GoundWidgets To Premiere New Product At LCT-NLA Show East

GroundWidgets proudly announces its new version 1.7 of the “Ground-On-Demand” (G-o-D) mobile app, for the upcoming LCT-NLA Show East in Atlantic City, Nov. 8-10, at the new Harrah’s Resort. This new and improved mobile solution will allow operators to compete effectively with Uber and other transportation network companies (TNCs), says GroundWidgets in a press release.

There is a YouTube video of a live demonstration of both the passenger and driver apps, as well as the custom dashboard for company administrators, at http://ift.tt/1GR7IVB.

The latest features in the new version 1.7 include:

• Works in background mode so driver can receive bookings while using other apps or on phone.
• New “Uber-like” pricing allows for taxi meter pricing (available option) based on time and distance traveled.
• Turn on or off additional key features with the expanded configurable dashboard.
• Scheduled rides (Ride Later) as well as on-demand (Ride Now) capability.
• A “white label” version that uses your company’s brand.
• A website for passengers to book rides.
• A very low fee per trip that is a tiny fraction of what the TNC’s charge.

Ground Widgets will be displaying the Ground-On-Demand solution November 8-10, at Harrah’s Resort and Convention Center – Booth 1 of the LCT-NLA Show East. Ground Widgets can be reached for demos and other inquiries at 201-693-4150, and sales.info@groundwidgets.com.

Source: Ground Widgets

Keywords

apps   GroundWidgets   LCT-NLA Show East   mobile technology   mobility on demand   technology   

 

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Taxis To Get Tech Update To Better Compete With TNCs

Taxis are about to get a technology makeover. Flywheel, the Redwood City, Calif., technology company that works with the taxi industry, announced Oct. 29 it will begin piloting in San Francisco an all-in-one GPS-based smartphone taxi meter, which will replace existing technology in participating taxis.

Los Angeles Times article here

Keywords

apps   customer service   on-demand service   startup   taxis   vehicle apps   

 

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NLA Taking Nominations For Six Board Director Seats

The National Limousine Association is accepting nominations for the 2016-2019 term of its Board of Directors until Nov. 13 in an election that will be the trade group’s first ever conducted online.

The NLA will send out more information to its 1,971 members in coming weeks about the e-format, designed to be more streamlined and secure. 

The NLA Board of Directors has 18 members who serve staggered three-year terms, with six seats coming up for election every year. Two additional vendor board directors are appointed annually and do not vote on board agenda matters. 2013-2016 incumbent board directors — who were elected in December 2012 and seated in February 2013 — may choose to run for re-election according to NLA bylaws.

Nominations are being accepted until Nov. 13 for the following six board seats:

• One At Large seat covering all 50 states, now held by Richard Kane, International Limousine Service, Washington, D.C.
• One seat in the Central region covering AR, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, OK, SD, TX, and WI, now held by Diane Forgy, Overland Chauffeured Services, Kansas City, Mo.
• One seat in the Northeast region covering CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, and VT, now held by Dawson Rutter, Commonwealth Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation, Boston.
• One seat in the West region covering AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, UT, WA, and WY, now held by Kevin Illingworth, Classique Limousines Worldwide, Orange, Ca.
• One Canada seat covering all of Canada, now held by Joe Ironi, Global Alliance Worldwide Chauffeured Services, Toronto, Ontario.
• One International seat, covering operators worldwide except in the U.S. and Canada, now held by Michael Oldenburg of United Limousines AG, Frankfurt, Germany.

To run for the NLA Board, operators must complete and submit the application with the following accompanying documents:

1. A brief biography that describes your background in the limousine industry.
2. A paragraph that explains why you want to serve on the NLA board of directors and what your goals for the NLA will be if you are elected. 
3. A digital headshot of yourself
4. Proof of legality in the cities/states/airports in which Regular Active Member operates.
5. Certificate of insurance verifying Regular Active Member compliance with the state/federal requirements.
6. Proof of your corporate officer position. 
7. An explanation of anything the nominating committee should know about you that might reflect adversely on the NLA.

Candidates can submit applications in two ways:

1. Click for the online application via log-in with NLA credentials to access the page. 
2. Click for the pdf application that can be emailed to info@limo.org or faxed to (856) 596-2145 along with the above documents.

The NLA Nominating Committee will not consider incomplete applications.

NLA member ballots will go live around Dec. 1 with a voting deadline of Jan. 15, 2016. The NLA will post results soon thereafter.

Winning candidates will formally take their board seats on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016 just before the start of the International LCT Show at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Feb. 29-March 2. The NLA board also will elect its slate of 2016-17 officers.

Keywords

election   ILCT 2016   industry leaders   industry politics   national limousine association   NLA   NLA board of directors   

 

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Need More Reasons To Do LCT East Next Weekend?

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — LCT-NLA Show East opens in just over a week on Sunday, Nov. 8, and for the 1,000+ attendees, this year’s trade show and conference will break new industry ground and set a high bar.

That can be a subjective concept beyond the fact that LCT is among the first major users of Harrah’s Atlantic City’s new Waterfront Conference Center. So to find relevant and groundbreaking reasons to attend, or if you’re already registered, to look forward to the ROI, just click on the link below for a list of links to all the features and events:

Top 10 Reasons And Another 10+ Reasons To Attend LCT East

REGISTRATION HERE

  

Keywords

Atlantic city   Eastern U.S. Operators   Harrah’s   industry education   LCT-NLA Show East   limo tradeshows   networking   tradeshow preparation   vehicle sales   

 

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Woman Fights Off Lyft Driver Attacker In Her Home

CHULA VISTA, Calif. — A local woman says a ride using the popular ride-hailing app Lyft ended in a heart-stopping struggle in her home.

KGTV ABC 10 News San Diego article and video here

Keywords

California operators   criminal incidents   driver behavior   Lyft   passenger safety   San Diego operators   TNCs   

 

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New Jersey Commuters Using TNCs To Fill Public Transit Gaps

More commuters are turning to transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft to cover that difficult “last mile,” the distance between train stations or bus stops and their homes or jobs.

Last month, 300,000 of the 1.3 million rides provided by Uber in New Jersey were to transit or PATH stations, according to company statistics.

Nationally, 25% of the rides provided by Lyft were to and from transit. 

NJ.com article here

Keywords

client markets   commuter services   customer service   Lyft   New Jersey operators   public transit   TNCs   Uber   

 

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Millennials Prefer To Travel More For Business, Live Meetings

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Millennials are nearly twice as likely to want to travel more for business than Baby Boomers (45% to 26%, respectively), and most Millennials (57%) believe technology can never replace face-to-face meetings to get business done.

Also, Millennials are far more likely to rely upon social media to meet up with friends when traveling than Baby Boomers (46% to 17%) and are far less likely to want to use their personal credit cards to float business expenses (53% to 69%). In terms of travel amenities, if only one could be selected, Baby Boomers would strongly prefer to pay no fee to check bags (47% compared to 34% of Millennials), while Millennials want free Wi-Fi (30% compared to 17% of Baby Boomers).

These findings come from the latest GBTA Business Traveler Sentiment Index, research from the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), in partnership with American Express.

“Millennials are the newest generation of road warriors and, like their more experienced peers, they understand that face-to-face meetings remain key to getting business done,” said Michael W. McCormick, GBTA executive director and COO. “Over the last quarter, business travelers across the board — Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers — reported that their goals were met on business trips, leading to greater satisfaction.”

“Millennials in particular are interested in business travel and see the value it brings to their companies and their careers,” said Susan Chapman-Hughes, senior vice president, American Express Global Corporate Payments. “This generation may see more upsides to business travel because they’ve found new ways to stay connected to their personal and professional commitments while on the road.”

The study also found that overall business traveler satisfaction with getting through airport security declined significantly in the past three months (from 55% in 2Q to 45% in 3Q). Despite this drop, overall satisfaction levels with the business travel experience remain high (73%). But with airplane travel as a driving force in overall satisfaction, a continued downward trend could hurt the level.

A concern raised in the study centers around confidence in the economy. The percentage of travelers who believe the overall health of the economy is excellent dropped from 32% in 2Q to just 21% this quarter. This is despite the fact that travelers’ views of the health of their own company or industry remained virtually unchanged and much more positive. More than half of business travelers feel their own company is in excellent financial shape (62%) and that the overall health of their industry is excellent (51%).

Travelers don’t want passengers to talk on mobile phones while in flight. The study finds that nearly two thirds of business travelers oppose allowing passengers to talk on their mobile phones while a flight is in the air, while just 9% support this.

Keywords

business travel   corporate travel   GBTA   Global Business Travel Association   industry surveys   Millennials   

 

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Towne Livery Takes The Limo Show Quiz For LCT East

Keywords

David Bastian   Fleet Vehicles   LCT-NLA Show East   Towne Livery   

 

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Millennials Want to Travel More for Business, Face-to-Face Meetings

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Millennials are nearly twice as likely to want to travel more for business than Baby Boomers (45% to 26%, respectively), and most Millennials (57%) believe technology can never replace face-to-face meetings to get business done.

Also, Millennials are far more likely to rely upon social media to meet up with friends when traveling than Baby Boomers (46% to 17%) and are far less likely to want to use their personal credit cards to float business expenses (53% to 69%). In terms of travel amenities, if only one could be selected, Baby Boomers would strongly prefer to pay no fee to check bags (47% compared to 34% of Millennials), while Millennials want free Wi-Fi (30% compared to 17% of Baby Boomers).

These findings come from the latest GBTA Business Traveler Sentiment Index, research from the GBTA Foundation, the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), in partnership with American Express.

“Millennials are the newest generation of road warriors and, like their more experienced peers, they understand that face-to-face meetings remain key to getting business done,” said Michael W. McCormick, GBTA executive director and COO. “Over the last quarter, business travelers across the board — Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers — reported that their goals were met on business trips, leading to greater satisfaction.”

“Millennials in particular are interested in business travel and see the value it brings to their companies and their careers,” said Susan Chapman-Hughes, senior vice president, American Express Global Corporate Payments. “This generation may see more upsides to business travel because they’ve found new ways to stay connected to their personal and professional commitments while on the road.”

The study also found that overall business traveler satisfaction with getting through airport security declined significantly in the past three months (from 55% in 2Q to 45% in 3Q). Despite this drop, overall satisfaction levels with the business travel experience remain high (73%). But with airplane travel as a driving force in overall satisfaction, a continued downward trend could hurt the level.

A concern raised in the study centers around confidence in the economy. The percentage of travelers who believe the overall health of the economy is excellent dropped from 32% in 2Q to just 21% this quarter. This is despite the fact that travelers’ views of the health of their own company or industry remained virtually unchanged and much more positive. More than half of business travelers feel their own company is in excellent financial shape (62%) and that the overall health of their industry is excellent (51%).

Travelers don’t want passengers to talk on mobile phones while in flight. The study finds that nearly two thirds of business travelers oppose allowing passengers to talk on their mobile phones while a flight is in the air, while just 9% support this.

Keywords

business travel   corporate travel   GBTA   Global Business Travel Association   industry surveys   Millennials   

 

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David Bastian and Towne Livery Take the Limo Show Quiz for LCT East

Keywords

David Bastian   Fleet Vehicles   LCT-NLA Show East   Towne Livery   

 

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California Driver Sues Uber For Owed Expenses

A former Uber driver named Ramy Kabany has filed a complaint against the fast-growing company in California, arguing that he should be reimbursed for work-related expenses such as gas, car maintenance and repairs.

The case will hinge on whether a state labor commissioner decides that he is, as Uber claims, and independent contractor, or whether he should be classified as an employee.

TIME Magazine article here

Related website: Uberlawsuit.com

Keywords

California operators   employee vs independent contractor   independent contractor issues   labor laws   lawsuits   legal issues   TNCs   Uber   

 

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4 Ways To Reduce Fleet Accidents And Costs

Reducing accident management costs and making long-lasting changes in a fleet operation is hard work. But, it can lead to substantial cost savings and the potential to save the lives of chauffeurs, drivers, clients and the general public.

From technology to training, here are four ways fleet managers can make change:

Automotive Fleet article here

Keywords

accident reduction   accidents   chauffeur training   driver training   fleet management   How To   passenger safety   preventing breakdowns   safety   vehicle maintenance   vehicle technology   

 

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How Will Driverless Cars Make Life-Death Decisions?

Many people think driverless cars could be the best thing to happen to human transportation since the internal combustion engine. If technology continues to develop at the pace proponents are hoping, a network of self-driving computers could end traffic jams forever, saving untold amounts of fuel and preventing nearly 300,000 deaths due to driver error in the U.S. every decade.

One thing these scenarios leave out, however, are some of the very real, very weird moral dilemmas that go into programming autonomous vehicles.

New York Magazine article here

Keywords

autonomous vehicles   driverless cars   fatalities   passenger safety   safety   self-driving vehicles   traffic assessment   

 

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How Will Driverless Cars Make Split-Second Life-Death Decisions?

Many people think driverless cars could be the best thing to happen to human transportation since the internal combustion engine. If technology continues to develop at the pace proponents are hoping, a network of self-driving computers could end traffic jams forever, saving untold amounts of fuel and preventing nearly 300,000 deaths due to driver error in the U.S. every decade.

One thing these scenarios leave out, however, are some of the very real, very weird moral dilemmas that go into programming autonomous vehicles.

New York Magazine article here

Keywords

autonomous vehicles   driverless cars   fatalities   passenger safety   safety   self-driving vehicles   traffic assessment   

 

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Uber Seeks Another $1 Billion In Funding

Uber Seeks New Mega-Round Of Funding: The ride-sharing juggernaut is reportedly seeking to raise $1 billion in funding just three months after closing its last mega-round, the New York Times reports, citing people familiar with the deal talks. The new investment would bring the company’s valuation as high as $60 billion to $70 billion, the Times says. Fortune Magazine article here

Related: Is Uber Really Worth Another $1 Billion?

Safety Officials Recommend 4 Tips For Using Uber: While many students rely on Uber for a ride home, other students have reported that they have encountered impostor Uber drivers, while other Uber users have reported being assaulted by their drivers. USA Today article here

Aviation Version Of Uber Fights Regulators: California-based Flytenow Inc. — the aviation version of the ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft — is locked in a court battle with federal regulators, who contend the emerging air-pool business amounts to an illegal charter operation. Los Angeles Times article here

Uber Fee Advances In Chicago City Council: Transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft will pay a new 2 cent per-ride fee under legislation the City Council’s finance committee advanced Oct. 26. Crain’s Chicago Business article here

Concerns About Uber, Lyft Aired During Roundtable: There were arguments last week for and against ride-sharing, an airing of concerns about worker protections and insurance coverage as well as pleas from business leaders to do something about current taxi service in the state Capital. Politico New York

Phoenix Airport, TNCs Deadlock Over Background Checks: Uber is turning to its fans for support as it seeks approval to pick up passengers at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. AZCentral.com article here

How Foolproof Are Driver Background Checks? Fifty-three drivers who failed background checks to become Uber drivers have been issued chauffeur’s licenses by the City of Austin, according to an internal Uber audit. Of 163 Austin cab drivers who applied to Uber, 53 “were prevented from partnering with Uber due to failing Uber’s background check process.” KXAN-TV article and video here

Keywords

background checks   capital   Chicago operators   New York operators   regulatory enforcement   Texas operators   TNCs   Uber   

 

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Ford, GM Retool To Shed Pounds Off Vehicle Bodies

Despite cheap gasoline prices in the U.S., the march to remove weight from light vehicles continues.

General Motors’ Cadillac CT6 luxury sedan, for example, will feature 13 different materials customized for each area of the car to simultaneously advance driving dynamics, fuel economy and cabin quietness.

Automotive News article here

Keywords

Cadillac   Cadillac CT6   Ford   General Motors   limousine manufacturing   manufacturing   new vehicles   OEMs   vehicle technology   

 

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Third-Gen Connecticut Operation Grows Business

WEST HAVEN, Conn. — Matthew Levine didn’t always plan to join the family business but now that he has, he’s making a name for himself.

Greenwich Time article here

LCT related article: Hy’s Limousine Celebrates 60 Years Of Service

Keywords

business deals   business growth   Connecticut operators   family businesses   history of the limo industry   Matt Levine   mergers & acquisitions   New England operators   operation growth   

 

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Good Lesson @ East Show: How To Book Business In 5 Steps

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Are you finding it hard to stand out from your competitors? Frustrated by price shoppers? Worried that you aren’t closing enough business?

Fear not. Randi Busse, an expert in maximizing the customer experience to build and retain business, will share insights, tips, and strategies to increase your bottom line at LCT-NLA Show East, Nov. 8-10 at Harrah’s Resort and the brand new Waterfront Conference Center.

Busse’s General Session, “How to Book the Business in 5 Easy Steps,” will be held on Monday, Nov. 9, from 10:45 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The interactive session will guide operators to help differentiate your business from the competition, build trust and rapport quickly, ask questions the right way, make powerful recommendations, overcome objections and book the business.

Busse is the Founder and President of Workforce Development Group, Inc., a coaching and training organization that specializes in improving the customer experience, increasing customer retention and maximizing revenue. Randi challenges business leaders and employees to think in innovative ways when it comes to taking care of their customers.

A dynamic speaker with the ability to make audiences listen, nod, laugh, Busse will help operators connect the dots between their own experiences as a customer and how their behaviors and the way their employees treat customers affects their bottom line.

Register today to reserve a full conference and show pass. This year’s all-in-one-place-no-shuttles show and conference features numerous meet-and-greet sessions, events, parties, receptions and after-hours suite parties that will give attendees ample opportunity to network with old friends and meet potential affiliate partners from around the world.

Keywords

building your clientele   business growth   client markets   customer service   industry education   keynote speakers   LCT-NLA Show East   limo tradeshows   networking   staying competitive   tradeshow preparation   

 

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