In a highly specialized world, wise senior managers understand that certain specialized tasks are better left to the experts. That includes fleet sales, leasing and service management.

Want the best deals for your wheels? You can't do it by yourself.

Seek the professional advice of Automotive Consultant Maura Shaftoe, a gifted multi-tasker who brings to bear more than 20 years' experience in the corporate and retail automotive industry.

Her satisfied corporate customers know that Shaftoe delivers every time, whether they seek assistance with individual vehicle purchases or are looking to streamline an existing fleet.

Maura Shaftoe can manage fleets of vehicles of any size and ensure your drivers have the best records.

There are two good reasons why they dial her consultancy's Calgary telephone number. Shaftoe saves them time and money.

"My customers represent the complete spectrum of business in Alberta. Many are connected with the oil and gas industry, particularly those in the service end," Shaftoe explains.

"They're experts in their own specialized fields. By asking me to address all their vehicle concerns, they free up their own valuable time to concentrate on their core competencies," she adds.

Example: In recent years, one thriving oil and gas engineering company had assigned one of its project managers, a non'-specialist, to oversee operations of a modest fleet of six trucks.

No problem.

Soon, however, the business expanded. So did the company's fleet of rolling stock.

And when the fleet topped out at 40 vehicles, the company's chief executive reached for the phone. He called Maura Shaftoe. Now, she gives the fleet her personal and undivided attention.

"It was becoming too much for the project manager to handle," Shaftoe recalls. "There were no systems in place, drivers' abstracts weren't getting pulled, things were getting too disorganized."

Drivers' abstracts?

"Yes, if you don't know exactly who's driving your vehicles, you can be putting yourself in jeopardy with regard to liability," she explains.

A former service manager as well as an ex-fleet manager, Shaftoe realizes how vital it is to clarify policy issues in connection with fleet drivers.

Nor is there any substitute for thoroughly researching the driving records of every potential employee who might find himself or herself behind the wheel of one of your vehicles.

Shaftoe performs each of these important functions ...

just another set of services offered as part of her broadly based standard package.

"Particularly in the midst of such a booming job market, it's important for companies to ensure that they're hiring employees who are unlikely to put the company at risk," adds Shaftoe.

She is also well-versed in taxable benefit issues, carrying out investigations and due diligence at every level, from insurance matters to fleet and vehicle safety.

Bottom line: Maura Shaftoe saves her customers CASH, every single day.

As a well-connected professional, for example, she can promise volume discounts when it's time to replace aging vehicles.

"If we factory order, for example, we can save clients up to $1,000 per vehicle, while establishing consistent, no-haggle pricing schemes," she points out.

She's able to convince dealers to stock the specific vehicles you need, when you need them.

"It's also important to address within a company which vehicle is appropriate for what job. I can help you set up your specs and clarify all such issues," she says.

By carefully analysing and monitoring vehicle maintenance records, Shaftoe helps her clients minimize expensive down time.

And when it's time to turn over the vehicles in your fleet, Shaftoe's advice can be particularly useful: "Are you getting maximum value when you wish to sell a used vehicle?

Is it better to sell privately or through an auction or a broker?" How about summarizing the pros and cons of leasing new vehicles as opposed to making an outright purchase? She'll spell out all the answers, down to the last detail.

When not assisting corporate customers with their automotive needs, Maura Shaftoe has built an enviable reputation as one of southern Alberta's most talented singers. She has garnered favourable notices from both Calgary's daily newspapers, as well as a variety of media outlets.

But automotives - as well as music - are in her blood. Originally trained as an auto mechanic, Shaftoe gravitated to service management and was subsequently employed as a technical rep by the Ford Motor Co. Her duties included assessing and evaluating warranty claims, a task that helped her develop invaluable negotiating and problem-solving skills, which she now applies daily in her automotive consulting business.

Shaftoe pledges to simplify the lives of each of her corporate clients, whether their fleet runs from five vehicles to 50.

So if you'd like to learn how to get the best deals for your wheels, why not contact her today? Telephone 403.968.1138. Or send Maura a personal e-mail at mcshaftoe@shaw.ca.