History
The American Automotive Leasing Association (AALA) is a national industry association comprised of commercial automotive fleet leasing and management companies. Membership includes domestic and international companies as well as family-owned businesses. AALA also has an associate member category that is open to any company or organization with an institutional interest in the automotive leasing industry.

Founded in 1955 and located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, AALA remains the only industry association representing companies that lease and manage vehicle fleets for other businesses.

The commercial automotive fleet leasing industry purchases approximately 900,000 new domestic vehicles for long-term use annually. The purchases account for a substantial percentage of the annual commercial output of vehicles sold by the Big Three domestic auto manufacturers.

Goals
AALA’s primary goal is to ensure that the business interests of the fleet leasing industry are properly represented before Congress, the Executive Branch and regulatory agencies. Increasingly, AALA is taking a more active advocacy role at the state and local levels of government. AALA strives to educate public officials and lawmakers on the key business issues that impact commercial fleet lessors, management companies and their commercial customers. 

In its role as industry advocate, AALA is also actively involved with regulatory agencies charged with the interpretation and implementation of federal laws. Through this involvement, it is a goal of AALA to assist with pragmatic and economically viable solutions while continuing to minimize operating costs for fleets.

Meetings and Committees
AALA relies on the considerable expertise of its membership to identify industry priorities and develop appropriate responses. Throughout the year, the AALA Board of Directors, Executive Committee, State Tax Committee and various ad hoc or issue-specific committees will convene to consider policy issues, economic trends and business developments that may impact company or management operations.

From time-to-time AALA will also convene meetings with associated groups or organizations that share an interest or concern in priority policy issues.

AALA members can access more specific meeting information under our main Meetings Section.

Communications
AALA keeps its members apprised of the status of proposed legislation and regulations, providing timely information, on federal and state legislative and regulatory activities. Industry-specific advisories on legal and tax compliance are an especially beneficial service provided to the membership.

AALA has a dedicated website (www.aalafleet.com) that serves as an informational and educational tool for the membership, as well as for others interested in the fleet management industry.

Advocacy
As an advocate for the fleet leasing and management industry, AALA has had a positive impact on many economic, energy, tax and environmental policy issues. Specifically, AALA has had a positive impact on major federal issues such as the Clean Air Act and its implementation by the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Energy Policy Act. AALA’s influence has also been felt in important federal and state tax and depreciation initiatives, as well as in the regulatory arena at the federal and state levels of government. 

In the coming years, AALA will continue to enhance its legislative activities through, among other things, efforts to bring meaningful changes to issues involving legal justice and liability reform.