The Elite Fleets are former No. 1 fleets that have continued to thrive, working to improve their own operations and sharing their expertise with the fleet community.

We checked in with this year’s Elite Fleets to see how their operations have changed in the past year, and how they are giving back to the fleet industry and helping other fleets succeed.

City of Mesa, Ariz. – No. 1 in 2014

• Led by Pete Scarafiotti, CAFM, CEM, CPFP, fleet director and automotive engineer

• Fleet size: 2,000

• Staff size: 90

• Operating budget: $18M

Initiatives: The city changed the way it replaces vehicles. Previously, vehicles were slated for replacement based on life-to-date operational cost. Now, the fleet considers technology, changes to the operational environment, and anticipated operating cost.

Leading the Industry: The City of Mesa manages one of the largest compressed natural gas (CNG) fleets in the state and is expanding its electric vehicle fleet. Fleet staff members are active and have leadership roles in NAFA, the Association of Equipment Management Professionals, and FleetPros.

City of Boise, Idaho – No. 1 in 2015

• Led by Craig Croner, CPFP, administrative services manager

• Fleet size: 1,571

• Staff size: 17.5

• Miles traveled annually: 4.6M

Initiatives: Based on maintenance costs and operational data, fleet staff determined that it could save $1 million annually by extending replacement cycles without sacrificing vehicle reliability.

Leading the industry: The fleet collaborates with the Idaho Regional Fleet Group — one major success of this group was the creation of a cooperative purchasing agreement for vehicles. The City of Boise hosts several regional fleet maintenance training seminars, which typically bring in more than 50 participants from neighboring cities, counties, and states.

City of Columbus, Ohio - No. 1 in 2016

• Led by Kelly Reagan, fleet administrator

• Fleet size: 6,400

• Staff size: 142

• Operating budget: $39M

Initiatives: The City of Columbus continues to adopt an alternative-fuel fleet, with 125 electric vehicles in service and another 75 expected for deployment by the end of 2019.

Leading the Industry: The city supports the Municipal Equipment Maintenance Association (MEMA) Ohio chapter and sponsors the annual Midwest Green Fleet Expo. In addition, most of the city’s purchasing contracts are written in a collaborative manner so smaller public entities can purchase tires, filters, and vehicles leveraging Columbus’ buying power.

San Bernardino County, Calif. – No. 1 in 2017

• Led by Ron Lindsey, CAFS, director of fleet management

• Fleet size: 6,000

• Staff size: 97

• Operating budget: $40M

Initiatives: San Bernardino County is the first government agency in California certified to handle DMV processing. This year, the fleet opened a 24,000-sq.-ft. facility that will offer an enhanced customer experience for county departments located in the high desert. 

Leading the Industry: Fleet Management has guided fleet managers from other agencies on software, procurement, and recruitment, and the team has given presentations at a local MEMA meeting and at the Government Fleet Expo & Conference.

City of Tulsa, Okla. — No. 1 in 2018

• Led by Brian Franklin, CPFP, administrative manager

• Fleet size: 2,725

• Staff size: 81

• Operating budget: $15M

Initiatives: After losing several technicians to commercial shops, fleet management obtained a 10% pay increase for staff members and is working to bolster its technical and professional certification program. The fleet is also testing Chromebits as a replacement for shop computers. This is expected to save $700 per technician and offer improved processing speed. 

Leading the Industry: The Tulsa team holds membership in six fleet associations. Every year, the team helps put on the Oklahoma Public Fleet Management Association (OPFMA) conference. The two CPFPs on staff at the City of Tulsa are available to provide instructional training for Oklahoma fleet professionals and serve as CPFP test proctors.