The 50 Leading Fleets Share Their Biggest Challenges
The Leading Fleets program recognizes public sector fleet organizations for their leadership, efficiency, ability to overcome challenges, and vision for the future. Here are the 2019 Leading Fleets and how they overcame their biggest challenges.
The top 20 fleets are ranked below:
- Leading Fleets Award Criteria & JudgesCity & County of Denver Fleet Management Division
Contact: Brad Salazar
Units: 1,574 On-Road; 242 Off-Road
Staff: 92
Overcoming Challenges: Teamed up with HR and others to better recruit and train technicians, developing a test for all candidates, providing a sign-on bonus, and creating a mentorship program. - City of Dublin, Ohio
Contact: Darryl Syler, CPFP
Units: 246 On-Road; 51 Off-Road
Staff: 9
Overcoming Challenges: Rolled out a new motor pool solution to improve utilization, with a goal of increasing motor pool use by 25%. - City of Fort Wayne, Ind.
Contact: Larry Campbell, CPFP
Units: 1,528 On-Road; 932 Off-Road
Staff: 29
Overcoming Challenges: Brought fleet maintenance back in house after 22 years of outsourcing it to improve quality of work; this included writing a business plan, proving staffing level needs, creating a transition plan, and hiring technicians. - City of Sacramento, Calif.
Contact: Mark Stevens
Units: 2,214 On-Road; 284 Off-Road
Staff: 75
Overcoming Challenges: Updated the vehicle replacement model using age, mileage, and maintenance costs, with the result being projected savings of $11 million in the next four years. - County of San Diego, Calif.
Contact: John Manring
Units: 3,956 On-Road; 324 Off-Road
Staff: 65
Overcoming Challenges: Worked with the Air Resources Board and OEM engineers to reprogram fire trucks and allow a manual regeneration to be done — allowing fleet staff to put 13 fire apparatus back in service. - City of Long Beach, Calif.
Contact: Dan Berlenbach, CPFP
Units: 1,515 On-Road; 635 Off-Road
Staff: 120.5
Overcoming Challenges: Converted a 15-year-old fuel management system to a new system with passive telematics, which impacted 1,500+ vehicles and took thousands of hours of planning and installation time. - Manatee County Fleet Services, Fla.
Contact: Matthew Case
Units: 1,544 On-Road; 1,061 Off-Road
Staff: 39
Overcoming Challenges: Updated policies and procedures, rewrote the replacement policy, and obtained nearly $1 million in capital replacement funding for FY-19. - County of Sonoma, Calif.
Contact: David Worthington
Units: 954 On-Road; 123 Off-Road
Staff: 23
Overcoming Challenges: Worked to make up a deficit of 2,549 billable hours by the end of the fiscal year after dedicating 4,571 hours to a wildfire. This was done by delaying vacation time off, managing sick leave, and maximizing extra-help billable hours. - City of Durham, N.C.
Contact: Joseph Clark
Units: 1,575 On-Road; 270 Off-Road
Staff: 47
Overcoming Challenges: Worked without computers for weeks after the Emotet malware disrupted all fleet management servers and machines, laptops, VoIP phone system, and diagnostic tools. - County of San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Contact: Rocky Buoy
Units: 784 On-Road; 236 Off-Road
Staff: 13
Overcoming Challenges: Implemented a technician training program to boost recruitment. Combined with the fleet’s in-house mentoring program, the program has allowed the fleet to promote an employee. - Fairfax County Department of Vehicle Services, Va.
Contact: Mark Moffatt
Units: 5,433 On-Road; 601 Off-Road
Staff: 263
Overcoming Challenges: Transitioned the culture from passively practicing safety to proactively improving on all aspects of safety to reduce the potential for workplace injuries. - City of Cape Coral, Fla.
Contact: Marilyn Rawlings
Units: 867 On-Road; 783 Off-Road
Staff: 20
Overcoming Challenges: Tested out and improved the fleet’s natural disaster response plan. Following a recent major tornado and hurricane, staff members successfully tracked time and equipment use during the clean-up. - Sacramento County, Calif.
Contact: Keith Leech Sr.
Units: 2,675 On-Road; 125 Off-Road
Staff: 97
Overcoming Challenges: Recruited technicians to replace an exodus of retirees by updating job specs, creating a fleet academy for fleet professionals and community college students, and hosting a high school outreach event. - City of Tempe, Ariz.
Contact: Kevin Devery
Units: 849 On-Road; 260 Off-Road
Staff: 27
Overcoming Challenges: Integrated a NAPA Integrated Business Solutions (NAPA IBS) onsite parts management operation to help reduce the fleet’s $1.2-million annual spending for parts. - New York City Parks
Contact: Brian Aucoin
Units: 1,853 On-Road; 1,149 Off-Road
Staff: 63
Overcoming Challenges: Boosted operator training by recruiting supervisors to serve as supplemental trainers and producing best practices videos as part of a new driver training module. - City of Oceanside Fleet Management, Calif.
Contact: Jeffery Hart
Units: 497 On-Road; 47 Off-Road
Staff: 13
Overcoming Challenges: Started a reverse auction for bulk fuel purchases to reduce fuel costs. The program was so successful it yielded annual savings of $165,000. - City of Boca Raton, Fla.
Contact: Tony Remige
Units: 839 On-Road; 134 Off-Road
Staff: 16
Overcoming Challenges: Installed a 500-gallon diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) storage tank that’s integrated with the online fuel system to improve technician productivity and DEF inventory tracking. - Indianapolis Fleet Services
Contact: Bill Rogers
Units: 3,513 On-Road; 982 Off-Road
Staff: 110
Overcoming Challenges: Transitioned from the city’s contracted electric vehicle lease vendor and purchased new vehicles to comply with city leadership’s goal of reducing dependence on foreign oil. - City of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Contact: Don Miller
Units: 499 On-Road; 453 Off-Road
Staff: 38
Overcoming Challenges: Created a psychological safety/mental health awareness training program as part of a departmental initiative to reduce lost time days. - City of Raleigh Vehicle Fleet Services, N.C.
Contact: Travis Brown
Units: 2,085 On-Road; 441 Off-Road
Staff: 77
Overcoming Challenges: To increase alternative-fuel use, fleet staff formed a fleet executive committee with department representatives, met with the city manager, and educated user departments on alternative fuels. The team exceeded the city’s goal of 36% total fuel used.
Leading Fleets Award Criteria & Judges
The Leading Fleets awards program recognizes high-performing public sector fleet organizations. The award is sponsored by Ford and Geotab.
Applicants are judged on their organizations’ leadership within their operation, with customers, within the local community, and within the fleet community; how they ensure competitiveness and efficiency; how they address and overcome major challenges; and how they are working toward future goals. Fleets submit online applications between January and March of each year.
Judges are fleet managers of former No. 1 fleets and other respected industry professionals. We thank this year’s judges for dedicating many hours to review applications and lending their expertise to the industry:
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| Craig Croner CPFP, administrative services manager, City of Boise, Idaho |
Brian Franklin CPFP, administrative manager, City of Tulsa, Okla. |
Sam Lamerato CPFP, Public Fleet Hall of Fame member and Legendary Lifetime Achievement Award recipient |
Kelly Reagan, fleet administrator, City of Columbus, Ohio, and Public Fleet Hall of Fame member |
The remaining leading fleets are listed in alphabetical order:
City of Chesapeake, Va.
Contact: George Hrichak, CEM, CPFP
Units: 1,504 On-Road; 115 Off-Road
Staff: 41
Overcoming Challenges: Partnered with multiple shops, established repair contracts, and outsourced some workload to maintain fleet availability when experiencing a significant shortfall of heavy technicians.
City of Denton, Texas
Contact: Terry Kader
Units: 943 On-Road; 364 Off-Road
Staff: 21
Overcoming Challenges: Worked with the Solid Waste team to reduce vehicle downtime from an aged fleet — solutions included incorporating manufacturer support, truck leasing, assigning dedicated refuse truck technicians, and expediting new truck purchases.
City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Contact: Steve Rapanos
Units: 4,527 On-Road; 1,052 Off-Road
Staff: 700+
Overcoming Challenges: Improved data consistency and accuracy by launching a new system to enhance performance measurement capabilities and creating digital dashboards to improve data collection.
City of Fort Worth, Texas
Contact: Chris Means
Units: 2,937 On-Road; 550 Off-Road
Staff: 120
Overcoming Challenges: Improved fire apparatus parts availability from a nearly seven-day wait to two days by creating a group to address the issue, determine the root cause, and come up with solutions.
City of Greenville, S.C.
Contact: Scott McIver, CPFP
Units: 668 On-Road; 53 Off-Road
Staff: 16
Overcoming Challenges: Created a more efficient and cost-effective operation by starting a quick-serve lane for 30-minute repairs, building a parts kit for preventive maintenance, and using an oil sampling program.
City of Houston Fleet Management
Contact: Victor Ayres
Units: 10,274 On-Road; 2,215 Off-Road
Staff: 348
Overcoming Challenges: Beefed up the city’s motor pool program after the city lost 344 vehicles due to Hurricane Harvey. Customers relied on motor pool cars while awaiting FEMA reimbursement for replacement vehicles.
City of Irving, Texas
Contacts: Debbie Jackson & Larry Spain
Units: 803 On-Road; 285 Off-Road
Staff: 31
Overcoming Challenges: Created a pay incentive for technical certification, added more training options, and promoted from within to improve technician retention.
City of Lakeland Fleet Management, Fla.
Contact: Gary McLean
Units: 1,177 On-Road; 235 Off-Road
Staff: 27
Overcoming Challenges: Transferred fuel operations to the prime fuel vendors and used a fuel tank wagon truck to ensure vehicles are fueled throughout an unscheduled total fuel station shutdown.
City of Midland, Mich.
Contact: Lance Hopper
Units: 213 On-Road; 57 Off-Road
Staff: 13
Overcoming Challenges: Rearranged a large storage area to be converted into two maintenance bays and secured funding for equipment for the workspace to handle a larger afternoon shift.
City of Milwaukee
Contact: Jeffrey Tews, CPFP
Units: 2,525 On-Road; 772 Off-Road
Staff: 202
Overcoming Challenges: Reallocated technicians and overtime hours and created repair teams to work with police management to improve police vehicle availability.
City of Orange, Calif.
Contact: Keith Marian
Units: 390 On-Road; 32 Off-Road
Staff: 9
Overcoming Challenges: Worked on an emergency basis through the night to bring back into service traffic signals that were not operating due to strong winds and a subsequent power outage.
City of Peoria, Ariz.
Contact: John Freuden, CAFM
Units: 761 On-Road; 199 Off-Road
Staff: 13
Overcoming Challenges: Succession planning, promoting from within with qualified staff, and careful hiring practices allowed for a seamless transition after key leadership retirements and staff position reclassifications.
City of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
Contact: Suzanne Bycraft
Units: 520 On-Road; 8 Off-Road
Staff: 54
Overcoming Challenges: Worked with other departments and shared data to meet a mandate to increase electric vehicle charging infrastructure to match the increase in EVs.
City of Riverside, Calif.
Contact: Garrett Reynolds
Units: 1,205 On-Road; 269 Off-Road
Staff: 42
Overcoming Challenges: Recruited and hired qualified technicians despite competition with private sector salaries by creating a supportive learning environment.
City of San Antonio Building & Equipment Services
Contact: Jorge Perez
Units: 2,731 On-Road; 13 Off-Road
Staff: 68
Overcoming Challenges: Enhanced job structures to include two new position classifications that will offer more upward mobility for staff after several retirements.
City of San Jose, Calif.
Contact: David Mesa
Units: 2,000 On-Road; 750 Off-Road
Staff: 53
Overcoming Challenges: Worked with Human Resources to reclassify the equipment mechanic position to provide better compensation and promotion opportunities after losing 69% of the employees in this classification.
City of Tampa Fleet Management Division, Fla.
Contact: Connie White-Arnold
Units: 2,597 On-Road; 795 Off-Road
Staff: 62
Overcoming Challenges: Reconfigured the fire maintenance parts storage/distribution floor plan with a centralized location to streamline parts management and increase productivity.
City of Ventura, Calif.
Contact: Barbara McCormack
Units: 388 On-Road; 23 Off-Road
Staff: 9
Overcoming Challenges: Transitioned to new leadership, rotated technician work throughout a key vacancy taking place during a major fire, and reorganized shop structure while maintaining high equipment availability.
Denver International Airport (DEN)
Contact: Jeffery Bowman
Units: 600 On-Road; 340 Off-Road
Staff: 68
Overcoming Challenges: Reviewed the current workflow for new vehicle in-servicing, working with customers to create new targets and processes.
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, Ill.
Contact: Michael Webster, CAFM
Units: 195 On-Road; 420 Off-Road
Staff: 16
Overcoming Challenges: Moved from two aging fleet facilities into a new centralized facility through teamwork, communication, and encouraging staff members to take initiative to get the job done.
Hillsborough County, Fla., Fleet Management Department
Contact: Robert Stine, CAFM, CPFP
Units: 2,200 On-Road; 1,100 Off-Road
Staff: 60
Overcoming Challenges: Worked with key customers to embrace Lean Six Sigma process improvements. This resulted in nearly $3 million in cost avoidance by rightsizing assets.
King County Fleet Services Division, Wash.
Contact: Jennifer Lindwall
Units: 1,893 On-Road; 321 Off-Road
Staff: 73
Overcoming Challenges: Accelerated planned purchases and bought 57 Ford C-Max hybrids to prevent disruption to the fleet business plan and replacement model after Ford announced it would discontinue the model.
Miami-Dade County Fleet Management Division, Fla.
Contact: Alex Alfonso
Units: 11,418 On-Road; 738 Off-Road
Staff: 260
Overcoming Challenges: Inspected 277 vehicles, repaired 163, and replaced 140 damaged vehicles (valued at more than $1 million) to address damages created by a fuel contamination incident that affected multiple government fleets.
New York City Fleet
Contact: Keith Kerman
Units: 25,615 On-Road; 5,387 Off-Road
Staff: 1,816
Overcoming Challenges: Purchased electric vehicles for non-emergency sedans, converted vans and pickups to diesel so they can be fueled with biodiesel, and transitioned police vehicles to include hybrid pursuit vehicles to improve fleet sustainability.
Orange County Fleet Management, Fla.
Contact: Bryan Lucas
Units: 1,950 On-Road; 1,803 Off-Road
Staff: 68
Overcoming Challenges: Increased technicians’ pay scale and implemented incentive pay for technical certifications to handle unfilled positions, retirements, and a competitive job market.
San Antonio Water Systems, Texas
Contact: Christopher Holubec
Units: 1,106 On-Road; 216 Off-Road
Staff: 39
Overcoming Challenges: Contracted with NAPA IBS for parts management in order to improve parts order accuracy and inventory control.
San Joaquin County, Calif.
Contact: Kevin Myose
Units: 1,010 On-Road; 90 Off-Road
Staff: 38
Overcoming Challenges: Surveyed employees, studied rate structures, analyzed costs, and obtained grant funding to install an electric vehicle charging network for workplace and public charging.
University of Texas at Austin, University Fleet Operations
Contact: Mark Kaligian, CAFM
Units: 562 On-Road; 663 Off-Road
Staff: 12
Overcoming Challenges: Installed telematics to determine more efficient routing and procured 30 street-legal carts after a major section of the university campus was turned into a pedestrian zone.
Ventura County, Calif., GSA Fleet Services
Contact: Christopher Melton
Units: 1,451 On-Road; 246 Off-Road
Staff: 44
Overcoming Challenges: Conducted strategic hiring after the turnover of the entire fleet leadership team, with the new management team providing direction and discipline.
Washington County, Ore.
Contact: Tom Keyser
Units: 585 On-Road; 101 Off-Road
Staff: 17
Overcoming Challenges: Analyzed staffing levels and worked with Human Resources to add four new positions to manage and maintain the growing fleet.
No. 1 Small Fleet (499 or Fewer Assets): City of Dublin, Ohio
With 297 units, the City of Dublin is the No. 1 Small Fleet. The fleet operation is currently working on a vehicle-to-vehicle project that will allow data collection at select “smart” intersections. Several fleet vehicles have been equipped with on-board units and heads-up devices to aid in data collection, said Darryl Syler, CPFP, director of fleet management for the city. City staff members will review the data to help develop smarter roads and intersections in Dublin.
“It is an honor to be considered the No. 1 small fleet by Government Fleet and the American Public Works Association and the No. 2 Fleet overall. Our staff work very hard to meet the industry standards and best practices. We are so thankful to have the continued support of our mayor, council, and senior leadership team here in Dublin,” he said.
No. 1 Mid-Size Fleet (500-999 Assets): City of Oceanside, Calif.
The City of Oceanside, Calif., was named the No. 1 Mid-Size Fleet, with 544 units. The team is completing a migration of its fleet management system from a Windows-based system to a web-based system and plans to convert select motor pool vehicles to electric vehicles.
One of the highlights from its application is using reverse auction for bulk fuel purchases, which Jeffery Hart, fleet manager, describes as a game-changer. “It afforded us a huge budget savings at no cost and no man-hours invested,” he explained.
“Being awarded the No. 1 Mid-Size Fleet in the country is an amazing honor and an incredible motivator for staff. The men and women of our fleet department are dedicated to the community and
fully understand that excellence can only be achieved by hard work and commitment,” Hart added.
No. 1 Large Fleet (1,000 or More Assets): City & County of Denver
With 1,816 units, the City and County of Denver’s Fleet Management Division is the No. 1 Large Fleet — it’s also the No. 1 overall fleet. For more information about this operation, click here.
Source: https://www.government-fleet.com
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Graph 1: fleet management activities
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