When Kevin Callahan, CAFM, took over as fleet services division manager for Auburn, Ala., in 2018, he knew his team had what it took to participate in the ASE Blue Seal Designation program.

“I’ve always been a big believer in the program. It serves as a mark of trusted and well-respected excellence,” he says.

He has been an ASE master truck and automotive technician for years, and when he took over at the city, he wanted to emphasize the importance of the certification to his team.

He talked it over with them, and everyone was on board. The process is very technical and involves a lot of individual effort, but they started slow and now eight out of 10 team members have achieved ASE certifications.

“Testing isn’t everyone’s strong suit, but those who know how to do their job take these tests to prove they are definitely skilled at what they are doing. I didn’t know how many shops in the area actually had the certification until we achieved it, and it turns out there’s only one in a 90-mile radius.”

How They Did It

Callahan believes setting goals is a vital part of getting your team to see the importance of this certification. “You have to have the commitment from everyone,” he says.

They also created an incentive program they call “the career ladder program.” If an individual achieves so many certifications, they move up a pay grade.

“This has been a great motivator. You have to stay committed. The team took an hour every day to study together with someone who is really familiar with the topic they might be having trouble with. Teamwork has played a key role in getting us this far.”

What’s Next?

The fleet services division has recently implemented a telematics program, and will now be using the data they collect to continue to improve and set themselves apart.