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SEARCHMENUSEARCHDo you service customers or users? If you think this is semantics, then you have the wrong mindset. Promising good customer service is not the same as delivering it. To be successful in today's environment, it is critical to create a shop culture of providing high-quality service that provides an unwavering focus on the internal customer. Raising the bar for customer service starts not with the technicians, but with the fleet manager.
Read More →Exemplary fleet managers rise above the level of simply managing day-to-day work and are goal-oriented in all aspects of fleet management. They practice strategic fleet management, which stresses the importance of achieving objectives and the use of metrics to benchmark progress. Metrics analyses will identify inefficiencies and allow you to focus on these specific areas. Whether or not your initiatives are successful in rectifying these inefficiencies will be borne out in subsequent metrics.
Read More →When people think of fleet management, they typically associate it with asset management. The reality is the majority of a fleet manager's time is often spent dealing with personnel and interdepartmental issues. How you deal with these issues influences shop morale, user department relationships, and management's opinion of your effectiveness as fleet manager. In the final analysis, successful people management equates to successful fleet management.
Read More →As a public sector fleet manager, your primary job is managing assets and services provided to user departments. However, as some fleet managers can attest, as much as 60 percent of their time is consumed by personnel issues. In many respects, this is the hardest part of being a fleet manager. Here are real-world suggestions on how to deal with these personnel issues.
Read More →The current economic situation is forcing public sector fleet managers to take a hard look at how they operate their fleets and make adjustments to cope with budgetary shortfalls. Savvy fleet managers know their local and state tax revenue forecasts for the immediate and long-term future. These fleet managers have contingency budget strategies planned before upper management directs them to cut costs or reduce capital purchases.
Read More →On Feb. 17, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The $789 billion economic stimulus legislation is comprised of $507 billion in spending programs and $282 billion in tax relief. The legislation includes significant new funding for fleets, such as $300 million for diesel emission retrofit grants; $300 million to establish a grant program through the DOE's Clean Cities Program; and $300 million for acquisition of energy-efficient vehicles by the federal fleet
Read More →How do you prove you are doing a good job? You may think you manage a well-run fleet, but do you have the metrics to substantiate this assertion? If your fleet organization can’t quantify its performance to management and politicians, they, most likely, will not appreciate the value of the services provided. Fleet managers must hold themselves accountable. In fact, fleet managers should embrace increased accountability because it will make you a better fleet manager.
Read More →Complacency. It is defined as self-satisfaction, especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies. Is this you? Complacency is a real danger to fleet operations, especially well-run fleets.
Read More →The best managed fleets are those that adhere to a written fleet policy. A common problem is that the fleet manager communicates policy to the users’ managers, but the word doesn’t gets down to the individual drivers and operators. When dealing with driver-related problems, the last thing you want to do is create a new problem in the course of resolving one. The surest way to do so is to make an exception to your fleet’s vehicle and equipment usage policy.
Read More →Steep declines in tax revenues are resulting in budget cuts at all levels of government, which most likely will persist for the next 12 to 24 months. These budget shortfalls are particularly acute at general fund departments. Adjusting fleet budgets to cope with revenue shortfalls gives fleet managers an opportunity to demonstrate their leadership abilities.
Read More →When the price of fuel is low and budgets are flush, the issue of take-home vehicles slips under the public radar. However, today’s elevated fuel prices and stretched budgets are prompting the local media and elected officials to question unnecessary use of government vehicles. As a result, there have been a number of backlashes against take-home vehicles around the country.
Read More →During the past 20 years, I have had the privilege of knowing many great fleet managers. Over the years, I’ve noticed common traits characteristics among these public sector fleet managers. Based on my experience, here are the 14 common traits.
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