September 2007
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT - LEONARD HUFFMIRE
On behalf of myself and the Executive Board I would like to welcome everyone back for our New Year.
I am honored to serve as the Society of Fleet Supervisors’ President for the coming year. Looking back at last year I would like to express my gratitude to the Executive Board Members who have donated so much of their time to make the Society what it is today. Without their relentless efforts I would not have been able to perform my duties as your President.
One again I would like to thank Member Mike Cordiello for the Kiddy Picnic which was an unbelievable success. It was so exciting to see all those kids consumed with the entertainment. I would like to thank Member Nick Markatos who has once again given the Society a successful Golf Outing. I would like to give special thanks to all those who sponsored in support the Golf Outing. I can’t say enough of your generosity.
With our New Year there will be a few changes that I expect will be for the better. Over the past year, with the changes of ownership and renovations at the Inn at New Hyde Park, door price increases were on the horizon so in order to hold the line on the cost it has become necessary to relocate the general meetings. I do believe this will be a positive move for all Members.
With new faces, a new meeting place and new programs, I am looking forward to seeing you at the September meeting. Don’t miss it!!
Welcome Back! We have a new location for our meetings and I believe it will meet all of our needs. We will be at the Immaculate Conception Center in Douglaston, NY. They have a big room, plenty of parking, easily accessible from all points and great food. Please see the directions in this Newsletter or on our web site.
Just for good measures, the Executive Board has voted to make the September meeting dinner at no cost to all grades of Membership. Just a dollar for the Big Draw raffle and your signature on the sign in sheet is all that is needed to get you in the door.
Come on down and let me know what you think of the place.
We are accepting Bylaw change proposals and have received three Bylaw change proposals to date.
Excerpts from our Constitution and Bylaws:
Bylaw XIII Annual Golf Outing Proceeds
1. (60) Sixty percent of all proceeds from our Annual Golf Outing will be used to fund either or any of our scholarship awards and educational expenses as determined by a majority vote of our Executive Board. (Amended 5/17/00)
2. The remaining (40) forty percent will be placed into a fund to be used to subsidize the Members' cost of the Annual Scholarship Awards Dinner and the Kiddy Picnic. The Executive Board will determine the amount to be subsidized for each of these two functions. (Amended 5/17/00)
Our present Membership is comprised of:
Members 111
Life Members 17
Editorial Members 0
Associate Members 41
Honorary Members 4
Original Equipment Manufacturer 3
Apprentice Fleet Supervisors 0
Student Members 18
Total Membership 194
Current CONSECUTIVE attendance records are:
Honorary Member Bill Misita, Retired – 99, 9/92 – 2/05
Member Robert Lagnese, Farmingdale University – 83, 1/97 –
Member George Pastor, H. John Davis, Inc. – 70, 5/94 – 5/03
Member Carl Orza, Advanced Fleet Maintenance – 70, 3/97 – 2/06
Life Member Nuno Tardo, Universal Ford – 63, 3/89 – 1/97
Member John Cigna, Retired – 50, 2/94 – 3/00
Member Robert Spiotto, Frank Siviglia & Co., Inc. – 46, 11/01 –
Member Pat De Martino, Con Edison – 44, 10/90 – 2/96
Life Member Nuno Tardo, Retired – 44, 3/97 –
Member John Dozis, Fink Baking Co. – 37, 1/96 – 5/00
EDUCATIONAL - CLEMENT DRUMMOND
I would like to first thank the Society of Fleet Supervisors Executive Board for my appointment as Chairman of the Education Committee. I will do my personal best to serve the Membership. Currently, I am the Director of Automotive Technology for Bronx Community College of the City University of New York. I was a previous Member of the Society for many years as a representative from KeySpan Energy.
In this month’s newsletter you will see that there is an event that is being sponsored by the Center for Sustainable Energy Center at Bronx Community College on October 5, 2007. I urge you to attend this free event that provides a comprehensive overview on fuels, emissions and hybrid technology. In addition, it’s a good opportunity to network with representatives from top organizations in the transportation industry.
Registration for ASE Certification has started for the fall
2007 tests and continues until September 30, 2007. The actual test dates are
Nov 8, 13, and 15, 2007. For more information or to register online please go
to www.ase.com.
If you hear of a seminar or educational event, please forward me the information
in order to share with the Membership. I can be contacted at the following:
Clem Drummond, 718 289-5213, Clement.Drummond@bcc.cuny.edu.
Now that the summer is over and we are easing into our daily activities, I am asking that we all take a moment or two to fill out a Journal Ad Form and make a commitment to The Society and our Member of the Year, John Costantin. John is a long time hard working Member of our great Society and deserves your recognition and our praise.
Purchasing a Journal Ad, as well as honoring John Costantin, tells the Members of the Society that you support them and are proud of the work that they do as a Society. Purchasing a Journal Ad is also a very economical way to advertise and grow your business.
May I remind everyone that we only have less than three months to the deadline and we have a long uphill road ahead of us to travel to match last year’s effort.
I have seen what our Members are made of and have every reason to believe that they/we will once again come through for this year’s Journal effort.
So please, make the commitment and take a Journal Ad to celebrate our Member of the Year, John Costantin and the Society of Fleet Supervisors.
Tell John and the Society, how much we appreciate their efforts
and how honored we are to be Members.
Security act includes pupil transportation
The sweeping security act recently passed by Congress and signed by President
Bush contains a provision for an assessment of the risk of a terrorist attack
on the nation’s school buses.
A section of H.R. 1 directs the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to submit a pupil transportation security report to Congress within a year of enactment.
The report would cover security risks to both public and private school bus operations. It would assess steps already taken by the industry to address security risks and would determine whether further actions and investments are necessary.
The National School Transportation Association lobbied for the school bus provision to be added to the act. The group said that it marked the first time that pupil transportation security has been addressed in federal legislation.
Cruise Control Switch Problem Prompts Ford Recall of 3.6 Million
Vehicles
Ford is recalling 3.6 million vehicles to fix a cruise control switch problem
that has led to a few reports of fires in Crown Victoria cars.
The recall covers more than a dozen models built from 1992 to 2004. Ford previously recalled nearly 6 million vehicles in January 2005 because of the cruise control problem in trucks, SUVs and vans.
According to AP, the vehicles involved in the recall include the Ford Ranger ('98-'02), Lincoln Town Car ('92-'97), Crown Victoria ('92-'97), Mercury Grand Marquis ('92-'97), Lincoln Mark VIII ('93-'98), Taurus SHO ('93-'95), Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer ('99-'01), Ford Explorer Sport ('01-'02), Ford Explorer Sport Trac ('01-'02), E150-350 vans ('92-'93 and '97-'02), Ford F-Series pickups ('93), Ford Bronco ('93), Mercury Capri ('94), Ford F-150 Lightning ('03-'04) and Ford F53 motor homes ('95-'02).
Study to Address Safety Concerns Raised by Electronic Billboards
With electronic billboards becoming more sophisticated and eye-catching, their
potential to distract drivers is a growing safety concern.
As a result, the Federal Highway Administration plans to commission a new study this fall to assess whether moving video billboards cause more accidents.
Electronic message centers (EMCs) are increasingly popular because advertisers can easily change the billboard's message and graphics. But critics have argued that they create a safety hazard.
New Safety Advisory on 15-Passenger Vans Issued
Fifteen-passenger vans are more likely to be involved in a single-vehicle rollover
crash than any other type of vehicle. In response, the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued an updated safety advisory on these
vehicles. In fact, this 2005 advisory marks the 4th time in just 5 years that
NHTSA has issued a safety warning on these vehicles.
The good news is that such consumer alerts and educational efforts are apparently working to help reduce fatalities in 15-passenger van rollover crashes. The proof is in the numbers: The percent of 15-passenger van occupant fatalities that occur as a result of rollover crashes is down from a high of 81% in 2000 to 52% in 2003.
Still, more needs to be done to alert operators of these vehicles’ high center of gravity — particularly when fully loaded – and their increased chance of rollover. NHTSA is continuing to work to get the word out about this increased rollover risk, as well as what can be done to mitigate it.
Organizations that use 15-passenger vans to transport students, seniors, sports groups or other members, need to be informed about how to reduce rollover risks, avoid potential dangers, and better protect occupants in the event of a rollover crash.
These NHTA recommended 15-passenger van safety precautions include
the following:
• Keep your passenger load light. NHTSA research has shown that 15-passenger
vans have a rollover risk that increases dramatically as the number of occupants
increases from fewer than five to more than ten. In fact, 15-passenger vans
(with 10 or more occupants) had a rollover rate in single vehicle crashes that
is nearly three times the rate of those that were lightly loaded.
• Check your van’s tire pressure frequently — at least once
a week. A just-released NHTSA study found that 74 percent of all 15-passenger
vans had improperly inflated tires. By contrast, 39 percent of passenger cars
had improperly inflated tires. Improperly inflated tires can change handling
characteristics, increasing the prospect of a rollover crash in 15-passenger
vans.
• Require all occupants to use their seat belts or the appropriate child
restraint. Nearly 80% of those who have died nationwide in 15-passenger vans
were not buckled up. Wearing seat belts dramatically increases the chances of
survival during a rollover crash.
• If at all possible, seat passengers & place cargo forward of the
rear axle — and avoid placing any loads on the roof.
By following these guidelines, you’ll lower the vehicle’s
center of gravity and lower the chance of a rollover crash.
• Be mindful of speed and road conditions. The analysis of 15-passenger
van crashes also shows that the risk of rollover increases significantly at
speeds over 50 miles per hour and on curved roads.
• Only qualified drivers should be behind the wheel. Special training
and experience are required to properly operate a 15-passenger van. Make sure
your driver or drivers have both — and only operate these vehicles when
well rested and fully alert.
For more information, including free copies of 15-passenger van safety hangtags, as well as the latest NHTSA research and analysis, please visit the agency’s web site at: http://www.nhtsa.gov/. Hangtags can also be ordered at no cost by contacting NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline directly at 888-327-4236.
U.S. Truck Drivers Must Be Proficient in English
U.S. roadside traffic cops are being told by transport authorities to place
out-of-service any truck drivers with low English language proficiency, Today’s
Trucking reports.
A guidance issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration outlines how to deal with commercial drivers operating in the U.S. who do not properly understand, read, or communicate in English, as required by the Department of Transportation.
According to the DOT rule, commercial drivers must be able to read English, converse with the public, understand highways signs and signals, respond to official inquires, and make entries on reports or records.
Although the regulation has been in effect for nearly forty years, it was not considered an OOS violation until 2005. However, even then, officers were only instructed to cite drivers and not place them OOS for not being up to speed on English, until now.
According to Today’s Trucking, the amendment, which applies
to any commercial truck driver hauling in the U.S. except Mexican truckers limited
to the 20-mile commercial zone beyond the southern border, is effective immediately.
If anyone has a recommendation for Membership into the Society,
please contact me for a membership application for your nominee. Also, we are
looking for recommendations for Member of the Month. If you know of anyone who
has showed outstanding performance in the Industry you should send their name
and contacts to me or Member Richard Chan.
Remember being a Member is important, but we must attend meetings to support
the Society.
September’s program will be given by Ed Hall, Business Development Manager for Cummins Metropower on the Fleet Guard product line. Our cocktail hour is sponsored by Cummins Metropower.
October’s program will be given by Member Mike Calise
and the Cocktail hour will be sponsored by Drive Train Truck Parts.
November and January programs are already booked so if anyone is interested
in presenting a program for February and months forward, these dates are open
at this time.
It is September and school has started. Please get your scholarship
applications in as soon as possible. We have received only four applications
to date and we have thirteen scholarships available for the Membership this
year. Don’t forget about your attendance obligation to be eligible for
a scholarship.
WELFARE & EMPLOYMENT – JOHN COSTANTIN
We heard from Life Member Dennis Meehan who is recovering from a vehicular accident back in January. Dennis suffered a broken hip, broken back and intestinal injuries when a truck he was working on in his yard rolled over him. We wish him a speedy recovery and get well wishes.
Congratulations to Member Eric Rosario on the birth of his son, James Ryan, on June 26, 2007. James weighed in at six pounds, 15 ounces.
Congratulations to Life Member William Misita on the birth of his newest granddaughter, Jalila Nyree Jennai, born on August 3, 2007. Jalila weighted in at eight pounds, nine ounces and 20.6 inches long.
Get well and speedy recovery wishes go out to Member Frank Carpenter who is recovering from knee surgery performed at the beginning of August.
Our condolences and deepest sympathies go out to Member Pat De Martino on the loss of his mother, Clementina De Martino, at mid August.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY wishes for our following Members and their spouses:
10/01 Larry Bellack
10/01 Vincent Cinotti
10/02 James McElwee
10/04 Sara Klebanoff (Alan)
10/06 Robert Logan
10/07 Michael Bruce
10/07 Virginia Drummond (Clement)
10/08 Edgar Ebert
10/08 Rick Reichenbach
10/09 Christine Gulmi (Ronald)
10/11 Maria Coranoto (Daniel)
10/11 Barbara De Martino (Pat)
10/11 Michael Mazzio
10/13 Peter Kearney
10/15 Marianne Bancke (Keith)
10/15 Robert Bisciotti
10/15 Tim Harte
10/18 Nicholas Pavlides
10/19 Dennis Gibbons
10/20 Frank Felicetta
10/21 Frank Carpenter
10/21 Karen Munno (Thomas)
10/23 Doreen Dent (Roger)
10/25 Barbara Ann Gulotta (Vincent)
10/26 Karen Kearney (Raymond)
10/30 Prodromos Angelopoulos
Meetings
Wednesday, Sept 15th 2010
Immaculate Conception Center
7200 Douglaston Parkway
Douglaston, NY 11362
For directions, click here.
Cocktail Hour at 6 PM - 7 PM
Dinner and Meeting at 7 PM
Members - $35 Guests - $45
Interested in becoming a Spotlight Supplier? Click here.