By Mike Antich
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.
1. Goal-Oriented Fleet Management: These fleet managers are goal-setters. They are goal-oriented in all aspects of fleet management and employ metrics to continually benchmark technician productivity, vehicle downtime, fleet utilization, maintaining agreed-upon service levels with internal user groups, etc.
2. Focused on the Internal Customer: They recognize that their primary goal is serving internal user departments. These fleet managers establish a cooperative, working relationship with all internal users associated with fleet operations and are intimately aware (and proactive) of their needs.
3. Excellent Communication Skills. These fleet managers have the ability to conceptualize an idea and communicate it. They persuasively articulate their thoughts to others. They have the respect of their management because of a strong knowledge base of the fleet management profession, which gives them credibility when proposing new programs.
4: Good Stewards of Taxpayer Monies: They recognize their work improves (or could adversely impact) the lives of thousands, in some cases, millions of constituents who live in their jurisdictions. The reality is that most fleet managers struggle to do an ever-increasing job with static budgets. Higher inflationary costs for fuel, labor hours, sublet repairs, and vehicles continually impact many cash-poor fleet operations. To meet these goals, great fleet managers are creative in cutting costs and, somehow, someway, succeed in maintaining the same level of service.
5. Financial Acumen: These fleet managers know how to read and interpret a balance sheet, as well as how to turn a wrench. Today, financial management is emphasized more than ever before, and it is further changing the nature of the public sector fleet management profession away from managing assets and toward managing services.
6. Adaptable to Change: The fleet manager role has been changing over the past 20 years as many governmental entities continue to reassess how they provide fleet management and other support services to internal customer groups. Good fleet managers adapt to change. Great fleet managers thrive with change.
7. Team Builder: These fleet managers are great leaders who have developed great management teams. They delegate responsibility to their team and empower them to accomplish tasks.
8. Lifelong Learners: Great fleet managers never stop learning. They regularly attend fleet management seminars and conferences to keep pace with best practices. All are active members in industry associations. Plus, they have incentive programs in place to encourage technicians to attain ASE certifications.
9. Passion: Fleet managers who have passion about their work inspire others to take on new challenges. They have the ability to light the “fire in the bellies” of their staff.
10. Decision-Making Skills: They have learned to become intelligent decision-makers and are decisive in their determinations. They involve their teams to help make these decisions.
11: Operate Under Service Level Agreements: Fleet managers manage assets, but increasingly, they are in the business of managing services. Great fleet managers implement service level agreements to specify service quality and cost. These service level agreements are “living documents,” continually updated through ongoing customer meetings.
12: Environmentally Responsible: Government fleets are targeted for new regulations despite the cost and implementation. Environmental protection laws and OSHA regulations have added complexity to operating in-house maintenance facilities. Great fleet managers don’t grumble; they know it is the right thing to do.
13. Professionalism: They always conduct themselves in a professional manner, both inside and outside their fleet operation. It is rare to hear negative comments from these fleet managers. They invariably have a “can do” attitude and disposition.
14. Results Orientation: Great fleet managers are committed to achieving results and govern their operations with these results in mind. It is this results orientation that pushes a great fleet manager to be creative in addressing daunting challenges.
15. Innovation: Great fleet managers implement innovative initiatives to drive cost out of their fleet operations and establish metrics to monitor performance. These exemplary fleet managers rise above the level of simply managing day-to-day work. They are proactive and anticipate changes in their user department needs.
Continually Impressed
I am continually impressed by the caliber of public sector fleet managers. Incredibly, the achievements of these fleet managers often are not recognized by higher-ups. With this in mind, we created the Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year Award.
Not only am I amazed by the caliber of talent, but also by the huge number of great fleet managers working in public sector. I am awed by what you are able to accomplish for the benefit of taxpayers with limited resources.
Let me know if you agree.