are taking the following actions: Creating customer loyalty programs, offering more hands-on management of large group events, offering more flat-rate fees or even zone-based fees, focusing more on VIP clients to ensure they always receive the best service, figuring out ways to effectively involve chauffeurs in customer recruitment, adopting e-training that can be accessed by chauffeurs during their wait times, making certain the customer receives timely service even if that means turning the trip over to a licensed competitor, expanding marketing on social media, and other steps.
The committee members discussed a variety of educational topics that could be presented at TLPA’s Spring Conference & Expo in New York City, April 21-23, and decided on the following four topics: 1) “Driver recruitment and retention”; 2) “How to organize and manage social media”; 3) “Call center out-sourcing”; and 4) “‘Cooperition’ for cooperatively competing.” The titles of the four sessions are self-explanatory, with the possible exception of the fourth one. “Cooperition,” a term frequently used by Ira Goldstein, refers to transportation companies that compete with one another in recruiting clients/customers but pool resources to make certain customers receive prompt service.
During the afternoon, the committee focused on state and federal legislative issues. Its members reported that they expect legislation addressing TNCs to be addressed in New York, Florida, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. On the federal level, TLPA expects a push to address the concerns of sharing-economy proponents, including Uber. TLPA’s position is that local transportation is a state concern and that Congress should respect state rights and let this issue be resolved at the state or local level of government. Additionally, TLPA is monitoring Congress to see if it is going to take any action on the employment status of sharing-economy workers. The legislative discussion ended with the committee members reaffirming that TLPA’s 2015 position paper on TNCs addresses the key issues and no new issues need to be added to the paper.
The committee members ended their deliberations by focusing on TLPA’s public relations program. The committee endorsed Community Connections and TLPF’s Transportation On Patrol (TOP).
Visit tlpa.org for more information.
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The two-day seminar included classes on safety and other educational sessions
Ashburn, Va. — The United Motorcoach Association (UMA) held its 12th annual Safety Management Seminar December 2 and 3 at the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB’s) training center in Ashburn, Va. UMA has held the seminar on a yearly basis since first identifying a need within the ground transportation industry. Its specific topics vary based on current demands but always aim “to assist motorcoach operators with safety and compliance,” according to Terri Tackett, UMA’s marketing and membership director.
In addition to agency updates from the NTSB, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the day-and-a-half seminar also featured educational sessions.
“We kicked the seminar off by discussing proactive approaches to loss prevention, which included strategies and discussions on prevention programs, such as safety committees, cause analysis and establishing safety cultures,” said Vic Parra, UMA president and CEO. “We also had a session on OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration).” One of the other sessions, “Drivers Wanted: How to Get Them Coming to YOU,” was popular, as it seems that everyone needs drivers and there are not enough of them. This topic shared some successful strategies that will help set the companies that attended this apart from the competition and it will make drivers take notice.”
Event-goers benefited from plenty of networking opportunities
Other topics included “The Politics of Safety,” “FMCSA Update,” and an Electronic Learning Device (ELD) panel, “What the Salesman Didn’t Tell Us.”
“The seminar is capped at 140 attendees, which allows for a small, personal gathering where individual questions and concerns can be presented, so operators can walk away with solutions to real-life problems,” said Ken Presley, UMA vice president of industry relations and COO. “There’s a fairly even split between those who frequently attend the seminar to stay on top of changes in the industry and its regulations and those who may not necessarily be new operators but are participating in the event for the first time.”
“It was definitely a success this year,” Presley added. “The event was sold out, and many attendees gave us great feedback and said that it was the best program that we have had so far.”
UMA’s next big event will be Motorcoach EXPO, now in its 31st year, in Atlanta, Ga., from January 31 to February 4.
UMA Vice President of Industry Relations and COO Ken Presley delivers one of the event’s seminars
“The UMA EXPO show floor is 99 percent sold out, and each year UMA completely overhauls the entire program to make sure every education topic is current and helps meet today’s demands. This year, the show also has new networking programs. We also have brought back the FMCSA listening session to the UMA State Association summit.”
“The UMA Motorcoach EXPO is a show that can benefit not only those in the motorcoach industry but also livery operators who are interested in expanding their fleets to include buses.” Said Parra.
“For [chauffeured transportation] operators, it’s a great venue if they’re thinking of getting into bigger equipment,” he said. “They can see the vehicles on the show floor, and they can attend our sessions to learn about them. The motorcoach industry does transport passengers, but it is a different world with all the regulations this industry needs to think about, so this show is a great learning resource for anyone starting out in the bus and motorcoach business.”
Visit uma.org for more information.
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Tracy Salinger Long of Unique Limousine won the 2016 CD Show pass raffle
Trevose, Pa. — Philadelphia Regional Limousine Association (PRLA) held its 7th annual Monte Carlo Night at Twining Hall, on December 9. Platinum sponsors included Don Brown Bus Sales, P.A. Post Agency, Lancer Insurance, Research Underwriters, Lakeview Custom Coach, and Royale.
The holiday event welcomed association members, supporters, and industry operators alike. Chauffer Driven’s Editor Madeleine Maccar and Assistant Editor Rob Smentek were both in attendance for a night of fun, food, and games of chance.
PRLA Treasurer Chris Haines of Michaels Classic Limousine (left) and PRLA Director Perry Camerlengo of Luxury LimousineUpon entering the hall, guests were given chips to try their luck at various game tables, including black jack, roulette, poker, and craps. For unlucky players and the folks who just wanted to increase their chances of winning big, the option to purchase more chips was available. At the end of the evening, any remaining chips were traded for raffle tickets, which gave attendees the chance to win various donated prizes, including housewares, toys, Kindles, Eagles tickets, and a flat-screen television. Also among the prizes was a pass to the 2016 Chauffeur Driven Show held in Washington, D.C., from October 9-12, which was won by Tracy Salinger Long of Unique Limousine.
PRLA President Steve Rhoads, who will continue his position in 2016, briefly spoke to the group, and thanked everyone for their work on behalf of the association throughout the year. Later, PRLA Director Anthony Onorata and Vendor Member Peter Corelli assisted Rhoads with the raffle and distributing prizes.
The next PRLA meeting will be held January 13 at Maggiano’s in King of Prussia, Pa.
Visit prlainc.com for more information.
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