The Greater California Livery Association Casino Night on Sept. 23 brought together operators, games, prizes, and donations to support the state trade group’s advocacy efforts.
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HOUSTON — Operator Matt Assolin now has the perfect “war story” to share when advocating for safer and more equal regulation of transportation network companies like Uber.
At 10:15 a.m. Sept. 25, an allegedly uninsured Uber vehicle rear-ended a 2016 Chevrolet Suburban driven by a chauffeur for Assolin’s company, Nikko’s Worldwide Chauffeured Services of Houston. The crash happened on the Will Clayton Parkway on the property of Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport while the chauffeur was en route to pick up an arriving client.
The chain-reaction rear end collision happened when a vehicle in front of the Suburban braked suddenly, said Assolin, who first reported the incident on his Facebook page. The chauffeur halted in time, but the Uber driver did not stop his Lincoln MKX that rammed the Suburban at an estimated 45 mph, totaling the SUV, he added.
“He walloped the back of him. I get there and I know two police department guys who said the Uber car had no insurance. Well, what do you know? Isn’t that something we’ve been talking about for years as an industry?”
Authorities were still investigating the exact cause of the collision. The Uber driver reportedly told police at the scene he was not texting or using his smartphone at the time of the accident, Assolin said.
“There are now so many cars on the road that verified commercial insurance is the only way it should be,” said Assolin, vice president of the Houston Area Livery and Charter Association and vice president of Nikko’s, founded in 1982 by his father Nick Assolin.
The Uber vehicle appeared to be legally registered with a valid airport permit on the windshield. It has an expired city of Houston license, but the state of Texas in May transferred regulation of TNCs from localities to the state. Assolin said official state permit decals for TNCs have not yet been issued, so it is possible for a legal state-registered TNC vehicle to not yet bear a sticker.
Assolin estimates the insurance claim will include medical, workmen’s comp, and the value of the Suburban. He bought the 2016 MY SUV for $53,000. Nikko’s 45-vehicle fleet is covered by Protective Insurance.
The accident follows a bad year for Nikko’s marked by a rash of fleet vehicle accidents in which all but one were the fault of the other driver, and most related to distracted driving, Assolin said. “We’ve probably had 10-15 accidents, which is scary when you think about it. We’ve been T-boned, sideswiped, and rear-ended. I see the rate of accidents going up everywhere. That’s the unfortunate reality. People are glued to phones, not paying attention while driving. It’s really incredible.”
As if a bad accident year weren’t enough, Nikko’s lost its entire headquarter facility last month due to flooding from Hurricane Harvey. The company’s converted suburban ranch house was inundated with four feet of water. Nikko’s had just completed $20,000 in remodeling before the flood.
“We knew we’re in the flood plain because we’ve had water on the property several times over the years,” Assolin said. “We never thought it would get inside the building. We were expecting maybe 18 inches or two feet, not four feet. We’ve had to rip everything down to the studs. I don’t think we’ll move back there.”
The floodwater destroyed the company’s computer and electronics equipment, but fortunately all of its data and records have been stored in the cloud for the last seven years, Assolin said. Nikko’s, which has flood insurance, was able to move its vehicles to higher ground before the storm hit, and a core staff ran operations out of its Austin facility for one week after the storm. The company is now working out of temporary commercial offices in Houston.
“Business is back to normal,” Assolin said. “It’s more of an inconvenience than anything.”
It’s certainly not stopping Assolin. He plans on attending an industry convention in Orlando next month and the LCT-NLA East Show in Atlantic City Nov. 5-7. Amid all the stories about crashes and the flood, if he happens to talk about the need for stronger TNC insurance rules, you’ll know he can back up his point of view.
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The Greater Atlanta Limousine Association hosted its annual golf tournament Sept. 19 to benefit charity and network for business.
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A year after the Lincoln Continental came back to life, dealers and company officials say the flagship sedan is not only selling well and steadily gaining market share, it’s boosting the fortunes of other Lincoln vehicles.
Related article: Lincoln Continental Proves It’s The Real Deal
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Driving is fun, and being a passenger is much less fun, which is why there is some apprehension about cars that drive themselves. Audi’s Traffic Jam Pilot strikes a great balance.
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SPECS, PHOTOS & SELLER INFO HERE
The seller says “don’t pay $80,000 for a new Cadillac Escalade when this conversion offers SO much more for much less. I have TWO units ready NOW for immediate delivery with two separate seating configurations.”
For additional info, call Andy Torres at (949) 212-3997.
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This is all about you.
I have had the privilege of writing for and contributing to almost every publication in our industry over the last 11 years, but I am especially excited for this space because it’s dedicated to you. Not me. Not LCT. YOU!
Before we get started, I need to set some ground rules of Fight Club we all need to understand and follow.
Rule #1: If this space is dedicated to you, then I need your help. This means you should send me your questions, issues, and problems that you could use some help with. Without your questions, I will be forced to write about me. And believe me, nobody wants to constantly read about me. I am a bit boring.
Note: If you want to submit a question and be kept anonymous, let me know and I will answer your question but keep your name and company private.
Email me your questions and feedback at bill@limogrowth.com.
Rule #2: Don’t hold back. The only bad questions are the ones never asked. If you don’t like my column, a particular article, or subject matter, tell me. And if you do like one of them, then I would love to hear about it. We all love some praise once in a while.
Rule #3: See Rules #1 and #2. That’s it. I like to keep things simple. You may be asking, “What the hell are you going to write about now? Haven’t you told us everything we need to know about marketing?”
Great question! No.
Here is the problem if you really want to be good: You have to go deep. Not wide. Deep. Depth is what separates average from great. Depth is what attracts new customers. Depth keeps existing customers coming back with open wallets. Depth is why great employees keep working for you and give you their best every day. It’s how you build strong affiliate partnerships.
We will be discussing your problems and go deep in providing solutions in this column and in supplemental blog articles at http://ift.tt/2y3qdHv to get you the answers you need.
I won’t have every answer, but I guarantee you I can get it for you. So don’t be afraid to make me work hard. I love a challenge and have ample resources.
You will determine the subject matter, which can be about any topic you need help with, from business practices to online marketing, sales training, operations, finance, etc. (Finance is actually my favorite, so if you want to talk about optimizing your rates, increasing profit margins, P&Ls, and balance sheets, please let me know.)
Most importantly, I want you to know I am here to help you. I started Limo University and have made the cost affordable for small- and medium-sized operators. I want everyone to be able to access it, and I spend most of my days on the phone helping small operators for free in my spare time.
So, let’s get this column started. Send your questions to bill@limogrowth.com and give me something to write about next month. I hope to see you all at LCT East in Atlantic City Nov. 5-7. Believe me; you won’t want to miss what I have in store for you.
Related LCT: Bill Faeth Blog Post On Limo Boot Camp Opportunity
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