LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Car rental companies are being conservative about ordering 2003 model-year vehicles, according to a new report published by Abrams Travel Data Services. The October edition of Car Rental Market Scan reported that most major car rental companies have reduced their fleets about 10% below normal levels in response to reduced customer demand.

However, the report noted, car rental companies are generally looking forward to 2003 as a year of recovery, hoping that overall travel will pick up and allow them to return to normal fleet and revenue levels. Market Scan is a subscriber information service tracking the auto rental industry.

The newest edition of Market Scan also includes a labor survey, providing benchmark data on wage and salary levels for key positions in car rental operations, as well as reports on auto remarketing, factory fleet programs, and Internet reservation technology. Abrams Travel Data is a business unit of Abrams Consulting Group, based in Purchase, N.Y.