Posted: 12/04/2012
By: Rory Deegan - Online Marketing Coordinator
Comments: none
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Automotive Industry News
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Driving Tips
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Fleet Management
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Financial Tips
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Occupational Health & Safety
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Ford
"This can result in the electrical system malfunctioning, the vehicle failing to start and, in some cases, charring or fire,". Those were the words of BMW on their most recent recall of around 1.3 million vehicles. While this latest recall is not the largest ormost dangerous on record it does give us a chance to discuss the subject. Indeed it's this very subject which gives car designers and fleet managers unending nightmares the world...
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“Almost 50 trucks with tampered speed limiters have been netted in three separate operations and NSW police say it's a 'systemic issue' for the industry.” That was the opening paragraph of an article from the Herald Sun on the recent tampered limiters truck fiasco. While it’s uncommon for fleet cars to have speed inhibitors, the story still makes uncomfortable reading for all fleet managers. This week we take a look at...
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Posted: 23/03/2012
By: Rory Deegan - Online Marketing Coordinator
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Automotive Industry News
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Driving Tips
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Car Review
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Technology
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Financial Tips
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Environmental News
You’ve been there before, staring at the pumps with the price going higher and higher all the while thinking to yourself; “wasn’t I here just yesterday”? Just this week warnings have rippled all around Australia on the subject of fuel prices. In this environment the statistic of litres per 100km has been getting a lot more air time at the water cooler. With this, and a healthy curiosity towards the subject, we...
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Posted: 15/03/2012
By: Fleetcare Maintenance and Government Teams with Rory Deegan
Comments: none
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Automotive Industry News
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Driving Tips
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Fleet Management
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Government News
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Financial Tips
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Environmental News
The 24th of June 2010 was a big day for Australia. Julia Gillard was sworn into office with the help of a handful of independents and, most importantly, the Australian Green Party. Suddenly ambitious green policies become a real prospect. Tax concessions for green fleet managers are currently thin on the ground however in the current political environment this may not remain the case. While the concept of including car drivers in any...
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Posted: 08/03/2012
By: Rory Deegan - Online Marketing Coordinator
Comments: none
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Driving Tips
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Technology
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Fleet Management
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Financial Tips
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GPS tracking
We all know the feeling, you’re on a road, in the middle of nowhere, with some very poor directions. You’ve been trying to coordinate both your map and your notes, but things are not going well. While satellite navigation systems have eliminated a lot of the problems in this area, it is still relatively easy to get lost. Proper route planning has never been easier but in a strange twist of fate its seems that the skill...
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Posted: 01/03/2012
By: Rory Deegan - Online Marketing Coordinator
Comments: none
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Automotive Industry News
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Driving Tips
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Fleet Management
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Financial Tips
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Occupational Health & Safety
Like any matter of the mind, motivation and its causes is a highly debated and at times confusing subject matter. As a fleet manager motivating drivers and other stakeholders to do the right thing, or avoid the wrong thing can be a real challenge. Providing the carrot can be difficult now that costs are tight and constantly using the stick becomes meaningless once it’s overused. So what are fleet managers to do?
Motivate to do...
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Posted: 25/01/2012
By: Rory Deegan - Online Marketing Coordinator
Comments: none
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Automotive Industry News
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Driving Tips
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Technology
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Fleet Management
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Government News
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Occupational Health & Safety
Everything used to be so simple; a driver would set out on his or her journey and promise to call the office or house for further instructions or updates when they had reached their destination. With the possible exception of worrying about where to find a pay phone, drivers had very little to think about when it came to phones within their vehicles. Oh how things have changed. From the retro car phone to the modern day smart phone, in...
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Posted: 19/01/2012
By: Fleetcare Novated Lease Team and Rory Deegan
Comments: none
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Driving Tips
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Technology
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Novated Lease
“Please, no tyre kickers!”. This hostile and largely meaningless warning adorns thousands of vehicle classified adverts online and offline all across Australia. The Australian second hand car market is as vibrant as ever before and the sellers remain unpredictable and varied. From private sellers to second hand car dealers to weekend warriors it seems that everyone has a stake in the second hand car industry.So to help...
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Posted: 22/12/2011
By: Rory Deegan and the Fleetcare Maintenance Team
Comments: none
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Automotive Industry News
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Driving Tips
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Fleet Management
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Financial Tips
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Environmental News
Beach parties, Santa hats, work holidays and the highest number of road fatalities for any 5 day period in the entire year, welcome to the Christmas holidays. While most of us enjoy our annual rituals and customs which come with the festive season, our high Christmas road deaths have, in our recent history, become something of an inevitability. The figures have decreased and the messages of caution are slowly but surely being listened...
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Posted: 16/12/2011
By: Rory Deegan - Online Marketing Coordinator
Comments: none
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Automotive Industry News
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Driving Tips
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Fleet Management
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Financial Tips
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Environmental News
“I just froze, I had no idea of what to do. In my panic I scanned my thoughts for any piece of advice I had ever received about dealing with a car crash, but I couldn’t think of anything”. Those are the words of a shaken Adelaide resident who was involved in a minor vehicle collision earlier this year. The unfortunate fact is that very few people are in fact prepared for the worst and even fewer have a fool proof...
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Posted: 09/12/2011
By: Rory Deegan - Online Marketing Coordinator
Comments: none
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Driving Tips
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Fleet Management
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GPS tracking
Anyone involved in managing a fleet of any size knows it’s a difficult and at times thankless task. Managing everything from fuel to FBT (fringe benefit tax) reporting it can seem that the work itself conspires to inexplicably build up at the most inconvenient and conflicting of times. With all this im mind we decided that this week we would write an article especially to help the small fleet manager (this is generally under 50...
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Posted: 25/11/2011
By: Rory Deegan - Online Marketing Coordinator
Comments: none
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Automotive Industry News
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Driving Tips
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Car Review
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Technology
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Volkswagen
It was 11.09am on a hot Perth morning at the VW drive day, my palms were sweaty and my heart was pounding, I was facing my first ever slalom time trial and I was nervous. As it turns out I posted an average speed and my trial went off without incident but that was just an aside. In the time waiting for my run at the course I had learned just how exciting VW and its future really is.
VW progress
In the past few years VW has been...
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Posted: 11/11/2011
By: Rory Deegan - Online Marketing Coordinator
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Driving Tips
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Technology
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Fleet Management
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Financial Tips
“Ok today we’re going to talk to you about tyres, the presentation is 40 minutes long and we have tea, coffee and pastries for you guys”. Those were the words of a supplier of ours who was showing us his company’s new tyre range. I remember thinking that 40 minutes was a hell of a lot of time to talk about tyres, I mean how much can be said about black rubber circles? How wrong I was. I left the meeting convinced...
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Posted: 21/10/2011
By: Rory Deegan - Online Marketing Coordinator
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Driving Tips
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Fleet Management
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Financial Tips
Like every area of business, key numbers and success measurements are critical in fleet management. For our friend the salesperson, success measurements are usually straightforward and promotions are gained on the back of big numbers, but how does the fleet manager measure his or her successes? This week I look at 5 key measurements which should be front of mind with all fleet managers who are looking to move their fleet forward towards...
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Posted: 13/10/2011
By: Rory Deegan - Online Marketing Coordinator
Comments: none
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Automotive Industry News
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Driving Tips
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Fleet Management
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Government News
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Financial Tips
Misplaced focus is a dangerous thing, from not concentrating on the road to focusing too much on one aspect of cost control, it’s generally only in retrospect when you realise the error of your ways. Cost control in fleet management can be a classic example of this, while some fleet managers fixate on cutting the fuel costs a single collision can wipe out all these savings with the push of a pedal. With this in mind I reveal some...
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Posted: 07/10/2011
By: Rory Deegan - Online Marketing Coordinator
Comments: none
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Driving Tips
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Occupational Health & Safety
“The only problem with Spain is all these foreign drivers” Those were the words of a naïve tourist (the “foreigners” he was refering to were the local Spanish) reporting on his Spanish holiday in an obscure 1980’s documentary. Whilst some may chuckle at his clear lack of perspective it must be noted that for many, driving abroad can be a harrowing and deeply alarming sensation and without adequate...
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Posted: 29/09/2011
By: Rory Deegan - Online Marketing Coordintor
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Automotive Industry News
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Driving Tips
“Distracted drivers are dangerous drivers.” Those are the words of the most up to date driver awareness advertising campaign beaming its way into our living rooms. As factually correct as this statement may be, it can be argued that statements like this, along with shocking images of crashes etc, may not be enough to equip drivers with the tools they need to avoid in-car distraction. This week I explore the subject of driver...
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Posted: 04/08/2011
By: Rory Deegan - Online Marketing Coordinator
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Driving Tips
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Financial Tips
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Novated Lease
Like most, I personally find car services are like stepping into the unknown. The idea of leaving your car in the hands of a stranger can seem counter intuitive and without knowing what’s happening it can also feel little worrying. What’s being done, what parts are being replaced, what exactly should I expect once the service has been completed? With all of this confusion in mind I set out to find out what was involved in...
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Posted: 24/06/2011
By: Rory Deegan - Online Marketing Coordinator
Comments: none
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Driving Tips
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Fleet Management
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Financial Tips
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GPS tracking
In a perfect world, goods and services would be bought or sold with scant regard for costs and people could glory in the comfort of purchases and consumption. Unfortuantely we do not live in that world. With Greece in crisis, the US broke and the global economy still a little bruised, “Austerity measures” has transformed the way we think about cost control. With these trends and the new culture of business cutbacks in mind...
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Posted: 13/05/2011
By: Rory Deegan - Online Marketing Coordinator
Comments: none
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Automotive Industry News
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Driving Tips
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Technology
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Fleet Management
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Financial Tips
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GPS tracking
Since the American military released its first satellites in the “Block 1” launches back in 1979 the world of navigation has been forever altered. Long ago drivers relied on maps, intuition and local knowledge to get to customers and deliveries. Today when we peer into a police car or taxi we will see an entire dashboard of navigation and communication devices. Global positioning systems have changed the way we navigate,...
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Posted: 05/05/2011
By: Rory Deegan - Online Marketing Coordinator
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Driving Tips
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Fleet Management
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Financial Tips
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GPS tracking
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Environmental News
The humble fuel card has, for many Australian businesses, replaced company credit cards and cash in an effort to allow accounts departments generate a clearer picture of how much fuel is costing their respective businesses. Fuel cards simply add up all the fuel purchases made by a business and charge monthly through a standard invoice.
While most businesses are content with the standard benefits (discounts, reduced administrative cost,...
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Posted: 20/04/2011
By: Laura Taylor - Marketing Assistant
Comments: none
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Driving Tips
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Occupational Health & Safety
Easter is fast approaching and is the time of year that families travel far and wide to spend the long weekend together. In preparation for this busy time on the roads, we’ve put together some tips to ensure that you and your family have the safest Easter possible.
Prepare your vehicle
Conduct a 5 point safety check on tyres, brakes, suspension, lights and restraints.
Check your tyre pressure when your tyres are cold, as...
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Posted: 25/02/2011
By: John Hutchison - Online Marketing Coordinator
Comments: none
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Driving Tips
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Fleet Management
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Occupational Health & Safety
A question which is often avoided by car buyers, which is more important –keeping costs lowor safety? Many people want to appear as if safety is their highest priority, however more often than not, they will often choose a vehiclebased on low whole of life costs rather thanthe safety features. This is also a vital question for companies who own a fleet of vehicles. Businesses have the obligation of providing staff with a safe...
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Posted: 19/01/2011
By: Cindy Anthony - Marketing Assistant
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Driving Tips
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Fleet Management
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Financial Tips
Many of us see ourselves as good drivers - whether we’ve had our licence for 2 days or 2 decades. However, it can be said with confidence that we are all guilty of not driving with the best interests of our vehicles in mind. Small everyday things such as not using the parking brake, etc, are some of the causes in reducing the longevity of a vehicle. While bad habits can often be made light of, they are bad news for fleet owners...
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Posted: 13/01/2011
By: Cindy Anthony - Marketing Assistant
Comments: none
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Automotive Industry News
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Driving Tips
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Government News
As the flood waters in Queensland slowly fall, Australia is left with the devastating aftermath. The unexpected flooding savaged people’s livelihoods from communities and created ghost towns in its place. For the people affected by this natural disaster, all of us at Fleetcare have you in our thoughts and prayers.
If you managed to salvage your vehicle in the immediate aftermath there is still bound to be flood damage. However,...
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Posted: 21/12/2010
By: Cindy Anthony - Marketing Assistant
Comments: none
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Driving Tips
‘Tis the season to be jolly - not to be stuck on the side of the road!
This time of year, country roads are full of vehicles filled with people travelling to visit family, friends, or maybe just a good ol’ road-trip for the Christmas season.
Most people are sensible enough check their car engine (oil, water etc) in preparation for the upcoming winter trips. However, one thing which is almost always overlooked is a car's...
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Posted: 17/12/2010
By: Cindy Anthony - Marketing Assistant
Comments: none
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Driving Tips
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Fleet Management
It’s in middle of the day and you’re craving something sweet. Chocolate cake or a brownie? The cake sounds much more delectable than the brownie, but at the end of the day they both consist of the same product that will satisfy your craving. Chocolate. The same goes for when your car becomes a bit hungry. Amid the vast range of car-snacks comes the hard decision of which to choose. Premium or regular?
We all know the cost...
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Posted: 09/12/2010
By: Cindy Anthony - Marketing Assistant
Comments: none
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Driving Tips
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Fleet Management
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Financial Tips
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GPS tracking
Imagine the inconvenience if one of the most active vehicles in your fleet was stolen, or broken into – causing irreparable damage and your driver to be off the road indefinitely or at least until you come up with an alternative.I suppose vehicle security should have been right up there with safety andperformance from the beginning but hindsight is a great gift isn't it?!However, being a person quick on your feet you decide on a...
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Posted: 27/08/2010
By: Cliona Kenneally - Marketing Communications Manager
Comments: none
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Driving Tips
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Environmental News
Before you think “oh no, not another blog about green driving”, we’re not here to introduce a new age, super energy efficient, bio fuelled, electricity powered, emission free,hovercraft/car/green machine. We’re just reminding our readers thatyou don’t need to run out and buy a Prius, Leaf or Tesla to easeyour environmental conscience. There are a lot of everyday old school practices that are the most...
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Posted: 13/08/2010
By: Laura Taylor - Marketing Assistant
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Driving Tips
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Technology
Ever seen Kitt from KnightRider in action and wished you had a car like that? It might have seemed like a fantasy 20 years ago, but with technology these days it seems a car like this might not be too far off! The capability of the mobile phone is ever increasing, and now they can impact the way you use your car. With their downloadable applications you can now drive safer, reduce your carbon footprint and even find where you parked...
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Posted: 11/06/2010
By: Whitney Perret - Client Services Officer
Comments: none
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Driving Tips
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Fleet Management
There is nothing more annoying than having a fuel card declined. As a driver reaching in to your own pocket to pay for fuel can be extremely inconvenient. Not to mention the lengthy reimbursement process where drivers are left out of pocket and the loss of the fuel card discount.If you’re in charge of your company’s fleet implement these five simple steps & avoid those fuel card dramas. They might seem obvious but they...
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Posted: 20/05/2010
By: Peter Shelley - Head of Maintenance at Fleetcare
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Driving Tips
Basic car maintenance is not beyond the average driver. Most likely the best bit of help you can get when carrying out some basic checks is still in the same place as when you first got the car - in the glove box! You should find the drivers handbook there and this will give you all the information you need to know specifically about your vehicle. Even if you personally don't plan on carrying out any maintenance on your vehicle have a...
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Posted: 15/04/2010
By: Bowan Spanbroek
Comments: none
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Driving Tips
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Fleet Management
If your business has over 2 vehicles you could now consider it a fleet and get the benefits that come along with owning a fleet. Over the past decade fleet management companies have uncovered the small business market as a valuable prospect, creating innovative solutions that help small businesses cut down on their overheads and administration time. These days you don’t need 1000+ vehicles to benefit from outsourcing fleet...
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Posted: 17/12/2009
By: Bowan Spanbroek
Comments: none
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Driving Tips
Christmas is a great time of year to venture out into the Australian countryside for a break with the family. So please read these 5 simple tips to ensure you have a safe and happy Christmas trip.
Turning off the road. When turning right, across traffic, have your wheels pointed straight ahead rather than right. This way, if hit from behind you will not be knocked into oncoming traffic
Road Trains. Impatience with large trucks has...
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Posted: 17/11/2009
By: Bowan Spanbroek
Comments: none
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Driving Tips
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Technology
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Fleet Management
We all know the tragic price families and friends pay because of mobile phone usage on the road. But now there is another cost being identified, the loss in productivity for big business. You could be sailing along fine at the moment but all fleet managers should stop and peer into the distance to avoid a productivity disaster. What does the iceberg look like?
Heinrich’s Accident Pyramid proposes that for every 300 unsafe acts,...
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Posted: 21/10/2009
By: Bowan Spanbroek
Comments: none
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Driving Tips
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Fleet Management
The prospect of saving on operating costs and reducing your carbon footprint is too good to pass up. By implementing these five simple steps you can reduce your fleet overheads while enhancing your company’s environmental image.
1. Measure Your Fleet – Obtain an accurate picture of you current emissions rate. Gaining a clear and accurate picture of your company’s current emission output is obviously the first step in...
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