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LANJ President James Moseley of Trip Tracker (left) and Vice President/Legislative Chair Jeff Shanker of A-1 Limousine
Atlantic City, N.J. — The Limousine Association of New Jersey (LANJ) held its at-capacity membership meeting during breakfast on November 4 at the Chauffeur Driven Show. The meeting included updates on association activity, informational presentations, and a keynote speaker.
LANJ President James Moseley of Trip Tracker and Vice President/Legislative Chair Jeff Shanker of A-1 Limousine discussed new association business. Shanker spoke of how 11 insurance-related bills, including LANJ’s Assembly Bill 3401, are awaiting a tentatively scheduled December 8 hearing. He also summarized the October 17 Insurance Council of New Jersey meeting that lobbyist Barry Lefkowitz spoke at in regard to TNCs on both a statewide and national scale, especially in terms of how well covered—if at all—New Jersey drivers are if they use personal vehicles for TNCs’ commercial purposes.
Randy O’Neill of Lancer Insurance Company and Michael Marroccoli of The Capacity Group were also on hand to discuss the insurance aspect of the industry. O’Neill provided an update on chauffeured transportation operators’ insurance and regulatory issues, while Marroccoli covered cyber liabilities via his presentation, “Small Business: A Hacker’s Perfect Target,” which explored the many ways that small businesses are vulnerable to cyber-attacks and physical theft alike that could compromise their confidential information.
The Limousine Association of New Jersey’s breakfast meeting at the Chauffeur Driven Show hosted a packed room.
The meeting’s keynote speaker was Christopher Rotondo of the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, who broached the TNC issue by stressing to all in attendance that there is “nothing as powerful as a group working together.” He then spent the bulk of his speech addressing transportation safety concerns, especially within the for-hire industry: “Passenger transportation is one of the safest industries but when it goes bad, it goes bad in a big way.” He cited statistics that estimate 92 people die on the roads every day, 11 of which will be because of a bus or truck.
Rotondo went on to cite fatality numbers in transportation, saying that “When one plane crashes, all hell breaks loose; 92 people die on the roads every day and no one says anything until it’s personal.” He urged operators to follow safety regulations and guidelines, telling the packed room that it’s his job to “always preach safety” and offering his assistance to help everyone adhere to the rules that aim to keep everyone safe on the roads.
The next LANJ meeting is scheduled for January 21.
Visit lanj.org for more information.
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Torrance, Calif. — The Greater California Livery Association (GCLA) will host its fourth annual Texas Hold ‘em Poker Tournament November 15 at Penske Cadillac. Proceeds will benefit the GCLA lobbyist fund send an inner-city child to the Knights of Pythias Youth Camp.
The yearly event will include poker, blackjack, and roulette, as well as both live and silent auctions and a 50-inch flat screen TV for the tournament winner. A $100 player ticket gets you $2,500 worth of chips, food, and two drink tickets; re-buys, add-ons, and party tickets are also available for $25 each; and table sponsorships are $225, which gets your name on a table, recognition during the event, and promotional items in the swag bags. Parties can also buy nine-person tables at $1,250, which include a buy-in and re-buy for each player and a table-sponsor package.
The poker tournament, which began as a way to raise money for the GCLA four years ago, has consistently grown annually and is now one of the association’s largest fundraisers, according to Program Chair Kevin Illingworth of Classique Worldwide.
“It’s getting better every year,” Illingworth said. “We started off with about 68 people the first time, now we have seats for 100.”
If you want to attend but don’t want to play poker, there will be plenty of ways to meet with affiliates and friends during the event. Anyone interested in signing up for the GCLA’s evening of networking, fundraising, and good company has until Friday, November 14 to do so.
Visit gcla.org for more information.
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Toronto, Ontario — Almost 70 members of the Ontario Limousine Owners Association (OLOA) attended the organization’s annual general meeting held October 27 at Ontario’s Royal Woodbine Golf Club. The evening meeting included dinner, guest speakers, vehicle exhibits, and sponsor-provided door prizes.
OLOA President John Dahdaly of Cullitons Limousine Service gave a post-dinner address that covered the OLOA’s position on TNCs, which is that the organization neither supports nor endorses its members utilizing TNC apps, as well as meetings he’s had with representatives from Toronto regarding TNC activity at the airport and the success of August’s Canadian Limo Summit, which the OLOA jointly produced with Chauffeur Driven.
According to OLOA Treasurer Phil Bozzelli of Corporate Livery Toronto, the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) has launched a pilot program with Uber, allowing the TNC’s drivers to operate at the airport and receive a monthly bill. “We asked why we weren’t considered for the program, and the GTAA said that it didn’t know we have that type of technology,” Bozzelli said. “So we’re trying to set up a meeting with the GTAA to prove that we do.”
Two OLOA sponsors and main insurance providers—Cowan Insurance Brokers and Dalton Timmis Insurance—announced that their insurance programs would not cover companies that worked with TNCs, as such a working relationship would reclassify a ground transportation company as a taxi service and demand different insurance coverage.
A number of vehicle exhibitors were on hand at the annual meeting: Cadillac had its XTS on display; Ford was showcasing its MKT, MKS, and wheelchair-accessible Transit van; and Infiniti previewed its extended Q70L, which will be available in the 2016 model year.
On November 19, Cowan Insurance will provide a two-hour driver seminar that’s free to all OLOA members.
Visit oloa.ca for more information.
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