The pilot car sector
has recovered from the
downturn but with the
increase in business
comes increases in the
cost of doing business.
52
ACT
JUNE 2014
vehicles tobetter accommodateour
clients,”he said.
KayeGreene-Smith said thatwhile
numbers indicate a large increaseover last
year, “whenyou factor in all of the costs,
we are a littleover last year’snumbers
for the first quarter. It ismybelief since
our industrygets into full swing in late
spring after the ice thaws through late fall,
thebest numbers are to come.We are an
industrydrivenby certain factors such as
weather, economy andgasprices.Anyor
all of these factors canhelporharmour
bottom lineprofit.”
However, she forecasts that Pilotcarz4u
will haveoneof thebest years yet in2014.
“It ismybelief that our industrywill
bedrivenby focus beingplacedon the
needof infrastructures being repairedor
rebuilt.Also,wind energy continues to
drive this industry,” she said. “These are
just twoof themany reasonswhy I believe
that thepilot car industrywill continue
togrow coupledwith the fact that there
will always be theneed tomoveoversized
machinery.”
During economichard times, a few
trucking companieswent as far as touse
their own staff tohandlepilot car/escort
duties. Incontrera said this still happens
onoccasion, but it’snot a “growing
phenomenon.”
“There are those companies that do it,”
he said. “If itworks for themgood.
I can’t assume to tell themhow to run
their businesses.Of course Iwant to
provide asmany escort/pilot vehicles as
possible, but if aheavyhaul company is
comfortableworking thatway, it’s fine
withme.”
Greene-Smith said someof the larger
companieshavehired their own escort
fleet thinking theywill savemoney, but
have returned to a respectedpilot car
losses in thedownturndebacle, especially
2008-2009.”
“Whilewe are aheadof last year’s and
2012’snumbers, the increaseof the cost
of doingbusiness is on the rise aswell,”
she said. “Business ingeneral is extremely
competitive. Everyone is looking to save
abuck. That holds true to the trucking
companies aswell.”
Rate competition
Customers are looking for good rates and
away to freeup their time.
“We arenot themost expensivenor are
we the cheapest serviceout here in the
pilot carworld,”Greene-Smith said. “We
stay aheadof our competitionbyoffering
100percent customer satisfaction.”
Incontrera saidhis businesshas been
consistentlygrowing for thepast several
years.
“True,wehavehad somegood luck.
However,weworkdiligently toprovide a
service that isunequaled,”he said.
As far as the future, hedescribes it as
exciting.
“We expect to expandour offices add
staff and addmore company escort
INDUSTRY FOCUS
PILOT CARS
J
ohn Incontrera, president,High
Wide&Heavy, describes the
pilot car business as in a state
of limbo.
“Rules and regulations forpilot cars
are all over themap. There is little if
any consistency from jurisdiction to
jurisdiction,”he said. “We strive toget
above all the requirements andprovide
escorts andpilot cars that exceed
requirements.”
While theNewYorkCityTaxi&Limo
Commission requires all taxi cabs tohave
amedallion andyearly inspection towork
inNewYorkCity, the same isnot true for
escort vehicles, Incontrera said.
“A similarprogram tomonitor the status
of escort vehicles shouldbe advocated,”he
said. “Thiswould even theplaying field,
allowingour customers toobtainquality
regulated escort vehicles to safelymove
their loads. Escort drivers are taskedwith
great responsibilitywithout any authority,
therefore thepublicdoesnot take them
seriously.”
Pilotcarz4u, ownedbyKayeGreene-
Smith, saidher businesshas shown a
decent upswing since enduring the “huge
Leading theway
A hot subject among pilot car services companies iswhether there should be some sort of
mandated pilot car certification program.
