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A new CX45, which was custom designed for Leros Transportation Group
ABC Companies is excited to have participated in the 2025 UMA Expo and the CD/NLA Show in Las Vegas, both of which took place at the end of February. Attendees had the opportunity to experience the next-generation 2025 Van Hool CX45 motorcoach, designed for advanced safety, enhanced driver experience, and premium passenger comfort.
Additionally, a 2025 Van Hool CX45 motorcoach was showcased at the UMA Maintenance Competition booth, where attendees could see firsthand how its advanced serviceability, maintenance-friendly design, and long-term operational efficiency set it apart. As a proud sponsor of the UMA Maintenance Competition, ABC remains committed to supporting technicians and maintenance professionals by providing cutting-edge solutions that make fleet management more efficient.
In a landmark moment for the motorcoach industry, representatives from VDL Groep, the owners of Van Hool, were in attendance, joining ABC to highlight how this strategic partnership is elevating industry standards through customer-focused solutions.
ABC Companies CEO Roman Cornell
For more than 35 years, ABC has been the exclusive North American distributor of Van Hool, delivering high-quality transportation solutions. With VDL Groep now leading Van Hool, this partnership strengthens production and service capabilities to better support the industry.
“Our cooperation with VDL Groep marks an exciting new chapter for Van Hool in North America,” said ABC Companies CEO Roman Cornell. “Together, we are redefining the standard of transportation by delivering innovative solutions that elevate safety, performance, and service excellence.”
“Partnering with ABC Companies is a significant milestone for VDL Groep as we expand Van Hool’s presence in North America,” said VDL Van Hool CEO Marc van Doorn. “Our shared commitment to customer-focused solutions reflects our core belief in strength through cooperation.”
Visit abc-companies.com for more information.
[03.10.25]
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The Illinois Limousine & Bus Association (ILLBA) held their first Coffee With ILLBA webinar of the year on Tuesday, February 18. This month the online program focused on Using AI to Boost Recruiting, courtesy of special guest presenter Jodie Lethgo of Career Driver.
Lethgo’s presentation walked operators through ways that AI can be used to optimize or automate recruiting. To familiarize the participants on AI practices, Lethgo offered examples of day-to-day use of the technology, including providing “Cliff’s Notes” of white papers and reports, changing the tone of emails, and even cooking and recipes. However, the crux of the session was the application of ChatGPT and similar platforms and how it can be applied to a recruitment funnel model. For example, when seeking driver leads AI can be used for market research, targeting candidates, and creating a job description. Creating a job advertisement is another useful way to use AI, according to Lethgo, as is summarizing and ranking submitted resumes through the fabrication of ranking metrics. Furthermore, ChatGPT has proven to be a valuable tool for crafting interview questions, as well as scheduling interviews. When it comes to converting candidates, Lethgo demonstrated how the tech is useful for emailing potential employees and providing surveys for existing staff. Lethgo also fielded questions from AI newbies and from experienced users. ILLBA President Art Rento of Pontarelli Companies detailed how his company has begun to adopt AI.
Before concluding the webinar, ILLBA Executive Director Paula DeBiasi updated the attendees on upcoming city ordinance rules and regulations, which have been updated for the first time in 9 years. She stated that the city is looking for input from operators via a questionnaire, so members were advised to contribute their impressions.
The Coffee With ILLBA webinar series has been providing free education to operators around the world since 2021. To date, there are more than 30 recordings available on the association’s YouTube channel. To access the most recent edition, please click here.
In other ILLBA news, the association announced the recent resignation of Board Member Beth Cox of Cox Livery Service. In her place, Chris Smith of The Transportation Consultants, who will serve out remainder of the term through the summer of 2026.
Visit illba.org for more information.
[03.10.25]
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Chauffeur Driven and the National Limousine Association were pleased to welcome members of the KLAS Channel 8 news team to the annual CD/NLA Show on Sunday, February 23. The CBS Las Vegas affiliate was invited by CD’s West Coast Editor David Hartson to attend the Association Summit, which spotlighted the problem of unlicensed rideshare drivers around the country.
Prior to the Summit, several representatives of the NLA were interviewed on-air by reporter Madison Kimbro about the importance of riding with licensed and insured operators.
“What’s happening now with these illegal operators is that they are gaining traction because of Facebook groups and Instagram. They are running underground operations. No insurance, no licensing, no background checks, no drug testing,” said NLA Director Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide.
“You don’t want to put your family in a vehicle that isn’t properly insured and if you don’t have ‘commercial’ or ‘for hire’ insurance, the driver and passenger won’t get any coverage, and the insurance company can legally deny the claim,” said NLA 2nd Vice President Douglas Schwartz of Executive Ground Transportation.
At each CD/NLA Show, the Association Summit welcomes state and local association leaders together to discuss important issues facing the industry. This year, Long Island Limousine Association (LILA) President Tom Gouldsbury of Azure Limousines delineated his organization’s efforts to make legislators and officials aware of the issue of illegal operators. He was joined by Anthony Manetta, founder & president of the Standard Advisory Group, LILA’s public relations firm.
To view the full news segment, click here.
[03.04.25]