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   

 

Follow @lctmag on Twitter

via Limo News http://ift.tt/1Wm8tJo

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   

 

Follow @lctmag on Twitter

via Limo News http://ift.tt/1Wo95y5