Successful Federal Fleet Workshop Celebrates 10 Great Years
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PM 40014105 VOLUME 3 / NUMBER 5 / $4.95 / OCTOBER 2009 / autosphere.ca Happy Anniversary! SUCCESSFUL FEDERAL FLEET WORKSHOP CELEBRATES 10 GREAT YEARS SERGE JOANISSE It’s all about outstanding performance. On the road and on the job. Choosing the redesigned 2010 Mazda CX-7 means choosing innovation, versatility and a level of safety that will help keep your business on the right road. This far from typical 5-passenger crossover offers an inner beauty, beyond its sculpted curves and sophisticated interior. It’s the soul of a sports car – alive and well within its new 2.5 L engine and available 2.3 L, turbocharged, direct-injected, four cylinder engine. It also offers other inspired features like an intelligent key system, Bluetooth® phone integration with Audio Profile and Blind-Spot Monitoring technology. And its 5-Star Highest Government Crash Test Rating♦ and fuel efficiency of 10.4 L city/7.2 L/100 km highway† speak volumes, too. An uncompromising choice. One you’ll be as thrilled with, as your customers will be. Zoom-Zoom. Forever. Visit mazda.ca M{z d{ CX-7 The no-compromise-zoo} crossover th{t me{ns business zoo} Look for our dedicated Fleet website, launching early November at www.fleet.mazda.ca. To learn more, contact Tony Harold, National Manager, Network Development and Fleet Operations at Mazda Canada at 905-787-7029. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Ask about the Mazda peace-of-mind promise, standard on every new Mazda. MAZDA LEADERSHIP WARRANTY 3 years or 80,000 km comprehensive warranty, 5 years or 100,000 km powertrain warranty. ♦2010 Mazda CX-7 model tested with standard side-impact air bags (SABs). U.S. Government star ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA’s) New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov). †Estimated fuel economy based on Natural Resources Canada Fuel Consumption Guide. Actual fuel consumption may vary. ® Bluetooth is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc. 173_MZCX7-09-3858.indd 1 10/6/09 2:58:24 PM Doner Canada Inc. File Name: 97-75000-173_MZCX7-09-3858 NEW MATERIAL CYAN Ad No.: MZCX7-09-3858 Client: Mazda Media: Fleet Digest MAGENTA Size: 8.125" x 10.875" Mac Operator: VB YELLOW Colours: CMYK Job Ticket: 97-75000-173 BLACK Date: October 6, 2009 Version: 5 If any problems contact Doner media at (416) 485-9901 4 EDITORIAL Look Ahead 6, 29 Industry News CONTENTS 8 DRIVER SAFETY Get Home Safely OCTOBER 2009 10 GEORGIAN COLLEGE AUTO SHOW Showcase of Vehicles and Students 12 12 DEALER OF THE MONTH Willing to Win Your Business 19 COVER STORY 14 INDUSTRY EVENTS 10th Annual Federal Fleet Workshop 18 NEW MODELS First Class, E-Class 22 19 NASCAR NAPA AUTO 14 PARTS 200 Where the Business Car Goes to Play 20 NAFA FLEET CONFERENCE Another NAFA Success 22 WOMEN OF THE INDUSTRY Driving with the Stars 25 23 INDUSTRY INSIGHT The New Normal 26 24 INDUSTRY EVENTS To Lease or Not to Lease 25 INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS 20 Forging Ahead with Fleet 26 WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE? Full Size Pick-up Trucks TRUCK SECTION 28 TOMORROW’S WORLD CANADIAN PROFESSIONAL Are You Ready for Electric Trucks? FLEET MANAGEMENT 29 BUSINESS INNOVATIONS Full Disclosure 30 A YEAR EARLY Ford Relaunches the Taurus www.autosphere.ca | October 2009 | | 3 EDITORIAL Before the recession, when times were still good, we prepared for the downturn by cut- ting expenses, tightening belts, and worrying about the months ahead. Now that things are turning around, it’s time to do the opposite and get ready for an increase in business. Have you been putting off leasing new vehicles? If so, perhaps it’s time to rethink this strategy. Publisher Financing costs are low, vehicles are more Rémy L. Rousseau affordable than ever, and manufacturers are Contributing Editors willing to deal. It makes sense to get in on the Éric Descarries, Jack Kazmierski, Jil McIntosh action today, rather than wait for the future Administration Wendy Allain [email protected] when prices go up and deals are hard to fi nd. Marie-Hélène Côté [email protected] Production Have you cut expenses by reducing advertising Valérie St-Cyr [email protected] exposure, putting a stop to all employee train- Graphic Design ing, and by slashing payroll? With better times Monique Desbiens [email protected] ahead, perhaps it’s time to start investing in Revision your future. Shirley Brown [email protected] You vs. competition Circulation Nancy Belleville [email protected] Look Ahead Business will pick up for you and your compe- Sales As the world emerges from tition. But whether or not you get the lion’s Jean Boutzis [email protected] share of the new business will depend on how 647-341-2777 recession, it is time for us to plan ready your organization is to take advantage Luc Champagne [email protected] for the brighter future ahead. of opportunities. 514-945-1299 Nathalie Plouffe [email protected] t has been said that successful people If you’re busy hiring, training, leasing vehicles 1-866-925-5665 prepare for the future. Instead of waiting for new employees and trying to get everyone Garth Vogan [email protected] I for things to happen and responding to the up to speed, your customers won’t wait. They 905-689-1963 here and now, they look further ahead than the will go next door to do business with those Subscription average person and prepare for what lies far successful people I mentioned at the outset— One year: $27.95 Two years: $49.95 Three years: $59.95 beyond the visible horizon. the ones who are working hard today to pre- Published by pare for the better future that is just ahead. So when you look ahead beyond your horizon, I urge you to take your eyes off the rearview what do you see? Most probably you see better mirror now and start focusing on the road Rousseau Automotive Communication 455, rue Notre-Dame Est, suite 311 times ahead. The recession that was touted as ahead. Things are getting better, and now is Montréal, QC H2Y 1C9 a quasi-depression never happened. Although the time to prepare. T: 514-289-0888, 1-877-989-0888 F: 514-289-5151 economies suffered, companies cut costs, and [email protected] employees lost jobs, it wasn’t as bad as some www.autosphere.ca had feared. Now, the worst seems to be behind us, as the light at the end of the economic tun- If you’re looking for ways to turn things around, fl eetdigest is dedicated to serving the business interests nel grows brighter with every passing day. I invite you to visit our automotive portal, of the Canadian fl eet industry. It is published 6 times a year by Rousseau Automotive Communication. Material www.autosphere.ca, for great business advice in fl eetdigest may not be reproduced in any form without written consent from the publisher. The publisher reserves Prepare for prosperity and insight into our industry. the right to refuse any advertising and disclaims all respon- But who could really be surprised that things sibilities for claims or statements made by its advertisers or independent columnists. All facts, opinions and statements are getting better? Economic cycles are a fact of Don’t forget to check out our very informa- appearing within this publication are those of the writers and editors themselves, and are in no way to be construed life, and the idea that recovery follows recession tive website for all the news about fl eets— as statements, positions or endorsement by Rousseau is a basic principle of economics. So although www.autosphere.ca. Automotive Communication. Canada, along with the rest of the world, saw a Printed in Canada period of economic gloom and doom, it’s time ISSN no. 1920-0641 Publications Mail Agreement no. 40014105. Return un- to wake up to the reality ahead and start pre- Rémy L. Rousseau deliverable Canadian addresses to Rousseau Automotive paring for the future before it gets here. [email protected] Communication / Circulation Department, 455, rue Notre- Dame Est, suite 311, Montréal, QC H2Y 1C9 4 | | October 2009 | www.autosphere.ca Agility. It’s what you get from ARI. In a business environment that changes constantly, ARI offers 60 years of proven agility to meet the most complex requirements, helping you cut costs, create best practice efficiency—and contribute even more to your organization’s success. Drawing on strong cross-border experience coupled with a made-in-Canada approach, ARI has both the stability and flexibility to customize bold solutions for fleets of any size. For a partner with the agility to deliver strategic fleet value, call ARI at 1-800-361-5882. Automotive Resources International A Partnership Approach INDUSTRY NEWS Buick Has Finally Ford to Bring the C-Max to North America Decided—It Will Be LaCrosse Ford Motor Company unveiled its brand new C-Max people mover at the latest Frankfurt Auto Show. This smaller GM of Canada has fi nally reached a de- vehicle will join the new Focus and the Fiesta on cision: the replacement for the actual Al- the North American market in late 2011, lure will bear the same name it does in most probably as a serious competitor the United States—the LaCrosse. Though to vehicles such as the Mazda5 and the Kia Rondo. The C-Max is expected to be perceived as a small minivan as it will seat up to seven passengers. No word yet on the powertrain in America but one can expect a four-cylinder EcoBoost engine to be part of the options.