Scott Solombrino Campaigns for Re-Election as Director of NLA

Boston — Scott Solombrino, current member of the board of directors of the National Limousine Association (NLA), recently announced his campaign for re-election as secretary of board of directors of the NLA for 2017.

As president and CEO of Dav El/BostonCoach, the largest privately-owned chauffeured transportation company worldwide, Solombrino has grown the company through numerous acquisitions and partnerships with leading industry organizations.

President and CEO of Dav El/BostonCoach Scott Solombrino

He has worked tirelessly on behalf of industry issues nationwide, including successfully driving legislative wins in the battle to improve competitive business conditions for the taxi and limousine industries with transportation network companies (TNCs).

A four-time president and founder of the NLA, Solombrino has vast experience in numerous leadership posts intermittently from 1983 to 2016. He has held posts as the legislative committee co-chair, show co-chair, education co-chair and leading member of the public relations committee, where he has been a driving force advocating on behalf of transportation issues.

Additionally, Solombrino sits on the board of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), and was appointed to serve as president of the allied leadership council, which he has held for 15 years. Solombrino is one of a select few to win GBTA’s Industry Icon Award and is a two-time GBTA Allied Member of the Year winner. He also founded and served as past president of the former Massachusetts Limousine Owners Association.

He is also a member of the New York Private Livery Association and the SKAL Club of Boston. In January 2000, Solombrino was named one of the 25 most influential executives in business travel, leading the industry into the new millennium, by Business Travel News, a top trade publication. Solombrino was also named Suffolk University Alumnus of the Year in 1984 and was a Deputy Sheriff in Suffolk County in Massachusetts.

Visit bostoncoach.com for more information.

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United Private Car Announces Arrival of 2017 Lincoln Continental

Boston — United Private Car recently announced the delivery of a new 2017 Lincoln Continental. As one of the first livery companies in Boston to receive a Continental, the company feels that it’s the most exciting addition to their fleet this year.

Jason Dornhoffer (left) and Terry Murtaugh with their new Continental

“We are thrilled with what Lincoln has done with the 2017 release of the Continental,” said Terry Murtaugh, co-founder of United Private Car. “It’s still an icon, but completely modernized with an exciting new look and feel inside and out.”

“It’s been getting a lot of attention and positive feedback already,” added Jason Dornhoffer, United Private Car co-founder. “Our chauffeurs have been surrounded by curious drivers at the Logan Airport Limo Pool anxious to hear all about it, and most importantly our clients love the amenities and comfortable ride.”

The Continental joins United Private Car’s growing roster of luxury sedans, SUVs, and executive vans, bringing the company’s fleet to 18 vehicles.

Visit unitedprivatecar.com for more information.

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Exclusive Industry Study Reveals Uber Impact On Chauffeurs

[Editor’s Note: This is the second part of an LCT exclusive “Industry Uber Impact Study.” The study results were published in the February issue, pp. 28-31. Respondents included a cross-section of large-, medium- and small-fleet operators with 64.6% reporting fleet sizes from one to 10 vehicles.]

Finding and hiring experienced professional chauffeurs has ranked consistently as a top priority among operators nationwide since the economy has rebounded. 

Since Uber launched in San Francisco in 2009 and spread widely starting in 2011, operators have been debating the on-demand company’s effects on the industry, and more importantly, wrestled with allowing chauffeurs to participate as drivers for transportation network companies (TNCs).

Overall, about one quarter of respondents said they allow or sometimes allow chauffeurs to work for TNCs. When asked, “Do you allow your chauffeurs/drivers to participate in on-demand reservations with TNCs such as Uber?” 50% responded, “No, and I don’t intend to allow them;” 15% said yes; 10%, sometimes; and almost 25% forbid it “but may (allow) in the future.”

Do chauffeurs moonlight? When operators who do not allow chauffeurs to drive for TNCs were asked if they think chauffeurs do, most (76%) said no while 24% said yes. Of those operators who permit chauffeurs to drive for TNCs, most (67%) said some of their chauffeurs participate, and 28% said most participate.

Hiring

How have TNCs affected hiring? Most respondents (66%) who do not allow TNC participation reported that they haven’t lost any chauffeurs to TNCs — 34% said they have. On the flip side, 33% of respondents said they have hired TNC drivers as chauffeurs while 67% have not.

On the question, “How have TNCs/Uber affected your ability to recruit chauffeurs overall?” responses were mixed. A plurarlity (48%) said TNCs have not affected recruiting, 26% said TNCs have had some effect; 18% said it’s made recruiting more difficult; and 7% said it’s eased recruitment. Obviously, geography plays a part in the responses, as TNCs are mostly established in large cities and adjacent metro regions.

Keywords

chauffeur behavior   employee recruitment   hiring chauffeurs   industry surveys   industry trends   Lyft   research and trends   retaining chauffeurs   TNCs   Uber   

 

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Limo Alliance Propels Ground Transportation Into The Future

WAYNE, N.J. — Like many ground transportation company owners, Raj Grewal struggled to adjust to some of the newer technology that was supposed to help him work more efficiently.

While he was using good software, it brought challenges. Eventually, he would solve this problem with NetQuall Technologies, the company he owned in India. He built an easy to understand system he thought would not only help him manage his ground transportation business, but also others who wished to stay relevant in the ever-changing transportation industry. Limo Alliance was born.

Officially launched in January 2016, the limo reservation and dispatching software aims to change the way new technology is viewed in the industry. The customizable system allows users to work from either an Android or Apple mobile device or desktop operating system.

Fast Facts

Location: Wayne, N.J.
Founded: 2015
Service: limousine reservation and management software
Owner: Raj Grewal
Employees: 110
Website: www.limoalliance.com
Contact: (855) 707-1010

“Everyone does everything differently,” says Lenore D’Anzieri, chief strategy officer. So it makes sense to adapt the app to a company’s various needs and wants. From minor customizations like web page color or different fonts to features like SMS messaging and accounting tools, Limo Alliance wants to streamline workflow management. The company sells the white-label app directly to clients, and the company provides support 24/7.

 Limo Alliance creates a “back office” environment, enabling clients to perform daily business functions. The end-to-end solution includes features such as a dispatch and billing system, which helps users boost business productivity. “Limo Alliance is able to accommodate everybody and manage these processes from start to finish,” D’Anzieri says.

Modernization

An issue often brought up is the industry’s need to keep up with the times. “Software needs to be more modernized and up to date with the way travelers are looking to book,” D’Anzieri says. “Ground transportation industry clients are looking for companies that are a cut-above, who employ and search for the newest technologies.”

This is why Limo Alliance offers a booking portal for travelers and agents. Once a ride is scheduled through the reservation system online, it can be tracked through the mobile app and on the portal. This tracking will give travelers and arrangers peace of mind and cut down on calls that might otherwise tie up phone lines.

There’s no doubt that mobile technology has caused a ruckus in the industry. When it comes to adapting, transportation companies don’t have a choice. In fact, D’Anzieri believes that if they don’t change, they will keep losing business to TNCs.

Teamwork Over Competition

One of the strongest attributes of Limo Alliance is its global affiliate network, which helps companies farm-in and farm-out worldwide. Choosing an affiliate is up to the user, who can control the visibility of any affiliate at any time.

It’s this spirit of “you scratch my back, I scratch yours” that actually helped in the development of Limo Alliance. When it first launched an early development prototype last year, the company drew helpful responses. “We found that those who had the opportunity to look at the system and sit down with it decided this technology was so impressive they felt the need to contribute to its development,” D’Anzieri says.

The company has many industry influencers and leaders — not just in the U.S. — who have used the system and can recommend how to improve and refine it. “This is a technology that was built by the industry, for the industry,” D’Anzieri says. By acting like companions instead of competitors, members of the transportation industry will be able to use Limo Alliance to their advantage.

“We’ve seen this technological evolution before, so we know the damage it can cause,” D’Anzieri says. “However, we also know how successful innovators, forward thinkers, and modernizers, who are not afraid to adopt new thought processes, can be.” 

Keywords

apps   computerized dispatching solutions   Dispatch Software   industry vendors   Lenore D’Anzieri   Limo Alliance   mobile applications   mobile technology   software   technology   

 

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