Volusia County Named No. 1 Public Sector Fleet

Volusia County, Fla. Fleet Division continues to implement best-practice policy that saves the County time and money. Its 2,160-vehicle fleet was named the 2007 Number One Public Sector Fleet, announced at a national fleet manager’s conference in Norfolk, Va., Oct. 15.

The City of Ft. Wayne, Ind., captured the honor in 2006, as did the City of Chicago in 2005.

The 100 Best Fleets program is targeted at promoting, encouraging, and enhancing the public sector’s work performance in a journey to excellence. It identifies and encourages ever-increasing levels of performance improvement within the fleet industry.

100 Best Fleets is sponsored by Government Fleet, FASTER fl eet management information and services company, CCG Systems, Inc., and Tom Johnson, consultant and author.

The 100 Best Fleet Program focuses on:

• Promoting and encouraging excellence in the public sector.
• The key drivers for continued growth in areas that influence productivity and effectiveness.
• Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures.
• A self-assessment program that measures accomplishments against industry standards.

  Engaged Fleets Know Strengths
  George Baker, fleet director for Volusia County, is a 32-year fleet industry veteran. He counts his two years at Volusia County as the best example of working with a passionate and purposeful team.

  “It’s inspiring for me to work with this team,” Baker said. “We are successful because we have the best people at every level, from the shop floor up the line. They’ve worked through hurricanes, tornadoes, and forest fires. They are amazing and get the job done in superb fashion.”

  A key for Baker’s team is to focus on strengths and manage around weaknesses.

  “My favorite quote comes from Stephen Covey: ‘The role of the leader is to foster mutual respect and build a complementary team where each strength is made productive and each weakness irrelevant,’ ” Baker said.

  Baker’s fleet leadership team recently took the Clifton StrengthsFinder, an online tool that helps individuals determine their talents to turn them into strengths.

  “We read the StrengthsFinder book and took the Internet survey,” he said. “The survey showed each person his or her top five strengths, which then allowed me to make a team matrix strengths chart.”

  Baker’s team is now aligning member’s strengths with self-directed work groups, to foster even more productivity and effectiveness.

  The team is also updating the group’s business plan, based on their strengths. The plan establishes 50-80 annual goals and forecasts three-year trends. “We are aligning strength sets to each goal and determining what is required to successfully accomplish those goals,” Baker said.

  Each member of his team provides input into the budget, capital tools, technology, training, and building renovations, among other vital planning areas.

  Volusia Leads with Best Practices
  Volusia County’s Fleet Department service charges run 40-45 percent of private sector fees, according to Baker. The savings results from several best practices within the organization.

  Fleet availability within the County continues at a high percentage. “We’re maintaining a 96-percent fleet availability,” Baker said. “Out of 2,160 vehicles, we won’t have more than 95 down a day.”

  Operating a robust preventive maintenance program is also critical to the department’s success. The County conducts diesel oil sampling and transmission flushing, among other scheduled maintenance.

  In addition, 53 percent of the county’s total work orders are scheduled, an increase from 30 percent last year. The County’s technician productivity has improved as well. Each of the County’s 32 techs is at 80-percent direct labor, and repeat repairs are less than 1.5 percent.

  Other best practices include operating an in-house generator for PM and loadbank program; maintaining an 80-percent on-demand parts fill rate; and providing fuel and maintenance services to 10 other local governmental agencies.

  “We have a total revenue stream of $1.1 million from this government-sourcing practice,” Baker said. “It’s a win-win because it saves others money, and we get a revenue stream that offsets our budget.”

  Other recent cost efficiencies include:

• Operating as a Ford and GM warranty station, which reduced pickup and delivery time, and generating about $50,000 in shop revenue.
• Optimizing fleet lifecycles, cascading vehicles, and operating an in-house motor pool. The optimization saved $471,444.
• Reorganizing management from four supervisors to three, following a retirement, saving $65,000 in pay and benefi ts.
• Using recapped tires on heavy trucks and equipment, saving $60,000.

  Baker Points to the Future
  Looking toward the future, Baker will continue proactively managing his fl eet, fine-tuning an already top-notch organization.

  Volusia County will also consider expanding its alternative-fuel vehicles.

  “We’re an environmentally-friendly fleet,” Baker said. “Currently, we operate seven hybrid-electric vehicles and more than 50 flex-fuel ethanol-powered vehicles.”

  Volusia County’s Fleet Division will continue to rely on its customer service enhancement committee to help gather valuable feedback. The committee — composed of fleet management, line and staff personnel, and employees from several customer departments — reviews annual customer surveys, analyzes trends, and sets improvement goals incorporated into the Fleet Division’s business plan.

  According to Baker, the Fleet Division’s success wouldn’t be possible without the involvement of other county officials. “My boss, our CFO, the county manager, and our county council have been totally supportive of the fleet management division,” he said. “They provide us with the resources and structure that we need, and then hold us accountable for results.”