A review of the City of Cape Coral, Fla., Fleet Management Services (FMS) recommended the City hire a fleet administrator to turn around fleet management. Completed December 2012 by stakeholders including major end users and the respective labor unions, the review also recommended various short- and long-term objectives for FMS to improve efficiency and achieve a 100 Best Fleets designation.

The review commended fleet staff on being “dedicated and knowledgeable fleet professionals who understand the importance of their individual role in optimizing the mobility and, therefore, the City’s productivity.” At the same time, the review stated that there was a lack of trust in the entire organization, long-tenured employees reported an erosion in fleet processes, and fleet was considered a “forgotten entity into which the City had reinvested little, if anything, during the past two or three years.”

Short term objectives (90-120 days) outlined in the review include setting benchmarks via the FASTER fleet management system, considering a staffing change, evaluating overall age and condition of the fleet and auctioning older vehicles, and creating customer surveys. Mid-term objectives (about a year away) include completing in-house operational best practices, exploring consolidation of shops, and reevaluating a vehicle replacement plan. Long-term objectives (several years away) include evaluating department vehicle use, conducting an effectiveness study, considering a “green” fleet program, and applying for and obtaining a 100 Best Fleets ranking, as FMS had in 2005.

Short-term objectives are already actively being pursued, according to the report.

The committee recommended that with the purchase of automated software including a new fuel management system from Guardian Fueling systems, a vacant fuel management coordinator and also vacant fleet tech II position can remain unfilled. Future salary savings from these two positions can allow for the creation of the fleet administrator position. The administrator should have experience in administering similar sized fleet operations and have CAFM (Certified Automotive Fleet Manager) or CPFP (Certified Public Fleet Professional) designation, the committee recommended. The fleet administrator would supervise the incumbent fleet superintendent and fleet supervisor, among a staff of 20. The review recommends Human Resources to provide a comprehensive job description for this position by Jan. 28, with the goal of identifying a successful candidate by April 29.

By Thi Dao