More than 80 fleet professionals and fleet source providers were in attendance at the 100 Best Fleets Seminar Series in Santa Ana, Calif.
SANTA ANA, CA - More than 80 fleet professionals and fleet solution providers were in attendance at the 100 Best Fleets Seminar Series at the Santa Ana, Calif., fleet facility August 26 to discuss best practices and uncover solutions to current issues in government fleet management. The seminar was presented by Government Fleet magazine and the 100 Best Fleets and sponsored by the Municipal Equipment Maintenance Association (MEMA), AssetWorks, FuelMaster, LeasePlan, and Trimble.
Tom Johnson, founder of the 100 Best Fleets, opened the event to attendees. Among the fleet management attendees were some who were recognized as being named to the 100 Best Fleets, including 2010 Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year John Alley, CAFM, deputy director, fleet services, City of San Diego.
Tom Johnson, founder of the 100 Best Fleets (center), stands with presenters John Alley, CAFM, deputy director, fleet services, City of San Diego (left), and Keith Leech, fleet manager, City of Sacramento, Calif. (right).
The first activity of the day had attendees break out into groups to discuss the challenges they face in the public fleet sector. Concerns shared include purchasing alt-fuel vehicles that perform as well as diesel units, budget restrictions and ensuring adequate training for staff, motivating staff and keeping staff levels at the ideal size, and purchasing concerns, which included a criticism of the method of going to bid for purchases.
Santa Ana City Manager David Ream, who has worked with the city since 1978, explained his motto of "keep it safe and keep it clean," a slogan also applicable to fleet management.
As one of the speakers, Alley discussed applying business process reengineering to fleet management in order to streamline operations efficiencies. He also spoke about the internal service fund and avoiding "fleet creep."
Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido was also in attendance, applauding the efforts of fleet managers.
Tom Tomasi from FuelMaster discussed how to get accurate meter readings, showing attendees financial ROI spreadsheets from FuelMaster implementation.
The National Joint Powers Alliance (NJPA), which has 34,000 member agencies, seeks to "bring buyers and suppliers together." Greg Haglin discussed the cost effectiveness of purchasing contracts.
The event included various breaks, allowing attendees to network and view exhibits.
Keith Leech, fleet manager, City of Sacramento, Calif., presented best practices that were applied to the city fleet, which was constrained in the necessary facilities to bring in business. He stated the fleet is moving toward alt-fuel vehicles.
Matthew Betz, vice president, government fleet services, LeasePlan USA, discussed how government fleets can maximize resources to reach cost-saving and efficiency goals by leveraging the expertise of a fleet management company. He presented a real-world example from an existing LeasePlan government fleet client that saved nearly $500,000 annually by taking advantage of the company's service offerings.
Representatives from ESRI, Oasis, Peterson Hydraulics, Pure Power, and ZAP briefly spoke about how their products can benefit fleets.
Frank Morgan, deputy director, maintenance operations, City of Fremont, Calif., led an engaging presentation on how his fleet reduction plan resulted in a $2.7 million cost avoidance/savings in the first year and an ongoing savings of about $175,000 annually.
Christopher Merrill from Trimble Mobile Resource Management presented a telematics ROI analysis, emphasizing the cost savings of knowing fleet vehicle location.
Alan Simpson, associate director, AssetWorks spoke briefly about AB32 and the importance of checking tire pressures. He also presented the features of benefits of telematics data and trends analysis.
Rick Longobart, corporate yard facilities/fleet services manager, City of Santa Ana gave an overview of the city fleet, accomplishments in his three months with the city, and future goals for fleet. These include insourcing and outsourcing maintenance and outreaching to the community, and implementing green initiatives. One point of discussion is the city's planned 100 percent utilization of the motor pool by allowing employees to take home vehicles, and the liability risk.
The event included various breaks, allowing attendees to network and view exhibits. It concluded with a tour of Santa Ana's fleet facility.
Rick Longobart, corporate yard facilities/fleet services manager, City of Santa Ana (left), led a tour of the facility.
