About LCT Blog

Welcome to LCT Blog, LCT Magazine's blog devoted to "stretching chauffeured transportation." The LCT team appreciates you clicking in, and hopes you'll find some useful and entertaining information. Read more

Contributors

Martin Romjue

Martin Romjue joined LCT Magazine as editor on Jan. 2, 2008. He most recently worked as a business editor for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, and previously reported at newspapers in Virginia, Florida, and California. Read more

Jim Luff

Jim Luff is an operator from Bakersfield, CA who wears a few different hats. Jim began his career in the industry as a private chauffeur in 1990. In 1993 he found a permanent home at The Limousine Scene as the general manager, later becoming a partner. Read more

Tim Crowley

Tim Crowley joined LCT Magazine as a senior editor on April 22nd, 2013. He is a graduate of UCLA with an English degree, and is an experienced video production coordinator. He will be helping LCT further develop its digital media content. Read more

Denis Wilson

Denis Wilson is LCT’s East Coast Editor. His previous writing has been published by The New York Times, FastCompany.com, Fortune.com and RollingStone.com. Denis was born and raised in Upstate New York and currently resides in Philadelphia. Read more

JIM LUFF: The Buck Stops Here!

STAYING SUITED FOR THE JOB: I had to handle an unexpected all-day chauffeured bus run to Los Angeles.

Read full story

posted @ Wednesday, May 15, 2013 12:01 PM | Comment (0)

Exclusive Sedan Service Exceeds Expectations

TIM CROWLEY: For my first limo operator visit I headed up to North Hollywood, Calif., to see Ron Stein’s Exclusive Sedan Service

Read full story

posted @ Wednesday, May 15, 2013 11:29 AM | Comment (0)

Uber’s Growing Pains in Los Angeles

TIM CROWLEY: A report of an upset Uber driver being escorted from the company's Los Angeles headquarters underscores the importance of owner/chauffeur relationships.

Read full story

posted @ Tuesday, May 14, 2013 3:00 PM | Comment (0)

A Warning And A Plea From The Limo Road

MARTIN ROMJUE: In the aftermath of the big limo fire, don't make matters worse by running shabby vehicles. I didn't like what I saw on a Los Angeles freeway Saturday morning.

Read full story

posted @ Tuesday, May 14, 2013 2:41 PM | Comment (0)

JIM LUFF: The Big Fire Has Everyone Talking

TALE OF AN OLD LIMO: We maintain a privately owned limousine in our fleet that is a 1997 model. That limo is in mint condition with 250,000 miles on it and I’d take it across the Mojave Desert tomorrow feeling safe.

Read full story

posted @ Wednesday, May 08, 2013 12:25 PM | Comment (0)

Five Things To Know When Renting Limos

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT: The Associated Press took a page right out of the limo books with its suggestions on renting stretch limousines and limo buses during peak prom and wedding season. These 5 tips were published in The Washington Post's Business section. What's really interesting here is the first tip: Don't Let Price Be Your Only Consideration. That has been a constant message from many limousine operators and from LCT Magazine related to customer service and marketing: You sell value and quality, not a price. You get what you pay for, and what you pay for in a quality limousine operation is well worth the price. Related posts: 4 Cs Of Better Pricing. Bill Atkins Pricing Tips.  -- Martin Romjue, LCT editor

posted @ Wednesday, May 08, 2013 11:57 AM | Comment (0)

Media Is Your Tool, Not Your Enemy In Limo Tragedy

MARTIN ROMJUE: How to handle the media avalanche hitting limousine companies nationwide.

Read full story

posted @ Wednesday, May 08, 2013 9:57 AM | Comment (0)

JIM LUFF: D.O.T. Audit Drives Me To Drink

AUDIT SAGA PART 4: "The inspector came to my office and asked, 'Would you like to discuss your audit or shall we just mail you the results?' Of course I wanted to discuss them right now. I asked him if I was going to get a citation. He replied, 'Why would you ask me that?'"

Read full story

posted @ Wednesday, May 01, 2013 1:21 PM | Comment (0)

LCT Driving Tip

FROM THE ROUGH ROAD: Beginning today, I will share some driving tips with you periodically to help you safely perform your job as a professional chauffeur, or instruct your chauffeurs on how to do so. As most of you know, my car was recently totaled by a driver who was texting and plowed into me at 50-60 mph while I was stopped.

Tip #1 - Make sure you concern yourself with what is going on behind you was well as in front of you. Avoid allowing drivers to tailgate you. If they insist, change lanes or pull to the right and let them pass. In the event of a sudden stop, they will hit you and unrestrained passengers in your vehicle could get tossed. Always allow enough space between you and the car in front of you so that if you are hit from behind, you will not hit the car in front of you and may actually be able to shoot out to the left or right of the car in front of you if you see a driver is about to rear-end you. -- Jim Luff, LCT

posted @ Wednesday, May 01, 2013 1:14 PM | Comment (0)

Overcoming Business Obstacles

MARTIN ROMJUE: Uber points to a much bigger challenge for the chauffeured transportation industry, and other business sectors, which extends well beyond technological change.

Read full story

posted @ Wednesday, May 01, 2013 12:55 PM | Comment (0)

Disruption or Revolution?

DENIS WILSON: As LCT reported, last week the New York City TLC was given the green light to move forward with its pilot e-hailing program. Of course, the true winners are the developers of mobile apps such as Uber. Yet, even if Uber disappeared off the face of the earth tomorrow, someone else would step in. The industry is ripe for it.

Read full story

posted @ Wednesday, May 01, 2013 12:00 AM | Comment (0)

JIM LUFF: DOT Audit Gets Down N' Dirty

AUDIT SAGA PART 3: "Shortly after 1 p.m. the, the examiner left for a few hours to participate in a teleconference. By 3 p.m., he was back. I had hoped the conference call would be intense and take the rest of the day. No such luck."

Read full story

posted @ Wednesday, April 24, 2013 2:00 PM | Comment (0)

L.A. Family Company Puts Premium On Precision

MARTIN ROMJUE: I stopped in at Monalisa Limousine on Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles last Friday. The owners attended their first International LCT Show in February, but these operators clearly are not novices.

Read full story

posted @ Wednesday, April 24, 2013 1:43 PM | Comment (0)

A-1 Limousine’s Jeff Shanker Puts Safety First

DENIS WILSON: Before his days at A-1 Limousine of Princeton, N.J., Jeff Shanker spent time as a police officer and an EMT. This public safety background made him a good fit when he started at A-1 in 2002 as the director of safety and insurance — a hat he still wears along with that of executive vice president.

Read full story

posted @ Wednesday, April 24, 2013 12:00 AM | Comment (0)

JIM LUFF: Feds Occupy My Biz House

AUDIT SAGA PART 2: "As 9 a.m. approached, I could almost feel beads of sweat upon my forehead. I felt like a kid in high school who was about to take my final examination. But this time the stakes were much higher."

Read full story

posted @ Wednesday, April 17, 2013 12:22 PM | Comment (0)
« Older Posts
Copyright © LCT Magazine