A trio of veteran fleet managers explained 10 key mistakes in the hopes that their peers would avoid these pitfalls at the Government Fleet Expo and Conference at the San Diego Convention Center.

The mistakes presented in "Lessons Learned the Hard Way: 10 Mistakes Fleets Should Avoid" on June 3 included not performing inspections of delivered vehicles, failure to identify political considerations, hiring poor technicians, and not comparing costs and operations to comparable private sector comparables.

David Worthington of the County of Sonoma, Calif., advised his peers to develop a bid specification verification sheet to ensure fleets recieve the proper vehicles from automakers.

Dave Head of East Bay Clean Cities suggested implementing a probationary period for new hires to ensure the proper fit as well as technical skill.

Douglas Bond of Alameda County, Calif., said it's important to remain on the leading edge rather than the bleeding edge with new technology.

Attendees to the packed session said the 10 mistakes were on-point. Erik Barker, assistant fleet manager of the County of Santa Barbara, said he especially appreciated the section about hiring.

"It has to be a personality fit, because what we do is a team effort," Barker said. "We all have to pitch in. We have to ensure everyone gets along."