Operator Selling Batch Of 2015 BMWs With Low Miles

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Ten BMW 740Li livery sedans, all with less than 100,000 miles, have been posted for sale on Limoforsale.com by an operator who only wants to buy more of them.

Black Tie Transportation owner and CEO Bill Wheeler Sr. bought 30 BMWs in 2015 as his new primary fleet sedan, and is now selling the first 10 of them so he can buy 10 2018 MY BMWs within the next 90 days.

The 10 740Lis are available now on Limoforsale.com for $28,999 each and range from 89,000 to just under 100,000 miles. Anyone who buys two to 10 of them will get an additional $1,000 off each vehicle, Wheeler said.

SPECS, PHOTOS, SELL INFO HERE

Black Tie used all 10 long-wheelbase luxury sedans to carry mostly single-rider clients to and from airports in the San Francisco Bay Area, which means the cars have accumulated more highway than city miles and received minimal client wear-and-tear. Wheeler can attest to the model’s low maintenance track record and client enthusiasm.

“The car has been received amazingly by clients, and basically been locked into our market,” Wheeler told LCT. “Besides putting tires on them, we have not had to do anything; no transmissions, no A/C compressors, nothing but reusables like tires and a few windshield breaks.”

Given the 740Li’s durability, Wheeler plans to run his remaining 20 2015 sedans until about 150,000 to 200,000 miles. His company follows a fleet policy of turning over vehicles every two to three years.

When Wheeler bought his first BMWs, he slightly raised his rates with no drop-off in client business. His approach was to distinguish his company as a premium chauffeured service provider in the metro area where transportation network companies (TNCs) started.

LCT background articles:

• How To Upgrade Your Fleet For Better Results
• Operator Orders Most BMW Limo Sedans To Date

Keywords

Bill Wheeler   BMW   BMW 7 series   California operators   Limoforsale.com   online vehicle sales   premium luxury sedans   San Francisco operators   used vehicles   

 

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Too Much Smart Talk On A.I.

Each year seems to bring a topic alarming the industry with related forecasts of bad endings. In 2015, it was driverless cars. In 2016, the supremacy of TNCs. This year: AI (artificial intelligence).

I’ve been to three conferences so far this year that included the subject of AI, which is applying technology to replace human tasks in faster ways. In a positive way, the state of the industry presentation at the March LCT Show touched upon a direct benefit to operators: Bot and voice activated technology that can handle call center, service desk, and web FAQ functions. Likewise, Leadership Summit speaker Brian Solis talked about AI’s disruptive role, such as apps and the advent of driverless vehicles.

But during a digital media conference I attended in April, a speaker warned 6% of jobs will be lost to AI by 2021; 47% by 2037; and 95% of machines will write better than humans. Could AI replace writers, editors, and marketers, the speaker asked? I wondered if it would happen after I retire.

What’s Next?
2015 – Driverless Cars
2016 – TNC Supremacy
2017 – Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Mad Info
Media coverage brings such doomsday scenarios: One third of men 25-54 will be unemployed! 45% of jobs to be automated! 30 million unemployed drivers with nowhere to go! 75% unemployment by 2100! What will people do? How will they earn a living? Can everyone earn money polishing robots? (Wait, no, they’ll polish each other). We need a national guaranteed income!

Oh, please sheeple media, calm down already. I’ve recently read several articles on AI explaining how it’s an innovative tool that creates new jobs and makes our lives easier. I can’t think of anyone now who wants a harder life.

AI Benefits
• Call Center
• Service Desk
• Web FAQ

More Jobs
In several industries, physical labor jobs have yielded to more digitally-driven jobs. A commentary in the May 14 Wall Street Journal by two economic academics, Bret Swanson and Michael Mandel, points out how e-commerce has created 397,000 jobs since December 2007, making up for the 76,000 jobs lost at stores. Hydraulic fracking that spurred the shale oil and gas boom — at least one cylinder pulling the U.S. out of the Great Recession — has boosted oil-and-gas work hours by 17% during the last 10 years.

Tech think tanker Robert D. Aktinson in the April 17 issue of National Review cites studies showing how fewer than 5% of jobs can be fully automated, while AI will eliminate only 1.25% of jobs in 15 major developed and emerging companies by 2020. Only 10% of jobs across 702 different occupations are actually at risk of automation. More than offsetting such small losses are the billions of dollars saved, new job roles yet to be created, and increases in economic productivity thanks to AI and robotics. In my case, I wouldn’t mind having a bot edit rote press releases and upload content to our websites, thereby freeing me up to write more interesting articles, create videos, and tour companies.

Really? AI Job Loss Forecast
6% by 2021
47% by 2037

Losses < Gains
Now, some jobs and roles will be lost forever. On May 11, 1997, chess champion Gary Kasparov was defeated by an IBM supercomputer, Deep Blue. Writing in the WSJ in April, Kasparov admitted he had a hard time with the machine-beat-man irrelevancy. But he sums it up best: “Waxing nostalgic about jobs lost to technology is little better than complaining that antibiotics put too many gravediggers out of work.” Civilization advances non-stop. No one would want to bring back all the jobs that collectively provided the brainpower and service levels of the smartphone now in about every purse and pair of pants. Kasparov points out how jobs such as drone pilot, social media manager, and 3-D print engineer did not exist 20 years ago.

Intelligent machines free us from menial physical and mental labor, he writes, thereby “elevating our mental lives toward creativity, curiosity, beauty, and joy.” I can think of worse ways to spend one’s time.

Most of us will keep working. For now, mass driverless cars seem further off than first predicted, maybe 2030 instead of 2022. Uber has hit some skids, to say the least. The limousine industry still supports our LCT events and magazines, print and digital. Technology will sort out all the progress and keep more people busy.

As we size up how AI will change our business lives, we’ll still need the informed intelligence and judgment of the human mind. That human mind attached to a soul brings infinite potential for creativity and achievement, one unique person at a time. I’m not betting techies ever find an AI invention replacing God.

Keywords

artificial intelligence   industry trends   Information Technology   innovation   LCT editor   Martin Romjue   research and trends   

 

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ABC Companies Donates Vehicle To Bus Museum

HERSHEY, Penn. — The Museum of Bus Transportation here just completed its most successful Spring Fling, with over 500 attendees and 50 “visiting” coaches supplementing the Museum’s 38 antique buses.

One highlight was a major donation by ABC Companies. Senior VP Mike Laffan presented John Oakman, the museum’s Fleet Committee Chairman, with a fully refurbished 2004 Stewart Stevens Tug with an air compressor on it for use in moving and maintaining the museum’s vehicles.

“This is a huge donation,” Oakman said. “We’re dealing with fragile antiques, and this tug lets us maneuver and service them safely, reducing the risk of damaging irreplaceable buses.”

Last year the Cornell family and ABC donated a restored 1956 Scenicruiser, and have committed to lend their famous 1921 White Motor Co. “Little Red” bus for display in the near future.

“The Cornell family and ABC are well known for their remarkable accomplishments and contributions in the bus business,” Oakman said in a press release. “But the industry may not be aware that their achievements are matched by their generosity in preserving the equipment and history of our industry. The Cornell’s have donated buses, and restored coaches in their facilities, as well as given money and their considerable expertise to the Museum. The Museum and the coach industry are literally in their debt forever.”

Roman Cornell, ABC executive vice president and CCO, said on behalf of the Cornell family, “History is interesting and an important part of our lives. It’s fun to look back and see where we came from. ABC is fortunate to be in a position to donate to this wonderful museum and preserve the industry that has done so much for our family.”

Source: ABC Companies press release

Keywords

ABC Companies   buses   industry vendors   motorcoaches   Van Hool   vintage vehicles   

 

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Trump’s Former Cadillac Limousine For Sale

Based on the pictures, trim, badges, and level of pre-hosing-down dust, this Trump Cadillac limousine appears to be the real deal.

Jalopnik article here

 

Keywords

Cadillac   custom limousines   Donald Trump   stretch limousine   unique vehicles   used vehicles   vehicle sales   

 

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Stand Out By Showing You Care

Who: Dave Stacks, president of King Car Service, Pearl River, N.Y.

Customer service: To stand out from other chauffeured transportation companies, Stacks tracks all of his clients’ flights to ensure timely pickups and drop offs. He also sends a photo of the vehicle and the chauffeur’s information to customers before their trips so they know who and what to expect. The company offers wake-up calls and Stacks checks to see if clients have any special requests like a specific brand of chips or mints. “My goal is to meet any and all of my clients’ needs,” he says. He calls all customers after a trip to follow-up and ensure their rides met expectations.

Biggest successes: Starting with one vehicle and growing fast. Within six months of starting the company, he had four vehicles on the road.

Marketing strategies: Stacks uses social media channels like Instagram and Facebook, and Google AdWords. He self-promotes with business cards any chance he gets. However, most of his business comes from word-of-mouth recommendations.

Fast Facts

Location: Pearl River, NY
Owner: Dave Stacks
Founded: 2015
Vehicle Type: Sedan, SUV, party bus, stretch limo, van
Fleet Size: 15
Employees: 16
Annual Revenue: N/A
Website: http://ift.tt/2tXYKFu
Facebook: http://ift.tt/2tY4gYU
Phone: (845) 405-6305

Start-up costs and methods: With $10,000 and one car, Stacks started King Car Service. He credits much of his success to social media, but also networks a lot at shows. Stacks is a student of Bill Faeth’s popular and informative Limo University program, and is always looking for input from fellow operators to improve and take his company further. “I named the business King Car Service because I want all my clients to feel like royalty; the minute we pick them up is when their vacation or business trip starts. We try to make it as pleasurable as possible,” he says.

Advice: If there’s one thing operators must do, it’s take pride in your profession. “You can’t come into the business thinking ‘I’m going to make a million dollars,’” Stacks says. “You have to go in liking what you do and have a passion for making people happy. Also, don’t be afraid of TNCs because customer service can go a long way.”

Origins: Stacks started with “one car and a mixed direction.” He wasn’t sure if he wanted to work with taxis or limos at first, but after attending a few LCT shows, he realized chauffeured car service was the right move for him. His first vehicle was a black Ford Crown Victoria, and he eventually upgraded to a Lincoln Town Car. After realizing he needed to expand further, he bought SUVs to accommodate more passengers.

Future plans: Stacks wants to get more involved with corporate work and buy some buses so he can expand his fleet into new markets.

Lessons learned: Although he’s still learning every day, Stacks believes with Uber and Lyft around, you have to strive for excellence daily. “Whether your clients are using you to get to the airport, a concert, or a wedding, you really have to go above and beyond for every trip,” he says. He also thinks the key to creating a great operation is hiring and retaining quality chauffeurs.

Free time: His hobbies include outdoor activities like fishing, car racing, motorcycles, and traveling. “With the summer here, I hope to get out on my boat a lot, too,” he says.

Keywords

customer service   Lyft   New York operators   operator profiles   small-fleet operators   TNCs   Uber   

 

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Party Bus Pot Tours Try To Reckon With Smoking Ban

A handful of private bus companies want to give passengers a chance to take the high road in Las Vegas.

These would-be roach coaches want to offer a space that complies with state laws to privately consume marijuana, but the shuttle operators have hit a bump in the road.

A little-known Nevada law prohibits anyone from ingesting the drug while inside a moving vehicle — a misdemeanor punishable with a maximum $600 fine. It’s also against the law to rent a private vehicle just to use marijuana. But that isn’t deterring some potential pot tourism operators.

Las Vegas Review-Journal article here

Related LCT blog article: Does No Smoking Mean Weed Too?

Keywords

drugs   Las Vegas   Las Vegas operators   Nevada operators   regulatory enforcement   smoking in the vehicle   state regulations   tour buses   tourism   

 

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Uber Takes Biggest Bite Out Of Taxi, Rental Car Industries

New data shows business travelers are increasingly turning to Uber and Lyft while taking fewer cabs and renting fewer cars when out on the road.

Meanwhile, both Uber and Lyft grew their share of the ground transportation market by 2%. Uber controlled 55% of the ground travel expenses for business travelers, while Lyft had 8%.

CNBC article here

Keywords

ground transportation   rental cars   taxis   TNCs   Uber   

 

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Does The Term Limo Help Or Hinder Our Industry?

Uber created a brand and an all-new car service category in just a few short years, proving it is possible, and maybe even hip, to take something old like the word “limo” and separate the industry out by rebranding ourselves with a new name or reference.

I interviewed one of the partners of Jetsmarter.com the other day. He was quite fascinating and will be speaking at LCT-NLA Show East in Atlantic City, N.J., Nov. 5-7. I plan to play out the interview live for all of you.  

One thing he said, which I know all of us keep butting up against, is our industry “brand” remains unclear in today’s world of “for-hire transportation.” The word “limo” to the consumer is still tightly aligned with specialty vehicles and traditional stretches. A person simply would not think of calling a “limo” company for a shuttle bus, nor would many people think of a “limo” service when needing a ride to the airport.  

Conversely, if you use the words bus or charter in your name, I doubt you would get many new leads for sedan service or nights-on-the-town. For those of you who have moved away from the stretch business and diversified your fleets, it might be time to notch out a newer brand name that encompasses it all, broadens our business scope, and sends a “new” and “contemporary” message about who we are TODAY.

It’s interesting to note that taxi, shortened from taxicab, has gone unchanged for hundreds of years. Taxi, which came from the Latin word tax, to charge, and cabriolet, an old name for carriage, is well branded and still relevant today. Bus, derived from omnibus which in Latin means “for all,” is even older than taxi.

By contrast, Uber created a brand and an all-new car service category in just a few short years, proving it is possible and maybe even hip, to take something old like the word “limo” and separate the industry out by rebranding ourselves with a new name or reference.  

I Googled the term “for-hire vehicle” and this is what came up:

A vehicle for hire is a vehicle providing shared transport, which transports one or more passengers between locations of the passengers’ choice (or close to it). Didi Chuxing, Uber, and Grab are few of the biggest companies that focus on the “vehicle for hire” concept. The most common vehicle for hire around the world is the taxicab; other vehicles for hire include pulled rickshaws, cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws, motorcycle taxis, limousines, party buses, horse- drawn carriages (including hackney carriages and caliches), and water taxis. Aircraft also can be chartered.

Shared taxis, paratransit, demand responsive transport, public light buses, and shuttle buses are hybrids — halfway between taxicabs and buses — and operate along somewhat fixed routes, with some flexibility in where passengers may be picked up or dropped off.

Shuttle services are also offered from many airports around the world: They take multiple independent passengers, like a bus, and usually run between two fixed areas (typically an airport and a downtown or hotel area), but will often pick up and drop off passengers anywhere reasonable within those areas, like a taxi.

I say it’s a worthwhile discussion to be had in person at LCT-NLA Show East. I am thinking maybe just the word “coach” will do? I ask you (since I am completely stumped on this) to think up just one word that would brand those operators running diversified fleets who want, and really need, to change their messaging. It’s a brainbuster to be sure.

Keywords

Branding   ground transportation   industry trends   LCT Publisher   Sara Eastwood-Richardson   Uber   

 

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Sick Day? Vacation Day? With PTO, It Doesn’t Matter

At Motev, a Los Angeles-based limousine service, employees accrue PTO as they work. If staffers use up their time and need more days, owner Robert Gaskill will structure the work schedule so they can accrue more hours. If drivers are sick and come to work, the law prohibits them from driving, so Gaskill assigns them to work in the office.

USA Today article here

Keywords

business management   California operators   employee management   labor laws   staff management   

 

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Uber Tries To Stop Driver Exodus By Treating Them Better

Uber’s leadership already has a lot on its plate, starting with finding a new CEO after former chief Travis Kalanick resigned abruptly last month. But that’s not all the tech giant has to do.

For the business to survive, Uber also has to repair its relationship with drivers, which leaders at the company say is “broken.”

NPR article here

Keywords

driver behavior   human resources   TNCs   Uber   

 

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Charter Bus Booked Solid For Total Eclipse

Starr’s Cave Nature Center has all 48 seats on a charter bus booked for the first total eclipse to cross the entire country since 1918. The center even has a waiting list for bus seats.

With the eclipse’s path passing directly through several population centers and thousands more planning to drive toward its route, the Aug. 21 eclipse is predicted by some to be the most-viewed solar eclipse in human history.

The Hawk Eye article here

Keywords

buses   charter and tour   Missouri operators   special events   tourism   

 

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All-Tesla Service Partners With Environmental Film Festival

MOTEV, a Los Angeles-based luxury black car service that only uses zero emissions Teslas, is joining with KCET-TV for the first annual West Coast Environmental Film Festival at the Egyptian Theatre on July 29.

MOTEV will be showcasing one of its new Tesla P90X models during the West Coast Environmental Film Festival in the plaza of the Egyptian Theater. The film festival is free, and attendees will be able to check out the car and learn more about MOTEV’s commitment to preserving the environment while offering high-end chauffeured service.

Source: MOTEV press release

Keywords

California operators   electric vehicles   green marketing   green vehicles   special events   Tesla   Tesla Model S   Tesla Model X   

 

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Why Bigger Fleets Aren’t Always Better

RALEIGH, N.C. — Everyone’s familiar with the phrase “quality over quantity”; even though it’s a cliché, there’s a reason it’s often said — it’s true. Chris Cardo, owner of Raleigh Dream Limos, has seen firsthand the benefits of keeping your fleet a manageable size.

Focus On What Matters

At one point, Cardo owned six stretch limos, but sold most of them and invested in a newer fleet consisting mostly of limo buses. He now owns three LGE buses and one Hummer stretch.

“As we all know, buses are way of the future, so that’s why we decided to go that route. The limo buses provide a much better experience for our clients,” he says. Staying small has helped the company maintain a focus on keeping the interior of the vehicles in a “like new” condition. Cardo replaces seats frequently and orders new interior parts directly from LGE.

Downsizing slightly has only had a positive effect on ride quality and his clients’ experience, Cardo says. “As a result, we actually became more profitable.”

Focus On Your Passion

Although he didn’t aspire to own a chauffeured transportation company, a friend who owned one introduced him to the industry.

“I was in college at the time and began researching the industry,” Cardo says. “Immediately upon graduation, I purchased a white stretch Hummer and Raleigh Dream Limos was open for business.

“I’m very glad I chose to enter this industry. It’s always a pleasure to provide a great experience for people and have them be extremely happy with the service they received. It’s obviously great to make money, too.”

As a younger operator, he believes his technology awareness and how it’s changing the transportation industry allows him to better plan for the future and insulate his business model from potential risks from technology advancements.

Online reviews can make or break you now, and Cardo relies on his solid digital reputation. “We receive a lot of repeat business, which is great, because it means our clients enjoyed our services so much the first time they would like to experience it again,” he says. “It’s imperative you always take care of your customers, no matter the cost.”

Focus On The Future

Excited about the industry’s potential, Cardo plans to incorporate as much technology into his business model as possible.

“As an industry, we need to keep pushing forward. I know many operators, including myself, are nervous about the future. However, I feel there will be many opportunities for growth. I believe a lot of our future lies in the hands of the vehicle manufacturers,” he says.

“I think the interior of the vehicles need to evolve to provide even more of a unique experience. I’m talking more from the view of a retail operator, but even with shuttle style vehicles, I think there needs to be an evolution of the interior, with more integrated technology and futuristic design. We need to be the ones who innovate in a way that keeps our industry and services relevant and useful to the world.”

Keywords

buses   LCTFast40   LGE Coachworks   Millennials   North Carolina operators   party buses   technology   WebXclusive   

 

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What’s On The Must-Have List For Younger Travelers?

Millennials, for better or worse, are disruptors. And there may be no industry more poised to take advantage of disruptive millennial trends than the field of business travel.

CNBC article here

Related: The Creative Ways Millennials Approach Business Travel

Related: How Do Millennials Define Luxury Travel?

Related: How To Take Advantage Of Millennial FOMO

Keywords

business travel   leisure travel   Millennials   research and trends   

 

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PAX Training Launches App For Chauffeurs

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — PAX Training, an industry provider of certified, chauffeur training, announced the release of both the iOS and Android versions of their app to all member companies in the U.S. and worldwide. The app allows operators to easily train, test, and certify their chauffeurs, anywhere at anytime.

With the new app, each chauffeur will have 24/7/365 access to all of their training information. They can quickly refer to company specific procedures, client protocols, or complete the weekly ongoing training courses in between trips or while waiting at the airport. To learn how your company can benefit from PAX Training, visit: paxtraining.com

Related LCT article: Making Peace With Training And Turnover

About PAX Training
In Latin, PAX means Peace. PAX Training is a simple and effective on-line solution to train, test, and certify your chauffeurs with the industry’s best practices and an individual company’s custom content. Chauffeurs receive training in all aspects of chauffeuring with specific courses highlighting customer service, professional presentation, and driving safety. PAX also provides weekly training to keep them sharp and engaged.

Operators save time and money using PAX to consistently train their chauffeurs, attain affiliate work, find new affiliates, and advertise their professional team of chauffeurs to new and existing clients.

PAX Training was developed and is owned by Bruce Heinrich, the CEO and founder of LEADER Worldwide in Kansas City, Mo.

To learn more about PAX: PAXTraining.com. Find PAX member companies at PAXVerify.com

Source: PAX Training press release

Keywords

Bruce Heinrich   chauffeur behavior   chauffeur training   driver training   etiquette   Kansas operators   Missouri operators   PAX   

 

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