RGL Specialty Services Partners with Byrne Transportation Services for Over-Size Transportation Needs

WARRENVILLE, IL, DECEMBER 8, 2011 – Byrne Transportation Services, LLC will partner with RGL Specialty Services, a Wisconsin-based third party logistics company, in providing over-size transportation needs for RGL’s customers.

Byrne Transportation Services brings to RGL its well-known reputation for handling over-size and complicated “big and ugly” moves. In the past such moves have included an entire chemical plant from Canada to Louisiana, and transporting a submarine shaft coast to coast. RGL Specialty Services provides in-plant material handling, co-packing, transportation brokerage and distribution center operations services to its customers.

Vice President and Chief Operating Officer John Byrne said, “Our expertise with transporting over-size loads will prove beneficial to RGL’s customers. RGL knows there is no job that is too big or complicated for us to handle. We thrive on such challenges and look forward to a long and helpful relationship with RGL.”

Wisconsin-based RGL Holdings, Inc., through its family of companies including Leicht, Checker Logistics and RGL Specialty Services, supplies its customers with integrated material management services.   The firm stresses expert capabilities in product handling, storage and transportation supported by flexible capacity and engineered processes.

As an independent, non-asset-owning freight brokerage, veteran-owned Byrne Transportation Services provides customers with a range of transportation choices vetted by experience and solid relationships with some of the country’s largest supply chain and freight customers and with services providers. Byrne Transportation Services is: General Services Administration (GSA) approved; Veterans Administration (VA) approved; Department of Defense (DOD) approved; and Global Transportation Network (GTN) qualified under the Surface Distribution and Deployment Center (SDDC) program.

PHH Arval Team Wins Outstanding Customer Support Performance Award from The Fraser Group

Sparks, MD (Dec. 8, 2011) – For the third consecutive year, a PHH Arval customer service team has been recognized for outstanding customer support.

“We make customer service a priority. So it is rewarding to have our efforts recognized – especially by The Fraser Group, which sets rigorous standards that must be met in order to achieve an ‘outstanding‘ level of performance,” said Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Tom Keilty.

The Fraser Group, a management consulting firm that helps organizations improve performance, recently presented PHH Arval’s Vehicle Accident Services Driver Assistance Team with its “Outstanding Customer Support Performance Award for 2011.” It is the third year that a PHH Arval team has been recognized for customer service excellence. In 2009 and 2010, PHH Arval’s Driver Response Team won the award. (Go to http://www.phharval.com/home/about-phh/recognition for more information on previous awards.)

Throughout the past year, The Fraser Group monitored and scored calls taken by PHH’s Vehicle Accident Services Driver Assistance Team against the firm’s proprietary call center methodology. Each call is evaluated based on 36 criteria and PHH consistently rated at 90 percent or higher over the past four quarters. To date, PHH is the only company among those measured that has achieved this level of performance.   

Barry Maners, managing director of The Fraser Group, presented the award to PHH Arval during an awards ceremony at the company's headquarters in Sparks, MD.

During the presentation, Maners said “Fraser has scored literally thousands of calls for more than 100 customer contact centers. Of those centers, only three have been awarded 90 percent of the total points available for four consecutive quarters based on a statistically relevant sample of calls. PHH Arval’s Driver Response Team was the first to reach that threshold and now PHH Arval’s Vehicle Accident Services Driver Assistance Team has also achieved this level of outstandingcustomer support.”

About PHH Arval

PHH Arval, a subsidiary of PHH Corporation [NYSE: PHH], is a leading fleet management services provider in the United States and Canada. PHH Arval provides outsourced fleet management solutions to corporate clients, including nearly one-third of the Fortune 500 companies. Through consultative expertise, flexible customer service, and award-winning Internet technology, PHH Arvalhelps clients reduce costs and increase productivity.  For more information, visit www.phharval.com, or call 800 ONLY PHH.

About PHH Corporation

Headquartered in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, PHH Corporation is a leading outsource provider of mortgage and vehicle fleet management services. Its subsidiary, PHH Mortgage, is one of the top five retail originators of residential mortgages in the United States, and its subsidiary, PHH Arval, is a leading fleet management services provider in the United States and Canada. For additional information about the company and its subsidiaries, please visit our Web site at www.phh.com.

About The Fraser Group

The Fraser Group, LLC is a management consulting firm with extensive experience in helping organizations collect and understand the voice of their customers. For over a decade, The Fraser Group has focused on providing actionable information to management,based on the voice of the customer, in the areas of customer support process improvement and the improvement of the performance of customer contact representatives. For more information, visit TheFraserGroup.org.

Integer Research launches Diesel Exhaust Fluid price reporting service

Integer Research has launched a monthly Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) price reporting service called DEF Tracker. The service has been launched in response to requests from industry stakeholders and is a reflection of increasing trading activity and more frequent contract settlements in the DEF market.

DEF Tracker includes DEF price benchmarks and in‐depth analysis of market movements. Price references cover DEF delivered in tote, bulk and 2.5 gallon jug formats in six major metropolitan areas: Los Angeles, CA; Houston, TX; New York, NY; Cincinnati, OH; Chicago, IL; and Toronto, ONT. In addition, DEF Tracker provides DEF pump pricing at truck stops and number of locations in every U.S. state and Canadian province offering the facility.

In November, the average price of DEF at the pump reached $2.73 per gallon across the U.S., according to DEF Tracker. The price at the pump fell in 25, or 58%, of the 43 U.S. states offering the facility between October and November, however, the average across the country increased by three cents per gallon.

There are now four truck stops offering DEF at the pump in Canada, all operated by Pilot Flying J. The price at these locations was CAD$0.80 per liter in November.

For more information about DEF Tracker see Integer’s homepage (http://www.integerresearch.com/usa‐def‐price‐tracker/) or contact james.dixon@integer‐research.com for subscription details.

About Diesel Exhaust Fluid and Selective Catalytic Reduction
The introduction of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 emissions requirements for onhighway vehicles led to the widespread adoption of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology by medium and heavy‐duty truck manufacturers. SCR works by spraying DEF into the exhaust stream to destroy dangerous NOx chemicals, significantly reducing pollution. DEF is a non‐toxic solution comprised of 32.5% pure urea in 67.5% de‐ionized water.

About Integer
Integer is a specialist provider of research, data, analysis, and consultancy services across a range of
global industrial markets. Integer operates http://www.discoverDEF.com, which tracks DEF sales locations and provides industry news, and publishes the AdBlue & DEF Monitor, which provides in‐depth analysis of the international market for DEF or AUS 32.

New Ford Transit Van Designed to Be Tough on the Job, Lighter in Weight and on the Wallet

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 7, 2011 – The ability to withstand a curb jump thousands of timesis not a typical vehicle requirement.

 

However, Ford is building a new road at its Michigan Proving Grounds north of Detroit to make sure one of its newest vehicles can stand up to the rough use it is sometimes subjected to.

 

The new Transit van, a predecessor of which is available in Europe, will eventually replace the venerable Econoline wagon and van in North America. The Transit will be a truly global cargo and people hauler with improvements in handling, fuel economy and technology.

 

“The new Transit will be the smartest, most fuel-efficient way to move cargo or people,” said Tim Stoehr, Ford Commercial Truck Marketing manager.

 

Next year, the optimized Transit will be put through three months of intense durability testing including climbing the curbs on the specialized test road at the proving grounds. The Transit will climb the curbs thousands of times on top of navigating the bumpy and pothole-ridden road surface vehicles are sometimes required to endure.

 

A similar test road exists in Belgium, which Ford has used to test previous European models of the Transit.

 

European delivery drivers are often required to hop curbs and they require vehicles that are able to withstand the rigors of this obstacle. Ford is now working to ensure all of its Transit vehicles will be able to hold up against challenging conditions.

 

But Transit will go beyond living up to Econoline’s sterling work reputation. The vehicle will also achieve at least 25 percent better fuel economy compared to similar Econoline vans, thanks in part to smart weight savings that will trim at least 300 pounds from Transit compared to a similar E-Series van. That means customers will potentially save thousands of dollars in operating costs from fuel savings.

 

The Transit van is the best-selling van in Europe. Ford has sold more than 6 million Transits across five continents. Transit is currently offered to global customers in a variety of cargo, passenger and chassis cab configurations with a choice of efficient diesel engines.

 

In 2010, the 6 millionth Transit rolled off the production line in Turkey. Conceived as Ford’s first pan-European product in the mid-1960s, the Transit will soon become a fully global asset.

 

To get ready for production in the U.S. by 2013, Ford is investing $1.1 billion in its Kansas City Assembly Plant, where the F-150 is built today.

 

Xata Corporation Names Odell Tuttle Chief Technology Officer

EDEN PRAIRIE, December 6, 2011—Xata Corporation (NASDAQ: XATA) has named Odell Tuttle as the company’s chief technology officer. Tuttle joined Xata from Healthland where he was chief technology officer responsible for driving technology and product direction.

According to Jay Coughlan, Xata’s chairman and chief executive officer, “Odell brings exceptionally strong experience in product technology, strategy and management. His expertise will make him especially effective in leading our XataNet and Turnpike development teams, as well as our increasing emphasis on mobile technology.”

Prior to joining Healthland, Odell was chief architect with Gearworks in Eagan, Minnesota, where he led the development and QA organizations in delivering the company’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform. This improved the quality of existing products and delivered entirely new products. He also developed and implemented the off-shore development strategy, provided architectural vision and led the development of the next-generation platform. His experience also includes leading Digital River’s global software development organization to build the company’s next-generation SaaS platform.

Odell is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the CIO/CTO Leadership Council, International .NET User Association (INETA) and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Dakota and attended the post-graduate software engineering program at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Odell and his family reside in the Twin Cities.

About Xata
Xata Corporation (NASDAQ: XATA) provides intuitive, automated fleet management software solutions to the trucking industry. By delivering real-time critical information on vehicle and driver performance, Xata makes it easy for fleet managers, dispatchers and drivers to collect, sort, view and analyze data to help reduce costs, increase safety and compliance, and improve customer satisfaction.

Our award-winning solutions include 1) XataNet, a full-featured, enterprise-wide solution that helps private and for-hire fleets drive continuous improvement, and 2) Xata Turnpike, a technologically advanced, low-cost, easy-to-install solution that runs on drivers’ existing cell phones, smartphones and tablet computers. Both solutions help fleet managers and drivers meet established and emerging electronic onboard recorder (EOBR) regulations. We also offer a portfolio of professional services, including implementation, training and consulting, to help our customers deliver bottom-line results. For more information, visit www.xata.com or call 1.800.745.9282.

ARI Opens Houston Call Center for Fleet Management Services

HOUSTON, TX (December 6, 2011) – ARI^®, a leading global fleet services provider specializing in complex car and truck fleets, today announced the start-up of a new Houston, Texas Call Center.  This is ARI’s sixth North American Call Center, including Maple Shade, New Jersey; Grapevine, Texas; Mississauga, Ontario; Montreal, Quebec and Mexico City, Mexico. 

According to ARI Senior Vice President of Fleet Services, Bob White, call volume for 2011 is on track to hit 3.1 million calls in the U.S. alone because of the company’s outstanding growth over the past few years.  ARI now manages over 780,000 vehicles.  “We are pleased to make this investment to support our growth.  ARI has been ranked number one in customer satisfaction since 2003 so delivering the best service for our clients is our highest priority.  Having the most certified technicians in more locations throughout North America, using state-of-the-art call center and web-based technologies, ensures that we can deliver the fastest possible response times and the most value to our clients and their drivers. 

“Houston was chosen as the location of our new Call Center based on the availability of qualified technicians. But other considerations included availability of quality facilities, accessibility for local employees and ARI’s management team, and the overall quality of life for ARI employees,” added White. 

The new ARI Call Center has capacity for 185 employees. Calls are directed by country, allocated to each ARI Call Center, and routed to the most appropriate available technician, regardless of location, to ensure the fastest response times.

Ted Davis, Department Head, Call Center Operations, says that the company began hiring technicians from the Houston area this past August and putting them through an intensive training program in its Grapevine facility. “We temporarily relocated new technicians to Grapevine so they’d not only be capable of taking calls the first day we opened our doors in Houston but they’d also have absorbed the ARI culture.  In addition, we relocated experienced technicians from Grapevine and Maple Shade to support the new team.”


About ARI^®, Automotive Resources International (http://www.arifleet.com/)
ARI, a part of the Holman Automotive Group, is the second largest vehicle fleet management organization in North America with a workforce numbering more than 2,000 and offices throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Europe. As a single-source fleet management leader, ARI customizes innovative solutions that streamline fleet operations, help lower the cost of fleet ownership and create long-term value for customers. ARI manages over 780,000 cars, trucks and equipment in North America and, combined with its strategic partners, more than 1.8 million fleet vehicles globally. ARI is headquartered in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.

2011 LEASES BREAK RECORD FOR MOST SAME-YEAR VEHICLES ON LEASETRADER.COM

MIAMI – (December 6, 2011) – 2011 model year leases have broken LeaseTrader.com’s record for largest amount of same-year leases to hit the website’s marketplace. With just one month left in 2011, LeaseTrader’s total inventory is comprised of roughly 15.3 percent of 2011 model leases. The previous record was 2005 when 13.5 percent of leases were listed by the end of the same model year. The 2010 lease year represented 10.6 percent of total inventory by December of that year.

“The fact that so many 2011s have already come into the LeaseTrader marketplace shows that lease deals continue to get better and more people want to exercise their option to transfer earlier,” said Sergio Stiberman, CEO and founder of LeaseTrader.com. “People should not have to wait three or four years if they see a car they’d rather have at any point during their lease contract.”

Many of the drivers looking to escape their 2011 lease are doing so to take advantage of an even better lease deal on a 2012 model. This expedites the automotive sales cycle and creates more inventory turnover at the dealership level in addition to secondary channels. BMW, Mercedes, Toyota and Cadillac are the top four brands with 2011 models listed in the marketplace.

That a significant population of drivers would escape their leased vehicle after just 12 months is no surprise to LeaseTrader officials. Demand for one-year lease activity has exploded since January with takeover demand up 14.2 percent during that period. The appetite for extreme short terms in leasing is becoming more prominent, and today the typical lease customer looks to escape their lease after an average of just 15.7 months into the contract. More dealers are offering 24-month leases and some manufacturers are allowing car buyers to treat their financed vehicle like a lease through a four-year buy-back program.

About LeaseTrader

LeaseTrader.com, the most recognized name in car leasing, easily and affordably matches car shoppers with individuals looking to escape their auto lease. Visit www.LeaseTrader.com, on Twitter @Lease_Trader, or call 800-770-0207.

Dodge Hits the Mark With the All-new 2013 Dodge Dart Compact Car

Dodge Hits the Mark With the All-new 2013 Dodge Dart Compact Car

Dodge Dart Blends Alfa Romeo DNA and Dodge’s Passion for Performance, Resulting in a Groundbreaking Car with the Ultimate Blend of Power, Fuel Economy, Handling and Style

• The Dodge brand is back in the U.S. compact sedan segment – in a big way – as the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart will make its world debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Mich., on Jan. 9, 2012
• Built on a world-class architecture, Dodge Dart offers three technologically advanced, fuel-efficient and powerful engines, including the 1.4L MultiAir® Turbo
• Dodge delivers exceptional craftsmanship with class-leading technology and style 
   

December 6, 2011 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - Dodge redefines performance in the compact car segment with an all-new, state-of-the-art four-door sedan delivering class-leading aerodynamics – the 2013 Dodge Dart.

With Alfa Romeo DNA and Dodge’s passion for performance at its core, the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart is a thoroughly modern vehicle that’s fuel-efficient, beautifully designed and crafted, agile and brings fun back to driving in the segment.

Similar to the Dodge Dart of the late 1960s, the 2013 Dart offers a special blend of style, performance and innovation. The Dodge brand leveraged its nearly 100-year history of passion for building high-quality, innovative vehicles that stand apart in performance and style, as well as from its partner Fiat’s global compact car expertise, to develop the all-new Dodge Dart.

ALFA ROMEO DNA
The all-new Dart is the first Chrysler Group vehicle based upon a Fiat architecture – adapted from the award-winning Alfa Romeo Giulietta. The Giulietta is renowned for satisfying the most demanding customers in terms of road-holding, agility and safety, with exceptional driving dynamics. The Dart leverages all of these attributes within a lengthened and widened platform delivering segment-leading levels of interior roominess.

The all-new Compact U.S. Wide (CUSW) architecture underpinning the Dart is a state-of-the-art architecture with an industry-leading 68 percent of the body composed of high-strength steel, resulting in a very strong and rigid structure. Combined with responsive steering, four-wheel independent suspension, and available 18-inch wheels, the Dart brings fun back to driving in the compact car segment.

UNMISTAKABLE STYLE
The all-new 2013 Dart marks the Dodge brand’s re-entry into the compact sedan segment, hitting the bulls-eye with a modern, unmistakable Dodge design that builds upon its performance heritage while evoking emotion, efficiency and fluidity of movement.

Eye-catching exterior proportions are set off from every angle by dynamic lines and curves, along with advanced technology, to deliver class-leading aerodynamic performance. The personality-packed front view is instantly recognizable as an all-new Dodge with its tailored split-crosshair grille, projector headlamps and fog lamps and accentuated fenders. Signature Dodge full-width LED ‘racetrack’ tail lamps and class-exclusive integrated dual exhaust – both inspired by Dodge Charger – accentuate the athletic and muscular stance of this dynamic and passionate new design.

THREE SOPHISTICATED, FUEL-EFFICIENT & POWERFUL ENGINES
The 2013 Dodge Dart will be powered by three fuel-efficient, powerful, state-of-the-art four-cylinder engines that add to Dart’s fun-to-drive quotient.

Drivers can select from a new Tigershark 16-valve 2.0-liter engine, a 16-valve 1.4-liter MultiAir Intercooled Turbo engine, and a new Tigershark 16-valve 2.4-liter MultiAir four cylinder engine. These three engines, combined with three transmission choices, combine to redefine performance by providing the most diverse powertrain lineup in its class.

MultiAir technology delivers optimum combustion at any speed under all driving conditions by allowing direct and dynamic control of air intake and combustion. The result is up to a 15 percent increase in low engine rpm torque, a 7.5 percent improvement in fuel efficiency and a 10 percent reduction in C02 emissions.

THE ALL-NEW DART – BUILT IN AMERICA
The all-new Dodge Dart will be made in America at Chrysler Group’s Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere, Ill. The Company is in the process of investing $600 million dollars to support the production of future products, including the 2013 Dodge Dart. The investment includes the construction of a 638,000-square-foot body shop, as well as the installation of new machinery, tooling and material handling equipment. Work on the expansion began in the summer of 2010 and will be completed this year.

The all-new Dodge Dart has been engineered with great levels of refinement, craftsmanship and engaging driving dynamics. Consumers can follow www.Dodge.com/Dart for additional photos and more information about the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart.

About Dodge Brand
For nearly 100 years, Dodge has defined passionate and innovative vehicles that stand apart in performance and in style. Building upon its rich heritage of muscle cars, racing technology and ingenious engineering, Dodge offers a full-line of cars, crossovers, minivans and SUVs built for top performance – from power off the line and handling in the corners, to high-quality vehicles that deliver unmatched versatility and excellent fuel efficiency. Only Dodge offers such innovative functionality combined with class-leading performance, exceptional value and distinctive design. With the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart, the all-new Dodge Charger paired with the ZF eight-speed transmission that achieves a class-leading 31 miles per gallon on the highway, the new Durango and the significantly revamped Grand Caravan – inventor of the minivan – Journey, Avenger and iconic Challenger, Dodge now has one of the youngest dealer showrooms in the United States.