Even through email, it's clear to see that John King is enthusiastic about taking on his new role as fleet director for Collier County, Florida. And his pride in the team he's leading is just as evident.
In the same sentence announcing he'd be joining the county, he makes sure to give accolades to the county's fleet division for receiving the ASE Blue Excellence.
"The ASE Blue Seal is a recognition of a business (fleets) as employingcertified staff in each of the areas of service they perform," John writes in an email. "The recognition identifies the fleet as a sign of excellence in an organization—trueprofessionals!"
Rooted in Fleet
King joins the fleet after holding the role of fleet operations manager with the city of Columbus, Ohio, which he first joined in 1996.
However, King's roots in fleet go much deeper than just the roles he has held. Coming from a family in transportation, he was surrounded by family members who worked as drivers, dispatchers, technicians, and equipment operators. During high school, King even began a diesel truck program following that same passion.
It was also during this time that an unexpected tragedy would happen—King's father was killed in a tractor-trailer wreck. King would take the memory of his father and what happened to him and use this as a way to keep others protected in their fleet roles.
"I believe that has given me the passion to manage a fleet knowing everypiece of equipment is safely in service daily," he notes.
Climbing the Fleet Ladder
After graduating high school, King began working at Napa Auto Parts before joining the United States Air Force where he became a Fire Truck (Aircraft Crash Truck) mechanic/supervisor. He then went to work at Penske Truck Leasing as a mechanic before joining the city of Columbus in 1996 as a mechanic
In the 27 years he was at Columbus, he was promoted multiple times holding the positions of mechanic, supervisor, assistant fleet manager, fleet manager, and finally, assistant fleet administrator.
Change and Challenge
Asked about what changes he has seen in his time in fleet, King replies, "Wow, so many changes," before adding that "the first and greatest is probably technology and alternative fuels advancement. From computer-controlled systems, GPS and telematics, propane, natural gas, biofuels, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and batteryelectric vehicles."
But King also sees technology as one of the most exciting changes to fleet, a mechanism of sorts to drive fleet evolution.
"To me, the continued development of autonomous vehicles is exciting and I look forward to being driven by my vehicle to work, home, and even across the country," he notes.
As for challenges, he points to supply and staffing shortages. King feels that no other time in history has the supply chain been so disrupted. He adds that this has led to multiple OEM issues in delivering vehicles, equipment, and parts.
"The longer delivery times from order means older vehicles remaining in service longer—so this leads to more service and the need of parts—with slow moving parts this could lead to longer down times," King explains. "Staffing shortages, especially in technicians, hinders all of us as we deal with the season of the day."
Eyes on the Horizon
Looking ahead at his new role as fleet director in Collier County, King points out that a solid foundation is already in place where he'll be joined by a great team. Currently, he is learning about the ins and outs of staff, policies, and procedures while providing service to Collier County residents. Looking ahead, King reiterates that fleets should keep watching the horizon; be aware of what can happen and prepare for what could change.
"For fleets and fleet managers, from small to large, the best advice I can give is to forecast and plan the best you can, put processes and budgets in placeto allow your agency to make quick decisions to accommodate short OEM orderwindows and possibly increased costs,” King states. “Communicate, communicate, communicate with customers, vendors, and staff to help alleviate any surprises as youprovide your service."
