ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- With sales of new cars and trucks hitting a wall according to the latest industry reports, credit unions and auto buying service providers are ramping up efforts to smooth the road in several ways.

Aimbridge Lending Solutions here introduced Aimbridge University, a series of classes to help credit unions manage lending and improve profitability. Sessions consist of best practice seminars, hands on training and advice from industry experts -- both from Aimbridge and local automotive dealers in their network. Classes cover lending, collections, loan management, franchised dealers, dealer audits and regulations. It may help credit unions better define the intricacies between direct, indirect and Web-based lending, said the company.

Aimbridge also launched a more interactive Web site for car buying, www.autoaves.com, designed to enhance the Web-based buying process and help credit unions capture more loan growth from their members. For additional information visit, www.aimbridge.com.

The West Lafayette, Ind.-based Perdue Employees FCU has also begun its own personalized auto buying service. Members can now get new or used cars through PEFCU's partnership with Members Auto Source, a service of LCU Financial Services, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly FCU. Requests can come online, by phone or in person. And MAS will find the vehicle, negotiate a price, and arrange delivery of it to any PEFCU branch, or to a home or office.