3 February 2009
Industry Events
Federal Fleet Workshop
photos : Jean Boutzis
Federal fleet managers get together once a year to compare notes, learn about innovative technologies, and plan for the future.
The annual Federal Fleet Workshop is always a successful event and attendance numbers are normally high. But attendance at the most recent workshop, held in Barrie, Ontario, was better than ever. The 3-day event attracted more federal fleet managers than expected, and by all accounts the event was well organized and very informative. The T3 is a zero emission, clean energy vehicle that operates
for less than ten cents a day.
“We had 121 attendees and 37 suppliers and service providers,” says Serge Joanisse, one of the organizers of the event, and senior policy analyst with the Treasury Board of Canada, Secretariat. “We were very happy with the turnout. It’s the largest we’ve ever had.”
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Harry Jodoin and Lisa Bouchard of Nissan canada
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John Gallant,Hyundai
Auto Canada corp.
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Peter Johnson and Lorraine Smith of Subaru Canada
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PJ. Jim Thompson of RCMP– Whitehorse,
Yukon
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David Murphy of Mazda Canada and Harry Jodoin of Nissan Canada at the Ride and Drive—it was freezing!
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Event highlights
Publication Rousseau’s very own president and publisher, Rémy Rousseau, gave an informative and insightful presentation on communicating in challenging times, with a focus on finding solutions. “He discussed the subject in detail and was very entertaining,” Joanisse says.
Fuel management issues were discussed by Dale Peters and Ken Fryer from 4Refuel Canada. “Fryer came from B.C. to talk about biodiesel technology and its applications,” Joanisse says. “He answered many of our questions and proved to be more than knowledgeable.”
Fryer also discussed the value of biodiesel, including handling, storage, distribution, safety, and operational issues, as well as the impact alternative fuels have on the environment.
Chris Hill, from the City of Hamilton talked about how his city’s fleet services division has gone through major changes in the past few years and explained, “how they went from being one of the worst performing service providers in the city to becoming an award winning leader engaged in many projects of national significance,” Joanisse says.
The City of Toronto was represented by Steve Plaskos who spoke about how his department is greening their fleet. Plaskos went into detail outlining the buying process, disposing of older vehicles, and other factors that need to be considered when green is the goal.
Robert Tremblay, director of the Insurance Bureau of Canada discussed driver fatigue, cell phone use and other distractions such as the radio, kids in the back seat, etc. He also brought with him the D.U.M.B. vehicle (Distractions Undermining Motorist Behaviour)—a driver-distraction simulator. “It was an interesting experience to see our colleagues’ reactions to the various distractions that were put before them,” Joanisse says.
Belron Canada was represented by Jean-Marc Carrier and Robert Guaiani, who discussed the importance of properly replacing a windshield. “There are some risks and dangers if it’s not done properly,” Joanisse says, “such as the airbags going off and the windshield not containing them properly. We actually went outside and they gave us a live demonstration of how they test automotive glass.”
A number of carmakers were invited to discuss new technologies and advances in the automotive industry. Lisa Bouchard and Harry Jodoin from Nissan Canada discussed their new CVT transmission and global green initiatives, while Peter Johnson from Subaru Canada talked about their PZEV (Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle) cars. Subaru says their PZEV vehicles in Canada meet the Super Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle standard (SULEV) and eliminate fuel-system evaporative emission. Compared to an average new vehicle, Subaru PZEV vehicles have 90% cleaner emissions.
“We also had experts from Arctic Cat who discussed their new two-rider vehicles and utility type snowmobiles, as well as specialists from Peterbilt who discussed their medium duty electric hybrid configurations and stationary power take-off applications,” Joanisse says.
Fleet management policy issues were addressed by Joanisse during his presentation entitled “Discussion on TBS Fleet Policies and Guidance Tools.” He addressed questions such as, “Who is allowed to drive or be a passenger in a government vehicle?”
Trade show
The trade show event displayed exhibitors from key segments of the auto industry including manufacturing, service, repairs and technology. More than 50 vehicles were on hand for participants to examine and try out. A number of ATVs were also available for off-road sessions.
Snowmobiles were on display and a couple of 3-wheel vehicles called the T3 Series were available for all to test drive. “They can go up to 40 km/hr,” Joanisse says. “You don’t sit on them. Rather, you have to stand. A number of police forces are already using them.”
Joanisse says everyone had a chance to try the T3s and “were quite impressed by their performance. Mind you, we strive for safety, and many people got themselves into the way of oncoming cars in the large parking lot used to test drive the T3s, so we had to keep reminding everyone to stay out of traffic.”
Socializing
The annual Federal Fleet Workshop also gives everyone an opportunity to socialize after business hours, get to know one another and build relationships. “Our meet and greet event was a great success,” Joanisse says. “We had an opportunity to get to know one another in a less formal setting. Everyone always appreciates these opportunities.”
The next Federal Fleet Workshop will be taking place late October or early November, 2009. The date and place have not been determined yet, but like all other Workshops, this one is much anticipated.
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