When a fleet receives an ASE Blue Seal recognition it means that the team is on the right track. The Collier County Fleet Management Division can be included in that group after receiving a Blue Seal of Excellence at the beginning of 2023. 

According to ASE, of the nearly 1,500 current Blue Seal shops, only 14% (219) of those granted the recognition are government fleets. To earn ASE Blue Seal recognition, at least 75% of technicians performing diagnostics and repairs must be ASE certified, and each area of service offered in the shop must be covered by at least one ASE-certified technician. To become certified a technician must have the required work experience, prepare for and test, while of course passing the given exam to become ASE Certified.

The ASE Blue Seal is a recognition of a business (fleets) as employing certified staff in each of the areas of service they perform. 

Breaking it Down

To better understand Collier County and what it's achieved it's a good idea to break down the fleet itself. The fleet division has a total of 3885 vehicles and equipment:

On road vehicles-1028

Heavy Equipment-122

Trailers-243

Riding Equipment 417

Boats-16

Generators-276

Hand Operated-1524

Miscellaneous-259

When it comes to fleet shops, there are four fleet shops consisting of the main shop, two locations that support the Road and Bridge Team, and one location that maintains the County busses CAT-Collier Area Transit. 

When fully staffed there are 31 people working within the fleet division, consisting of technicians, shop foremen, fleet managers, a fleet director, parts employees, service writers, and accounting techs. 

New Leadership with a Leading Team

This year, in addition to adding the ASE Blue Seal, Collier County has welcomed a new face to the fleet: John King, who will join the county as the new fleet director. 

King previously held the title of assistant fleet administrator for the city of Columbus, Ohio. King is enthusiastic about being a part of the Collier County fleet and praised the team for the ASE Blue Seal achievement. 

"The recognition identifies the Fleet as a sign of excellence in an organization—trueprofessionals," King stated.