Professional Fleet Management in a Small Fleet
One of the biggest challenges in a small fleet is credibility. Every one is a mechanic right??? Although it is likely true that most people in your organization have managed a few vehicles or at least some of their own vehicles. The natural trend for the department heads is to treat a piece of equipment like it was their own.
One of the biggest challenges in a small fleet is credibility. Every one is a mechanic right??? Although it is likely true that most people in your organization have managed a few vehicles or at least some of their own vehicles. The natural trend for the department heads is to treat a piece of equipment like it was their own. While that makes for a nice “sound bite” at the board meeting it is not your own equipment, it belongs to the public. While we are free to make whimsicle decisions on our own equipment we are under much greater scrutiny when we deal with the public’s money.
Fleet Manager is an ambiguous title it can mean anything from head mechanic to work order clerk in a small organization. My advice to all professionals in the maintenance department of a small operation is to BE THE PROFESSIONAL. Chances are you are stuck with the stigma of the lethargic city garage. With the trend toward outsourcing it is likely that the leadership of your organization is already asking questions about getting the work done elsewhere. While outsourcing is a good option in many cases it usually can’t work in a mixed fleet.
As fleet professionals we must not only be the product of our environment we must make our environment our product. Improve your image by being the one people count on to get things done, be the source of information, engage the customer and be open to their equipment needs. The best thing a professional in a small fleet can do is be the solution m often than you are the problem. Many things will be blamed on fleet so be sure you are conducting you operation in a professional manner. Become a prolific memo writer, when it is cumbersome or down right impossible to meet a bench mark or a bet practice let management know what would improve the results. Lastly; training, training, training, you and your staff will by default benefit from professional devlopment. As an ASE blueseal shop we toot our own horn and shout it from the roof tops, we wear ASE patches on our sleve and have become the “special forces unit” of problem solving. ore
The simple truth is fleet touches all other departments in such a unique way that it is best understood by the higest levels of administration, fleet will at times be the department that makes the difference when another department is in peril.
Be the positive difference.
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