The Oxford English Dictionary defines keystone as “a central stone on the summit of an arch, locking the entire collectively.”

The Keystone of the Arch

As I seemed across the packed convention room in the US Capitol in mid-September throughout the D.C. 2022 Automotive Rental Convention, it occurred to me {that a} “keystone” is one of the simplest ways to explain our nationwide commerce affiliation — ACRA. That’s true whether or not it’s the symbiotic relationship between automotive rental operators and corporations who provide these operators with items and companies, or the political alliance inherent within the membership of huge, multi-billion-dollar international automotive rental operators in the identical commerce affiliation as an operator with a single location and a fleet of 15 vehicles. Or the operational classes that may be realized by new entrants within the {industry} from {industry} “veterans” who confronted the identical challenges a few years in the past and overcame them.

In every occasion, ACRA acts because the keystone for the US’ automotive rental {industry}. All sizes of operators — from Enterprise with over 50 years in operation and 1 million rental autos to Xclusive Auto Membership that has been in enterprise for a yr and has 15 rental autos — belong to ACRA to contribute to its success and to be taught from their fellow operators.

All enterprise fashions are welcome inside ACRA, from airport operators to insurance coverage substitute and native leases, to operators who hire autos to Uber and Lyft drivers, to operators who hire autos on peer-to-peer platforms, to specialty rental operators resembling Edge (film {industry}) and my firm, Bandago (leisure {industry}). All of those “stones” of the U.S. automotive rental {industry}’s “arch” are locked collectively by the “keystone” of ACRA. With out that keystone, the arch fails. With that keystone, the arch turns into immensely stronger and helps the burden of many stones above it.

Legislative Points to Watch

ACRA’s leaders are centered on rising ACRA each by way of membership and our companies to members each giant and small. On Capitol Hill and in state capitals across the nation, giant and small operators are becoming a member of forces to advertise legal guidelines that profit the {industry} and enhance the underside line of every ACRA member firm. As an example, two central focuses of the D.C. convention have been the looming sundown of full expensing for private property (scheduled to drop to 80% in 2023) and the “electrification” of the nation’s rental fleet, whether or not at airports or for native leases.

Within the states, ACRA members giant and small are combining to advertise legal guidelines that profit the {industry} and to oppose proposals that will hurt U.S. automotive rental operators. Final yr, the {industry} achieved a major victory in California via a brand new legislation that elevated loss injury waivers. This yr, as I write this column, an industry-backed car license payment invoice is awaiting the signature of New York’s governor. In 2023, nevertheless, as states start to hunt new income amid the financial downturn, ACRA members have to be on the watch in Massachusetts, California, and different “bellwether” states for proposals to extend discriminatory automotive rental excise taxes or change the gross sales tax therapy of automotive rental acquisitions.

Trying Forward

Collectively, the members of ACRA will proceed to look to ACRA because the “keystone” for the {industry} in 2023 and past. We now have achieved a lot collectively within the final a number of years, and the longer term seems to be vivid for an {industry} that works collectively to advertise development, demand, and client satisfaction.

Editor’s Be aware: This weblog appeared within the 2023 Auto Rental Information Truth Ebook! Discover it and extra insights and stats in regards to the {industry}, on-line quickly.