FLEETMAGAZINE

VOL. 12, NO. 3 ● MAY/JUNE 2019

CORPORATEGOVERNMENT

LAW ENFORCEMENTUNIVERSITY

UTILITY

What’s In

Page 9

A FLEET SUPERVISOR

TAKES ON INVADING PLANTS

SIX STEPS FOR PULLING

DRIVER PRIVILEGES

Page 8

NEW NAFA OFFICERS

AND BOARDPage 30

Solutions

Page 13

NAFA’S 36th PRESIDENTPATTI M. EARLEY, CAFM®

SHAPING A NEW FUTURE FOR NAFA MEMBERS

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FLEET CHALLENGES SOLVED

Driver Authentication and Access Control for Fleet Management

Managing dozens or hundreds of expensive mobile assets is a tough job. Fortunately, today’s fleet managers have plenty of software and hardware options to make it easier, from sophisticated in-vehicle telematics systems to back-end scheduling and logistics software.These tools help fleet managers control costs, reduce risks and improve driver accountability. All these benefits depend on the ability to correctly identify individual drivers or users and control who has access to vehicles, equipment or systems

The fleet management market encompasses not only commercial trucking fleets but also government and public utility fleets, municipal transportation systems, law enforcement fleets, car sharing, material handling equipment for warehouses, and specialty markets such as airport service vehicles.All these market segments can benefit from easy, effective user authentication and access control systems.

● User authentication is the ability to correctly identify an individual user and match their information to the vehicle, equipment or systems they are using.

● Access control is the ability to ensure that only authorized users can gain access to an asset or system. User authentication and access control solutions help fleet managers protect valuable physical assets, monitor driver safety and productivity, and streamline compliance activities. At their simplest, they ensure that the right driver is accessing the right vehicle or equipment. But they can also link driver identities to scheduling, time and attendance, behavioral management, and compliance systems.

BY DAVID KOMA

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FLEET CHALLENGES SOLVED

Driver Authentication and Access Control for Fleet Management

Managing dozens or hundreds of expensive mobile assets is a tough job. Fortunately, today’s fleet managers have plenty of software and hardware options to make it easier, from sophisticated in-vehicle telematics systems to back-end scheduling and logistics software.These tools help fleet managers control costs, reduce risks and improve driver accountability. All these benefits depend on the ability to correctly identify individual drivers or users and control who has access to vehicles, equipment or systems

The fleet management market encompasses not only commercial trucking fleets but also government and public utility fleets, municipal transportation systems, law enforcement fleets, car sharing, material handling equipment for warehouses, and specialty markets such as airport service vehicles.All these market segments can benefit from easy, effective user authentication and access control systems.

● User authentication is the ability to correctly identify an individual user and match their information to the vehicle, equipment or systems they are using.

● Access control is the ability to ensure that only authorized users can gain access to an asset or system. User authentication and access control solutions help fleet managers protect valuable physical assets, monitor driver safety and productivity, and streamline compliance activities. At their simplest, they ensure that the right driver is accessing the right vehicle or equipment. But they can also link driver identities to scheduling, time and attendance, behavioral management, and compliance systems.

BY DAVID KOMA

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For many applications, the simplest solution for user authentication and access control starts with something most company employees already carry: an ID badge equipped with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. RFID systems are easier to manage and more secure than physical keys or password/PIN systems.

RFID APPLICATIONS IN FLEET MANAGEMENTRFID-enabled user authentication and access control systems can help fleet managers improve security and enable tracking for a broad range of devices and software systems. A few examples:● Vehicle/Equipment Access Control: RFID readers enable drivers to unlock a vehicle with their ID badge rather than a physical key. The ignition key can simply be stored in the glove compartment. This improves security and significantly reduces administrative time and headaches associated with physical key management. Doors can be set to unlock only for the driver assigned to the vehicle that day or to managers with override authorization. Have a last minute switch in drivers of vehicles due to a driver’s illness or a mechanical breakdown? No problem—access rights can be switched instantly from a central software system, with no need to track down drivers to swap physical keys. These systems are ideal for environments where vehicles or equipment are shared among many users, such as warehouses, airports or car share/bike share services.

● Telematics/Behavioral Tracking: In-vehicle telematics systems have transformed the fleet management industry over the last 20 years. Telematics systems allow fleet managers to track the movement of vehicles in real time using GPS. In addition to tracking, they may be used to enable remote vehicle diagnostics, fuel management and dynamic scheduling. When driver identities can be accurately confirmed and linked to the vehicle, they can also be used to monitor driver behaviors. Behavioral management systems linked to telematics data improve driver safety and accountability and allow companies to determine when additional training or disciplinary measures are needed. Alternatively, they can be used to incentivize positive behaviors.

● Compliance Management: Fleet managers must ensure that their companies follow federal and state regulations for commercial drivers. User authentication combined with telematics data can be used to monitor individual driver compliance with Hours of Service (HOS) rules and other regulations. Compliance systems can also ensure that drivers whose commercial licenses have expired or who have not completed required training are not able to access vehicles or equipment they are not currently authorized to operate.

● Time-and-Attendance/HR: User authentication systems can replace manual reporting of hours worked for payroll and attendance purposes; when the driver accesses the vehicle with his ID badge, he is also checked in to HR systems as present and on the job. Time-and attendance and telematics data linked to individual drivers can be used for productivity analysis and employee reviews and employee reviews.

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT RFID SOLUTIONS FOR FLEET MANAGEMENT? To learn more visit elatec.com/fleetguide You’ll learn: ● How RFID systems work and the different types of RFID technologies ● The benefits of RFID, and why RFID works better for fleet management than

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and develop “future-proof” solutions that deliver real customer advantages

David Koma is responsible for ELATEC USA’s business development for industry solutions which include multiple vertical markets including fleet management. David and his team of account managers and applications specialists provide consultation and support fleet managers, OEMs and integrators.

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FLEETSolutionsVol. 12, No. 3 • May/June 2019

Shaping a New Future for NAFA MembersNAFA President Patti M. Earley, CAFM®, Fleet Fuel Specialist with Florida Power & Light, became NAFA’s 36th president in February, and she is excited about leading the association during this innovative time for fleet and mobility. By Donald Dunphy

Reflecting on Two Years of Change for NAFA MembersNAFA’s Immediate Past President Bryan Flansburg, CAFM, shares how he navigated the Association toward growth while addressing some of the fleet industry’s biggest changes, including the shift toward mobility management.By Bill Romba

Is It Really a Wrap? A Look at Vehicle Wraps for FleetsA seamless presentation of a company’s image is not easy. Partial wraps, full wraps, custom paint, and other treatments take time and careful consideration. The best solution is a perfect storm of unified mission, quality product, appropriately prepared vehicles, skilled installers, and attentive aftercare.By Fiona Soltes

The Changing Fuels MarketWhat do alternative fuel vehicles mean for fleets? Fleet managers must be aware of the pros and cons of cars and trucks that run on alternative, more renewable fuels such as electricity, propane, and hydrogen, as well as hybrid vehicles. By Bill Romba

10

Pro Tip Follow these steps to pull driving privileges.

What’s in My Fleet Milfoil harvesters collect aquatic plants in the Columbia River.

IN THE NEWS ...................................8

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Have You Maintained Your Preventive Maintenance Regimen? Preventive maintenance is hardly an exact science, but the impact on a fleet’s operation can be significant.By Sandy Smith

Preparing Fleets to Handle Special EventsManaging a fleet can include any number of special circumstances, events, and situations that require forethought, playing “what if,” and relying on lessons learned.By Fiona Soltes

>> bit.ly/NAFAFLEETSOLUTIONS

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Safety FirstRaymond P. Martinez, Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety

Administration (FMCSA), is determined to champion safety for drivers and the public through education and

compliance enforcement.By Donald Dunphy

The contents of this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the express written consent of NAFA. Opinions expressed in any article are those of the author or subject and not necessarily those of NAFA. NAFA assumes no liability for the accuracy, sufficiency or completeness of claims, statements, representations or opinions contained in any advertisement or article in this publication. Claims made in any advertisement in this publication do not constitute endorsement of the product or service by NAFA.

NAFA HEADQUARTERS STAFFPhillip E. Russo, CAE: Chief Executive OfficerBill Schankel, CAE: Chief of Staff and OperationsTina Lynn Mercardo, CEM: Director of Meetings and EventsKatherine Vigneau, CAFM®: Director of EducationPam Nobles, M.A.: Director of Learning and CommunitiesKen Hunter, APR: Director of Marketing and CommunicationsScot Blum: Senior Manager, Marketing and CommunicationsChristine Goyette: Senior Manager, Chapter and Community RelationsDonald W. Dunphy: Communications Manager/Editor Gena Galeros: Manager, Membership Recruitment and RetentionMaureen Smith: Membership Database and Membership Services CoordinatorDanielle Barrouk: Certification AssistantBill Romba: Marketing and Communications AssistantMallory Wymer: Education Assistant

NAFA EDITORIAL CONTENT COMMITTEEChair: Ted Roberts, Fleet Management Weekly Vice Chair (R): Sara Burnam, CAFM, Palm Beach County Fleet Management Vice Chair (A): Tod Trousdell, Roberts Trousdell Board Leader: Bob Mossing, STERIS Corp. Levi Clark, CAFM, Port of Seattle Ken Kadet, Booster Fuels Tyler P. Raugh, Booster Fuels

NAFA 125 Village Boulevard, Suite 200 Princeton, NJ 08540 (609) 720-0882 FAX: (609) 452-8004 www.nafa.org • info@nafa.org

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FLEETSolutions ©2019 (ISSN 1053-1203) is the official magazine of NAFA Fleet Management Association. Subscription rate is $85 U.S. and is included in membership dues. Subscriptions sent to Canada are $106 U.S. and $181 U.S. to other countries.

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What’s In

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FLEETSolutions THE MAGAZINE FOR FLEET MANAGEMENT 7

THIS JUST IN ................................ 30

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8 www.nafa.org • info@nafa.org MAY/JUNE 2019

Six Key StepsWhen You Are Required to Pull Driving Privileges

PULLING DRIVING PRIVILEGES FROM fleet drivers is not one of the more exciting duties of a fleet manager, but it is an absolute necessity at times. When drivers are not driving safely or have bad driving habits, it puts your employees, other drivers on the road, and your company or organization at extreme risk. When

evaluating if you should suspend driving privileges from a driver, it is important that you collaborate with other departments in your organization or institution such as Risk Management, Human Resources, and Legal.

Here are six steps to follow if you need to suspend a driver’s driving privileges:

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) MUST be in place, vetted, and approved by all departments of concern.

Next is educating and sharing the SOPs with all members that will be operating fleet vehicles, as well as with the supervisors responsible for those drivers.

Keep accurate records on drivers. Running motor vehicle record (MVR) checks before granting privileges and routinely once a year is important to determine your drivers’ driving habits. When driving complaints are received, document, document, document any information you have on the complaint, actions taken, and the driver’s response.

Have facts, not fiction or assumptions, about your driver and/or the situation. Depending on the situation, this is where telematics can be a huge assistance to management in unsafe driving situations. Depending on the telematics product your fleet uses, you can gather valuable information such as location, speed, and hard braking, just to name a few.

Notify the driver’s supervisor, or other responsible people, of the situation to make him or her aware. This allows proper oversight personnel to be made aware that there could be something more to the situation, such as other unsafe behaviors in other aspects of the drivers’ job.

Collaborate with Human Resources and the driver’s supervisor to determine if it is mandatory for the driver in question to drive, or if the driver can be reassigned to other duties to stay employed. Once any court cases or situations are investigated, such as in the case of an Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) charge, then the driver may potentially be reinstated.

These six steps can reduce the liability to both you and your organization, and collaborating with other departments through the process will provide you with support. Safe drivers hold the “keys” to your success.

FLEETSolutions welcomes your tips for improving fleet processes, solving problems, growing results, and promoting your role in your organization’s success. Submit your Pro Tips to editorial@nafa.org.

KATHY WELLIK, CAFM

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IN THE NEWS

Online articles are available at:

>> bit.ly/NAFAFLEETSOLUTIONS

FLEETSolutions THE MAGAZINE FOR FLEET MANAGEMENT 9

“MILFOIL, AN AGGRESSIVE SPECIES of plant life, is so well-established in the Columbia River that eradication is not an option; there’s just too much of it,” according to NAFA Regular Member Lance J. Knudtson, CAFS®, fleet supervisor for Chelan County, Washington.

Since there’s no way to get rid of these aquatic plants permanently, the only viable solution left is constant weeding.

“Regular harvesting at public areas is undertaken by Chelan Public Utility District’s trained operators,” said Knudtson. “They utilize a milfoil harvester, a specialized underwater mowing machine specifically designed to cut and collect aquatic plants. Cut plants are immediately removed from the water via a conveyer belt and are stored on the machine until they can be off-loaded at an upland site, where they are desiccated and disposed of properly.

“Milfoil is harvested while traveling upstream to capture most of the fragments. If a clump breaks away, the operator of the harvester

Chelan County vs. the Invading Growth

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must circle around and capture it,” Knudtson noted. “The weed is so virulent and adaptive that any fragments not captured will take root elsewhere and continue taking over.”

The consequence of not fighting back against the growth? Clotted waterways and flooding and the loss of indigenous plant life along the Columbia. ■

Have unique, odd, or unconventional equipment in your fleet? FLEETSolutions wants to share it with readers and colleagues. Submit your suggested unique fleet vehicles to editorial@nafa.org.

10 www.nafa.org • info@nafa.org MAY/JUNE 2019

Safety First“EVERYONE WANTS TO GET home

safely at the end of the day,” said

Raymond P. Martinez, Administrator of

the Federal Motor Carrier Safety

Administration (FMCSA). “And it’s my

job to help make sure that happens by

regulating and monitoring motor carriers

and enforcing rules related to their

operation.”

“It is also my job to make sure that

the few who have not fully [rallied] to

this cause are educated and guided to

safer practices or that further measures

are taken to mitigate their impacts,” he

added.

Martinez is quick to point out

that the agency, which is a separate

administration of the U.S. Department

of Transportation, would prefer to

intervene before the worst happens.

“Nothing would make me happier than

to not have to issue violations, [and]

that we would not have to penalize

noncompliance. FMCSA prefers to work

with our stakeholders, communicating

the risks of noncompliance and reaching

them before they get in trouble.

“Compliance, in large part, equals

safety.”

The AdministratorRaymond Martinez previously served

eight years as the New Jersey Motor

Vehicle Commission’s chairman and

chief administrator (2010-2018), where

he oversaw the agency’s 2,500 employees

and a $330 million annual operating

budget with more than $1 billion in

annual revenue.

Prior to this, Martinez was

commissioner of the New York State

Department of Motor Vehicles (2000-

2005) and served at the U.S. Department

of State. He is the sixth administrator of

FMCSA and was sworn into office by U.S.

Department of Transportation Secretary

Elaine L. Chao on February 28, 2018.

Martinez prioritized outreach as

FMCSA’s main motivator, saying, “Our

means is not to hit [noncompliant carriers]

so hard with the penalties stick that they

go out of business.” The agency regulates

the trucking industry in the United States;

its primary mission being the reduction of

crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving

large trucks and buses.

“Our goal, as it pertains to safety, is

always getting to zero. FMCSA is a part

of the National Safety Council’s Road to

Zero Coalition.”

Likewise, NAFA Fleet Management

Association is a partner in FMCSA’s “Our

Roads, Our Safety” effort (www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ourroads). The initiative seeks

to enlighten passenger vehicle and small-

and medium-duty truck drivers to the

unique challenges and potential dangers

in sharing roads with buses and large

trucks. “We reach out to entities that

are not in these two segments to share

information with their stakeholders. We

thank NAFA so much for joining with

us and other industry groups, safety

advocates, and like-minded organizations

in this effort.”

Changing minds and attitudes is not

an easy task. So many drivers haven’t

a clear idea of what it takes to drive a

large vehicle and, more importantly,

what it takes to stop one. “You have

vehicles that carry both mass and speed,

and when a passenger vehicle cuts in

front of a commercial vehicle, or it

stops inappropriately, it’s no longer an

argument about the truck driver wanting

to stop. It’s that they can’t.” Trucks that

can weigh more than 40 tons traveling

65 mph will take up to two football fields

(approximately 720 feet) to stop. Factor in

a commercial vehicle’s need to make wide

turns and deal with large blind spots,

and the need for greater understanding

is clear.

Modern Commerce and ExpectationsThe number of commercial vehicles on

roadways and their vehicle-miles-traveled

are in direct relation to the health of the

economy. “As the economy gets stronger

and grows, the number of delivery vehicles

will rise,” Martinez said. “Much of this is

due to the rise of e-commerce, but also

when individuals have more money at their

disposal, they will spend it. This leads to an

increase in buses on the roadways as well,

particularly in coastal and urban areas.”

With more and larger vehicles

occupying the roads, said Martinez, so too

would there be a rise in crashes, injuries,

and fatalities. “The ‘right now’ economy

has created a mindset where consumers

who buy something online in the morning

expect it delivered that same afternoon.

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

FMCSA’s Raymond P. Martinez Looks to Champion Safety for Drivers and the PublicBy Donald Dunphy

Raymond P. Martinez

FLEETSolutions THE MAGAZINE FOR FLEET MANAGEMENT 11

Until you have drones delivering parcels,

trucks will be the dominant component

in the process.

“We’re seeing to it that the industry

holds itself to the highest standards

before FMCSA needs to intervene with

violations,” he said. “We expect that

they will conduct business beyond mere

compliance.”

Hours of Service and ELDsFMCSA is taking the lead on several

key issues, each presenting relevance to

the next. For example, in late February,

the agency announced it is planning to

propose a rule to overhaul hours of service

regulations. It has been receiving data

from motor carriers through the Electronic

Logging Device (ELD) mandate that

highlights areas in the current existing

hours-of-service regulations that may need

to adjust or improve.

FMCSA received more than 5,000

specific comments for the Advance Notice

of Proposed Rule-Making issued August

2018. Through this, the agency indicates

that greater flexibility for splitting on- and

off-duty time into segments is likely to be

included in the proposal.

“We believe ELDs will, over time, prove

to be a tremendous benefit to safety in that

it will keep [time-logging] on-track and

honest, and hopefully make the process

a lot easier,” Martinez said. “The data we

now have suggests we need more flexibility,

not necessarily because carriers want to

drive 24 hours straight per day. If a carrier

is traveling through a wide open region

with greater distances to cover or in areas

like the East or West Coast where travel

time is diminished through congestion, you

understand that need for flexibility.”

Autonomous Vehicles and Places to Park

“Smarter, technology-assisted

vehicles, be they semi- or fully automated,

will bring crash-avoidance systems

about to ensure that drivers are fully

engaged when they’re behind the wheel,”

Martinez said. “Braking systems and

other aspects of technology-driven safety

equipment are not only in development for

continued on page 27

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12 www.nafa.org • info@nafa.org MAY/JUNE 2019

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FLEETSolutions THE MAGAZINE FOR FLEET MANAGEMENT 13

Shaping a New Future for NAFA MembersNAFA’s 36th President Patti M. Earley, CAFM®By Donald Dunphy

PROFILE

“I THINK THIS AN amazing time in the

fleet industry,” said Patti M. Earley, CAFM,

Fleet Fuel Specialist with Florida Power &

Light. She took the reins as NAFA’s 36th

president in February, and with this took

on oversight of a time of unprecedented

change for fleet and mobility.

“There are so many innovations on

the horizon, from advanced collision

avoidance technology to fully autonomous

vehicles and ride-sharing,” Earley added.

“NAFA leadership is always looking down

the road to keep a pulse on industry

trends and technology changes. While

many fleet managers may not currently

see the impacts the mobility revolution

will have, the fleet industry will see major

changes in the years to come and fleet

managers need to be on the forefront of

those changes. NAFA will strive to provide

the educational opportunities needed to

stay informed.”

Earley will lead a Board of Directors

with a long agenda for 2019 and beyond,

touching on actions and efforts within

the industry and within NAFA itself,

including a wide-spanning shift from the

long-established committee structure

to a more inclusive and interactive

communities format. As a devoted NAFA

member and leader on the national

level, she is well-suited to face these

challenges.

A frequent instructor for

NAFA’s seminars and Institute &

Expo (I&E), Earley is an Excellence

in Education Award winner (2011)

and sees from personal experience

that education is the entryway to

a fulfilled career in fleet. “One

of the first things I did when I

joined NAFA was to enroll in

the CAFM program,” she said.

“I had been in fleet for over

15 years at that time and

was amazed by how much I

learned. Going through the

program at a time when there

weren’t a lot of graduates

gave me the opportunity

to get involved in the NAFA

education programs on

the national level. During

my career, I have been a

university, state, and now

a corporate utility f leet

manager. What I learned in

the program applies across

all industries.

“NAFA offers the best

educational opportunities

in the fleet industry,” she

added, citing Monster.com’s

recent naming of the CAFM

program as one of the top 10

certifications to increase salary.

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PROFILE“Being recognized by Monster really highlights the value of the

program in the industry and the marketplace. Additionally, NAFA

offers ongoing educational value beyond the certification program

to members with all experience levels in the fleet industry. The

industry is changing so quickly, continuing education is critical

for fleet managers to be able to keep pace.”

While education will be a leading driver for the Association,

Earley sees its advocacy as equally important, especially in the

area of collected vehicle data — who has access to it and who

claims ownership of it. “Fleet managers have huge amounts

of data at their fingertips and need to be able to dissect and

analyze it,” she said, recognizing the fight ahead between fleet

organizations and the OEMs and the role regulatory bodies will

play in decision-making.

“NAFA’s lobbying efforts provide fleet managers a voice in

Washington, D.C.,” Earley said. “Some of our legislative efforts

include cybersecurity, access to onboard diagnostics and data,

and fleet’s place among the internet of things, but also alternative

fuels, advanced technology vehicles, distracted driving, highway

infrastructure, and more. NAFA members can easily keep up

with potential regulations and legislation affecting our industry

through NAFA’s Legislative Update. And most certainly, we

will continue our work on Capitol Hill through our Government

Affairs Committee.”

A true believer in the transformative power of sustainable

practices, Earley envisions NAFA’s continued efforts in this field,

also wielding the considerable influence that NAFA’s legislative

counsel affords. “Organizations have sustainability goals and

need information on vehicles and alternative fuels to be able to

meet those goals,” Earley said. She stated that NAFA is in the

best position to provide information and direction for those goals,

and the organization’s muscle on Capitol Hill will continue to be

a value for membership.

As stated earlier, NAFA launched its Communities initiative

at I&E in April. “I think the Communities approach is going to

get more members engaged and bring us more input from all

industry sectors,” Earley said. “Additionally, for the first time,

we offered educational sessions at I&E geared specifically to

our Associate members. Our Associates are a vital part of our

organization, and I’m excited to have NAFA offering training for

their needs. I want to ensure that the voices of all members and

industry segments are heard so we can focus on the areas that our

members deem most important. I believe our new Communities

initiative will help facilitate this.”

Further, NAFA’s communities will take advantage of one of

the Association’s most valuable assets: its position as one of the

best networking venues for fleet professionals. “The networking I

have done [through NAFA] with other industry professionals has

been invaluable. No matter what fleet issues you may be dealing

with, someone else is dealing with the same thing,” Earley said.

“In my experience, fleet is like a big family, and NAFA members

will go out of their way to assist their peers.”

One major aspect of Earley’s presidential platform will be

creating greater awareness of what the Association does for

members. “I believe there are a lot of fleet professionals who aren’t

aware of the benefits they receive from NAFA. Communicating

that value is essential to growing the organization.” To that

end, Earley expects to initiate campaigns that better illustrate

what members are getting from NAFA and how such benefits

positively affect them.

NAFA will need to stay on top of the changes and innovations

to keep its members informed. Earley is ready for the challenges

of the next two years. “This is a great time to be in the industry,

and I’m excited to be leading this organization.” ■

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FLEETSolutions THE MAGAZINE FOR FLEET MANAGEMENT 15

Reflecting on Two Years of Change for NAFA MembersNAFA’s Immediate Past President Bryan Flansburg, CAFM®

PROFILE

By Bill Romba

THE FLEET INDUSTRY HAS experienced

a great deal of change since 2017 when

Bryan Flansburg, CAFM, took office as

NAFA president. The Location Manager

at First Student, Flansburg successfully

navigated the Association through some

major transitions during his term, chief

among these being the fleet industry’s

ever-quickening shift toward mobility

management.

It was very important to Flansburg

that NAFA stay on top of this revolutionary

change, not only to keep abreast of the

latest information and technological

developments, but also to help members

understand how they might be affected

directly.

“I think that the industry’s biggest

challenge is understanding how

mobility might affect fleet operations.

To me, mobility is how we move people

or product from point A to point B,

whether that is with a fleet vehicle or

not. How is that going to affect the fleet

manager? I think it’s going to affect them

from the standpoint [that] it’ll be more

about managing products or people than

managing assets.”

Flansburg said he did not have a

specific platform during his presidency,

but his biggest goal was to advance NAFA

as an Association during his term.

“It’s funny because the last two

presidents, Ruth [Alfson, CAFM,] and

I, didn’t have a platform that we stood

on,” he said. “We had so many irons in

the fire that we wanted to complete the

things we had started and look at what

the NAFA Board wanted to do moving

forward, rather than what the NAFA

president wanted to do. So I don’t know

that I really had any goals or things that I

wanted to accomplish other than to move

the Association forward in a positive

direction.

“The biggest thing that I really wanted

was for people to understand what mobility

may mean to them in the future, and

I think that we are really moving that

forward,” Flansburg added.

Another key change for NAFA took

place a few months before Flansburg took

office, when members voted to approve

landmark bylaw amendments that helped

redefine the Association’s membership

structure and afforded more opportunities

to Associate Members. “I think the biggest

positive is the fact that we are now

allowing our membership to define the

future of NAFA,” he said. “Previously, it

was a subset of that membership, only the

fleet managers, that were defining the

direction of NAFA. The fact that there can

be up to five Associate Members on the

Board now, where there used to only be

one, it really gives a broader view of what

NAFA’s membership needs are.”

Flansburg also discussed another

change that was announced at this year’s

Institute and Expo when NAFA unveiled

the new Communities initiative. “For so

long, NAFA has touted that we are the

largest and most diverse fleet Association

in the world, and that’s true. What we

lacked, however, was a method by which

all of the fleet segments could feel like they

had voice in NAFA, or where they could

effectively collaborate with each other.

The Communities program will solve that.

So, if I’m with a university fleet, I will

belong to a community that’s a university

community,” he explained. “That way, I

can communicate with people with like-

minded fleets so that we can try to help

each other solve problems that we’ve

probably already worked on separately.”

Successfully navigating a national

Association with a few thousand members

through crucial changes like these is no

small feat. So, not surprisingly, Flansburg

stated that serving as president is very

different from any other position he’s held.

“And I think I’ve held every Board position

at least once, if not twice,” he quipped.

In a recent conversation with Patti

Earley, CAFM, Flansburg said he offered

this as advice to her as she begins her term

as NAFA’s 36th president: “It’s different as

the president,” Flansburg said. “You are the

16 www.nafa.org • info@nafa.org MAY/JUNE 2019

leader, so you can’t necessarily force your

opinion on others. You must listen to other

people. There are multiple personalities on

the Board. So the advice I gave Patti is how

to know when it’s time for a vote because

it’s a fine balance between allowing the

introverts to process things long enough

and upsetting the extroverts that want to

move forward.”

In addition to leading NAFA through

some landmark transitions, Flansburg

also experienced a devastating personal

tragedy during his presidency when his

son Derrick died in October 2017. He

said that this moment stands out to him

because of the heartfelt response he and

his wife Sandy received from the NAFA

community.

“We all have friends, we all have family,

but I call NAFA my family. They were all

there for me during that tragedy that my

wife and I went through, so, to me, that

really sticks out in my mind,” he said.

Looking back on a professional moment

that stands out from his term, Flansburg

said that was the push toward mobility.

“When I worked at the University of

Colorado Boulder, I had someone who

reported to me whose job was looking at

how to get people onto campus without

driving a vehicle. There were around 5,000

parking spaces on campus, and we had

32,000 students and 6,000 faculty and staff,

so we had to get people to move around the

campus without them necessarily having

to drive a vehicle.

“So professionally, the mobility shift

is something that I really look back on

and think we’ve come a long way, but

personally, it was my son’s death where the

NAFA family really stood out and shined

for me.”

“You are the leader, so you can’t necessarily force your opinion on others. You must listen to other people.”

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A member of NAFA for 23 years,

Flansburg said that, as the fleet industry

continues to evolve toward mobility

management, he feels NAFA has an

excellent opportunity to serve as a vital

industry resource.

“I started with NAFA in 1996, and it’s

meant so much to me over the years through

education and certification,” he said.

“I see the Association continuing to bolster

its assets and continuing to rise to the

needs of the membership and to the needs

of the fleet manager, period.”

As mobility begins to play a bigger role

in the coming years, the fleet profession

will look very different from what it

has been in the past. But NAFA and its

members are in the best possible position

to stay ahead of the curve because of

Bryan Flansburg’s foresight and leadership

during his presidency. ■

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951994_3M.indd 1 22/03/19 2:12 AM

FLEET CHALLENGES SOLVED

Map the most efficient route to fleet success

BY KYLE KWELTY

SPONSORED BY

What do you talk about with peers when you’re networking at an industry event, such as the NAFA I&E? Networking is a great way to share the challenges you’re facing and learn possible solutions. For example, the topic of working toward success with organizational stakeholders and strategic partners is a common theme to discuss. In your perspective, is everyone typically satisfied with those connections or are they still hunting for ways to work smarter?

Before you can determine the right road to take with your internal and external “passengers”, first you have to define what success looks like. While you are trying to make these decisions, you may feel like you’re driving in circles. In the end, the condition of your fleet and its most pressing concerns will steer your direction and destination.

To demonstrate: if your fleet is decentralized, then you may focus on teamwork first. With that newfound cohesion, you will establish a foundation for cost control. Conversely, if stockholders are reading quarterly reports, efforts to scrutinize fleet expenses may eclipse all others. In either case, fleet management continues to grow more complex. So what can you do to make achieving success easier?

Identify who’s on board with you

Every day, you are juggling the factors that make fleet management challenging. You have to understand how the vehicles are actually being used out in the field. Plus, you need to control unsteady costs like maintenance and fuel. Finally, you have to measure metrics such as total cost of ownership based on driver behavior and vehicle readiness.

On top of that, you’re tasked with keeping all of the relevant people informed and engaged. You’re likely dealing with three primary groups of people who influence your success:

1. The stakeholders who need you to align the fleet with their business objectives.

2. The drivers who rely on your vehicles to stay productive and drive business revenue.

3. Fleet management companies, upfitters, maintenance providers and other outsiders that are endlessly pouring data on you from drivers and vehicles.

The team at ARI can help your fleet steer more revenue and savings toward your bottom line. To learn more, visit www.arifleet.com

Kyle Kwelty heads ARI’s team focused on continuous technology and process innovations that help businesses minimize administrative burden and maximize fleet investment.

What if you had a business copilot with the right tools to help navigate you to success? Just imagine what you could accomplish.

Layout the map to success

Now you have your destination in mind, and everyone who you need to satisfy has their boarding passes in hand. What other essentials do you need next on your journey to fleet success?

Here are some ideas:• First, an app that not only gives drivers all of their vehicle

information but also sends messages to them. When a driver’s attention is needed, you, a repair shop or even their own vehicle can alert them.

• Also, alerts and reporting that let you take vehicle usage, policy compliance and strategy planning to the next level.

• By all means, a fleet management partner who helps take work off your desk. Simplification for your drivers too, so they can concentrate on their jobs.

• In addition, your partner’s insight about what’s wrong with how you are running your fleet and how to fix it. And a complete picture from them of your current and forecasted spending. Finally, a roadmap of industry trends and improvement opportunities that support your business needs.

• For tomorrow, a vision of how telematics and mobility solutions will drive your business and prepare you for future challenges.

With these essentials, you’ll be on the most efficient route to fleet success. From honing vehicle usage and controlling costs to meeting driver’s needs and pleasing stakeholders, you’ll handle it all with ease.

The road ahead

You need a business partner who can optimize a route for everyone who is impacting your fleet team’s success. Moreover, that partner should help move task roadblocks that detour your organization away from achieving your business goals. So buckle your seat belt, grab the wheel, and start driving toward your fleet success horizon.

HolmanEnterprises.com

WE’RE NOT JUST SPINNING

WHEELS.

We’re driving your bottom line.

The fleet management, truck up-fitting, and OE parts distribution companies of Holman Enterprises have joined forces. The synergy created by our sister companies working together will provide fleet managers with

a range of services and expertise unmatched in the industry.

HolmanEnterprises.com

WE’RE NOT JUST SPINNING

WHEELS.

We’re driving your bottom line.

The fleet management, truck up-fitting, and OE parts distribution companies of Holman Enterprises have joined forces. The synergy created by our sister companies working together will provide fleet managers with

a range of services and expertise unmatched in the industry.

961216_ARI.indd 1-2 4/17/19 1:09 PM

FLEET CHALLENGES SOLVED

Map the most efficient route to fleet success

BY KYLE KWELTY

SPONSORED BY

What do you talk about with peers when you’re networking at an industry event, such as the NAFA I&E? Networking is a great way to share the challenges you’re facing and learn possible solutions. For example, the topic of working toward success with organizational stakeholders and strategic partners is a common theme to discuss. In your perspective, is everyone typically satisfied with those connections or are they still hunting for ways to work smarter?

Before you can determine the right road to take with your internal and external “passengers”, first you have to define what success looks like. While you are trying to make these decisions, you may feel like you’re driving in circles. In the end, the condition of your fleet and its most pressing concerns will steer your direction and destination.

To demonstrate: if your fleet is decentralized, then you may focus on teamwork first. With that newfound cohesion, you will establish a foundation for cost control. Conversely, if stockholders are reading quarterly reports, efforts to scrutinize fleet expenses may eclipse all others. In either case, fleet management continues to grow more complex. So what can you do to make achieving success easier?

Identify who’s on board with you

Every day, you are juggling the factors that make fleet management challenging. You have to understand how the vehicles are actually being used out in the field. Plus, you need to control unsteady costs like maintenance and fuel. Finally, you have to measure metrics such as total cost of ownership based on driver behavior and vehicle readiness.

On top of that, you’re tasked with keeping all of the relevant people informed and engaged. You’re likely dealing with three primary groups of people who influence your success:

1. The stakeholders who need you to align the fleet with their business objectives.

2. The drivers who rely on your vehicles to stay productive and drive business revenue.

3. Fleet management companies, upfitters, maintenance providers and other outsiders that are endlessly pouring data on you from drivers and vehicles.

The team at ARI can help your fleet steer more revenue and savings toward your bottom line. To learn more, visit www.arifleet.com

Kyle Kwelty heads ARI’s team focused on continuous technology and process innovations that help businesses minimize administrative burden and maximize fleet investment.

What if you had a business copilot with the right tools to help navigate you to success? Just imagine what you could accomplish.

Layout the map to success

Now you have your destination in mind, and everyone who you need to satisfy has their boarding passes in hand. What other essentials do you need next on your journey to fleet success?

Here are some ideas:• First, an app that not only gives drivers all of their vehicle

information but also sends messages to them. When a driver’s attention is needed, you, a repair shop or even their own vehicle can alert them.

• Also, alerts and reporting that let you take vehicle usage, policy compliance and strategy planning to the next level.

• By all means, a fleet management partner who helps take work off your desk. Simplification for your drivers too, so they can concentrate on their jobs.

• In addition, your partner’s insight about what’s wrong with how you are running your fleet and how to fix it. And a complete picture from them of your current and forecasted spending. Finally, a roadmap of industry trends and improvement opportunities that support your business needs.

• For tomorrow, a vision of how telematics and mobility solutions will drive your business and prepare you for future challenges.

With these essentials, you’ll be on the most efficient route to fleet success. From honing vehicle usage and controlling costs to meeting driver’s needs and pleasing stakeholders, you’ll handle it all with ease.

The road ahead

You need a business partner who can optimize a route for everyone who is impacting your fleet team’s success. Moreover, that partner should help move task roadblocks that detour your organization away from achieving your business goals. So buckle your seat belt, grab the wheel, and start driving toward your fleet success horizon.

HolmanEnterprises.com

WE’RE NOT JUST SPINNING

WHEELS.

We’re driving your bottom line.

The fleet management, truck up-fitting, and OE parts distribution companies of Holman Enterprises have joined forces. The synergy created by our sister companies working together will provide fleet managers with

a range of services and expertise unmatched in the industry.

HolmanEnterprises.com

WE’RE NOT JUST SPINNING

WHEELS.

We’re driving your bottom line.

The fleet management, truck up-fitting, and OE parts distribution companies of Holman Enterprises have joined forces. The synergy created by our sister companies working together will provide fleet managers with

a range of services and expertise unmatched in the industry.

961216_ARI.indd 1-2 4/17/19 1:09 PM

20 www.nafa.org • info@nafa.org MAY/JUNE 2019

ASSET MANAGEMENT

A Look at Vehicle Wraps for FleetsBy Fiona Soltes

GEORGE SURVANT HAD A full list of

anticipated challenges when it came to a

quick rebranding of the fleet at a previous

company. What he didn’t expect, however,

was the level of disagreement among

internal teams; a change in design after

installation was well underway, leading

to wasted product and numerous trucks

having to be redone; and the need to

replace the installation team due to local

issues.

All in all, it was far from a smooth

application.

The truth is, there’s often a lot of

real work on the way to a seamless

presentation of a company’s image.

Partial wraps, full wraps, custom paint

and other treatments take time to plan

and careful consideration to implement.

And once the job is done, they take a bit

of care and knowledge to maintain that

perfect look. The best solution, then, is a

perfect storm of unified mission, quality

product, appropriately prepared vehicles,

skilled installers, and attentive aftercare.

The good news is it’s more than

possible.

Survant, who is now Senior Director of

Fleet Relations for NTEA, said he learned

a variety of lessons from that previous

wrap experience. Among them: “Insist

that once the design phase was complete,

no changes would be made.” Also: “Vet the

installation teams prior to installation

start,” since those teams predominantly

are subcontractors to the overall vendor

for the image transformation. He’s had

several other less challenging wrap

experiences and noted that the size and

timeframe on this particular project made

things more difficult. Initially, the hope

was that the project could be complete

within seven or eight months. Due to

alterations in the color palette, that didn’t

happen. It begs the first step in a successful

project: ensuring all stakeholders are

represented and in agreement.

Make the PlanDonna Lind, Client Relations Director,

and Jennifer Krabbeler, Marketing

Director, of Signature Graphics each speak

of the importance of fleet management

connecting with their organization’s

marketing department as early as possible

to ensure vision, needs, and reality are all

aligned. Those not directly involved with

fleet, for example, may not be fully aware

of the variety of vehicles and equipment

represented, the challenges of taking

vehicles off the road for installation, or

how a treatment might impact resale

later on. Lind and Krabbeler said they’re

increasingly seeing organizations start

with white vehicles and then wrap them

in company colors rather than opting for

custom paint. As the vehicles reach the end

of their lifecycles, then, the wraps can be

removed, the original white paint will have

been protected beneath, and the vehicles

will likely be more attractive to potential

buyers than those in a specific color.

When pulling together an overall plan,

there’s a lot to consider, especially since

installations will take numerous hours

per vehicle. Survant, for example, spoke of

attempting first to schedule installations

for vehicles that were unassigned or for

those with drivers vacationing or off sick.

He also looked for opportunities when

vehicles would be near the installation

site for other reasons. But vehicles also

had to be cleaned before installations,

there had to be shelter available so the

installations could be performed under

cover, and there had to be accessible

storage locations for the wraps, plus

coordination of delivery to get them there.

Is It Really a Wrap?Choose the Right Partner and Right Product

Ask those who make, design, and/or

install vehicle wraps what fleets should

look for in a partner, and the answers

fall along similar lines: Responsiveness.

A proven track record. A variety of

quality products to meet unique needs.

Technology that can help streamline

the planning and installation process.

A network of certified installers. And,

of course, f lexibility when things don’t

go as planned. On the side of the fleet

professional, however, representatives

of these companies say projects go much

smoother when there’s buy-in from the

top down (and executive support that

once a design is done, it’s done, Survant

added).

Choosing the right partner, said Adam

C. Wright, President and CEO of Associated

Graphics (AGI), is about choosing someone

who can reduce the headaches and “make

your life the easiest.” Materials can be

similar, he said, “so it’s more about who

can service you the best. … At the end

of the day, the graphics are something

that should just happen, and you don’t

want them to slow the process down.

You have millions of dollars in vehicles,

and you don’t want to hold up those

vehicles because of something as simple

as graphics.”

AGI takes a holistic approach to wrap

projects, from initial planning meeting

to installation. The company uses

proprietary software with live updates

to keep clients apprised of progress, and

it tackles the potentially most challenging

installations first. Some companies might

focus first on the “bulk” of installations

needed in, say, a metropolitan area, but

AGI likes to tackle the speed bumps right

away, such as the vehicles located in more

FLEETSolutions THE MAGAZINE FOR FLEET MANAGEMENT 21

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EDITORIAL CONTENT

COMMITTEE

rural areas. That allows for creative

solutions early in the process.

AGI also has one of the largest installer

networks in the country, Wright said; the

company’s wheelhouse is large projects,

but it shines brightest “where a customer

really needs attention to detail” or needs

installation in towns most people have

never heard of. In those cases, working

with a company dialed in to the customer

service end is key.

“You don’t want to rush the process,”

Wright said. “You want to trust the

graphics partner you’ve chosen.”

Darren Keller, Vice President of Sales

and Marketing at Lowen Color Graphics,

said there has to be an understanding that

the graphic represents the organization’s

brand identity. “In many cases, their

vehicles are seen by more people than

any other advertising and marketing that

they do,” he said. “Think of FedEx as an

example. How many times do you see a

FedEx truck every day? And how many

times do you see a FedEx ad? That’s why

we’re very passionate about what we do,

because we’re taking responsibility for our

customers’ brand identity.”

In terms of products, Jessica

Franklin, Segment Marketing Manager

for Transportation and Hospitality at 3M,

said in recent years the conversation about

wraps has evolved to include options that

are more eco-friendly such as 3M Envision

Print Wrap Films, which are non-PVC,

manufactured with less solvent, and made

in part with bio-based materials. Also,

more customers are opting for reflective

applications, whether on a small or large

scale, to enhance visibility for branding as

well as safety. Her company was involved,

for example, with a project for a Minnesota

children’s hospital. The hospital outfitted

its critical care mobile transport unit

with a brightly colored design, printed on

a wrappable reflective film. The project

incorporated a full reflective wrap of 3M

Scotchlite Print Wrap Film 780mC in a

design that is not only fun and engaging,

but also stands out, as can be seen in the

ad on Page 17.

Keller, meanwhile, said one of his

company’s more interesting jobs was

related to a movie promotion. It involved the

installation of wraps on 1,000 vehicles in 25

the presence of an overlaminate. This

protective coating, applied over the vinyl,

helps prevent damage from the elements.

Wraps without an overlaminate may fail,

shrink, or fade quickly.

For those with an overlaminate, he

said, care is fairly simple. First, avoid

the use of harsh chemicals that might

eat away at the wrap. It’s OK to run the

vehicle through an automated car wash

on occasion — brushless might be best

— but not on a regular, ongoing basis.

As for pressure washing, that’s OK,

too, but not too close or too strong.

Typically, he said, cleaning the vehicle

may be as simple as just hosing it off. In

the case of stains, Goley suggests wiping

those off as soon as possible; he has been

known to use a mix of 70 percent rubbing

alcohol and 30 percent water when

needed. There’s no need to wax; those

who want a glossy or semi-gloss finish

can add one with the overlaminate.

And one last tip? When possible,

Goley said, keep the vehicle out of direct

sunlight, whether it has an overlaminate

or not. That sunlight, he said, can be a

wrap’s “worst enemy.”

Treat the wrapped vehicle with the

care usually shown a brand new car,

he noted, and it should continue to

deliver a flawless message for some time

to come. ■

Wrapped and ReadyFLEET WRAPS are a critical component of branding and rebranding, and it takes time to ensure they are implemented with qual-

ity and care and maintained appropriately throughout the life of the fleet. This category is just one of the areas where fleet wraps

come into play. The companies listed below were exhibitors at the 2019 Institute & Expo, which you can review at https://nafa19.

mapyourshow.com/7_0/search.cfm. For a convenient and handy resource to find this type of information quickly at any time,

check out the NAFA Online Buyer’s Guide at http://nafa.officialbuyersguide.net!

22 www.nafa.org • info@nafa.org MAY/JUNE 2019

Graphics/Decals Installation & Removal

ASSET MANAGEMENT

3M

Adrian Steel Company

American Midwest Fleet Solutions

Associated Graphics

Digital Imaging Group

Lowen Color Graphics

Pro Cal Professional Decals, Inc.

Professional Graphics

Signature Graphics

locations over the course of a month. But

because the wraps would only be in place

for six weeks, Keller said, his company used

a material considered a temporary film.

“The adhesive on it allowed the graphic

to stay down very tight with no lifting or

cracking or peeling,” he said.

Better yet, it was designed to be so easy

to remove that the drivers of the vehicles

could do it once the promotion was over

without having to schedule professionals

for the job. “The graphic was applied right

over their permanent graphic, so at the end

of the promotion, the drivers removed it,

and they went back to the same identity

they had prior.”

As for choosing what might be best

for withstanding future problems, a

conversation with the wrap company

will be in order. Busier graphics might

help hide small, future imperfections, for

example. But individual panels of vinyl can

typically be replaced. In addition, some

materials may be better in areas of, say,

extreme heat. These days wraps typically

are designed to last a handful of years.

Install with CareFor the best result, the vehicles should

be in the best condition possible. Wraps

will apply best to fresh paint and smooth

vehicle surfaces, but the likelihood is that

most vehicles won’t be new if a rebranding

is needed. If that’s the case, the experts say,

it’s essential to take care of dents, dings,

scrapes, and areas of rust or corrosion to

allow for the best application. Also, Lind

and Krabbeler noted that if the vehicles

have previously had graphics installed,

“ghosting” may be the result when those

graphics are removed. Paint that has been

covered by a graphic will look different than

paint that has been exposed to weather. In

most cases, these areas can be buffed out

and won’t affect a wrap installation, but

may require extra time, expertise, and cost.

Beyond that, 3M’s Franklin said,

maximizing the performance and value

of any graphic begins with selecting the

right film, but proper installation is critical.

“The finished graphic is only as good as

the installation of it,” she said. There are a

variety of certification programs available

for installers, including one from 3M.

Ensure that certified installers are used

to get the job done right the first time.

Protecting the InvestmentIn recent years, as wrap materials and

techniques have continued to improve, it

has become easier than ever to protect

the investment.

Andrew Goley, Material and Installation

Specialist with Professional Graphics in

Rockford, Illinois, said the main difference

in taking care of a wrapped vehicle is in

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VEHICLE FUEL MANAGEMENT

24 www.nafa.org • info@nafa.org MAY/JUNE 2019

By Bill Romba

GASOLINE-POWERED AUTOMOBILES ARE STILL the kings of the road. But, as

automotive technology continues to

advance, vehicles that run on alternative,

more renewable fuels are beginning to

challenge those powered by traditional

internal combustion. More and more

automakers are offering hybrid versions

of some of their popular cars and trucks,

while others are developing cars that run

on alternative fuels like electricity,

propane, and hydrogen.

The fuel market is changing, and fleet

managers must be aware of the pros and

cons of these alternative fuel cars and

trucks as it relates to their organizations’

fleets.

“Gasoline/diesel prices have declined

dramatically over the last decade thanks

to booming domestic oil production,” said

Mark Smith, Technology Integration

Program Manager for the U.S. Department

of Energy. “For alternative fuels, prices

have held relatively stable over the last 10

years. The U.S. is producing more gasoline

and alternative fuels domestically than

at any time over the last three decades,

resulting in more stable prices, which

allows fleets to budget more accurately

for fuel expenses.”

While prices for gasoline and

diesel fuels have dropped, it can still

be advantageous for organizations to

diversify the types of vehicles in their

f leets. Making these changes can be

difficult, but there are advantages in

addition to cutting fuel costs. NAFA

Regular Member Ronald Gitelman,

CAFM®, Fleet Administrator for Yale

The Changing Fuels MarketWhat Alternative Fuel Vehicles Mean for Fleets

University, mentioned that one key

benefit is being able to show your

community that your organization is

committed to sustainability, especially

in environments where it is a significant

focus.

“We operate in a fairly heavily

congested area with some rankings

having the New Haven, Connecticut, area

as high as fourth to seventh on worst air

quality,” he explained. “Yale is trying to

do its part to help clean the air.” Gitelman

also said that fueling costs for alternative

fuel vehicles can be lower, depending on

the source, and some can also have lower

maintenance costs.

Likewise, NAFA Regular Member

Richard E. Battersby, CAFM, Assistant

Director, Bureau of Maintenance and

Internal Services for the City of Oakland,

California, said that alternative fuel

vehicles help meet his organization’s

stated sustainability goals by reducing

their carbon footprint and lowering

exhaust emissions.

However, there can be drawbacks to

adopting this new technology. Battersby

said that such vehicles can result in

higher capital acquisition costs. He also

added that “some fuels may have range

limitations, and others are not always

available.”

If a fleet adds the required infra-

structure so they can combat this issue

and fuel these vehicles on-site, costs can

increase significantly. “To put in a solid

level-2 charging station can cost between

$5,000 and $10,000 depending upon

the type of station used. If you want a

DC fast charge, you could be looking at

$30,000 to $35,000. That is significant,”

said Gitelman.

“The cost of the upfit adds to the cost of

the vehicle and can reduce ROI, especially

if you don’t calculate the social costs as

part of the savings,” he stated. “Repairs

may need to be sent to an upfitter, and

this can increase downtime.”

There is also the prevalent issue of

getting buy-in from drivers who may be

used to topping off the tank at the local gas

station. Part of getting over that hurdle

is getting drivers into the vehicles to try

them out. “Fleets that have a motor pool

also have an effective way to ingratiate

drivers to vehicles with different fuel

types,” said NAFA Regular Member Sara

Burnam, CAFM, Director of Palm Beach

County Fleet Management in Palm Beach,

Florida. “Pool vehicles have shown to be

a particularly good entry point to electric

vehicle adoption.”

“All vehicle technologies have trade-

offs and alternative-fueled vehicles are

no different,” added Smith.

“For example, alternative fuel

vehicles can have fewer operations

and maintenance costs than gasoline

and diesel vehicles, although they tend

to cost more upfront. Payback periods

vary depending on use, so whether

an alternative fuel vehicle makes

sense depends on individual customer

preferences.”

Just as with any other car or truck, fleet

managers must consider maintenance and

repair costs for alternative fuel vehicles and

how they factor into their organization’s

FLEETSolutions THE MAGAZINE FOR FLEET MANAGEMENT 25

budget before bringing them into their

fleet. These will typically vary based on

the type of vehicle being considered and

the type of fuel used to run it.

“Electric has lower costs due to

no oil and other items you may find in

a non-alternative fuel vehicle,” said

Gitelman. “Hybrid vehicles can reduce

brake repairs, but you must be careful

in the long-term with the hybrid battery.

Propane results in cleaner filters so they

may last longer. “Utilizing NAFA’s tools

to run a complete lifecycle cost analysis

would be needed to help determine the

budgetary requirements.”

Battersby added that service and

maintenance costs can go down, although

repairs are sometimes costlier due to more

expensive components. “Cost-neutral

The Changing Fuels MarketWhat Alternative Fuel Vehicles Mean for Fleets

Ron GitelmanRichard Battersby

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alternative fuels that require no vehicle

or fuel storage modifications, such as

renewable diesel, can lower repair and

maintenance costs and reduce downtime

by decreasing the amount of particulate

matter (PM) going into the diesel

particulate filter (DPF) by 33 percent.

This significantly cuts down on service

and downtime, number of regeneration

cycles, and expensive replacement of the

DPF catalyst,” he stated.

Electric and alternative fuel vehicles

are becoming the future of the automotive

industry, with several automakers

announcing that they will be significantly

scaling back their production of cars and

trucks that run on internal combustion

engines in the coming years. Additionally,

both Ford and General Motors’ Chevrolet

brand have announced that they will

be focusing solely on the production of

crossovers and sport utility vehicles

and discontinuing production of several

passenger car models.

Gitelman explained that he doesn’t

feel alternative fuel vehicles will make

SUVs less appealing, but rather that

their technology will need to advance

so they can become a more viable option

in atypical environments.

“An alternative fuel vehicle in a cold

and snowy climate will be a hard sell

until there is mass production of AWD

on such automobiles,” he said. “Range

can also be a problem. If a vehicle puts

on 200 miles per day, it is a hard sell to

use electric until ranges are around 350

to 400 miles.”

26 www.nafa.org • info@nafa.org MAY/JUNE 2019

While there is a common tendency to hear “alternative fuel” and think of natural gas or electric vehicles, the reality is much simpler. An alternative fuel is an energy type that differs from the most common types: petroleum gasoline and diesel.

The diversity of fuel types emerged from the circumstances with which vehicles — in this case, fleets — operate. Heavy-duty trucks that run in the central United States may not have access to natural gas in either compressed or liquefied form. However, biodiesel might be a solution.

Likewise, vehicles located in areas of the country that have not yet built up an electric charging infrastructure may not be able to go all-in on EV but could find benefits from hybrid vehicle types.

Some reasons operators look to these alternatives include potential cost savings, modernization, sustainability goals that seek reductions of carbon emissions, and limiting the import of and reliance upon foreign oil and its derivatives.

options are available to them. There’s

no single fuel that works for all f leets,

but the variety of fuels available presents

a lot of opportunities.”

As the fuel market changes and

alternative fuel vehicles start to

become more prevalent in the f leet

industry, managers will have a big

choice to make regarding when to bring

alternative fuel vehicles into their fleet.

As Gitelman explains, it is imperative

that fleet managers do their homework

Smith added that while every vehicle

may not be suited for every environment,

the broad selection of alternative fuel

vehicles that is available can be a benefit

to fleets.

“With the wide variety of fuels and

vehicles available today, f leets can

typically find an alternatively fueled

vehicle that fits their needs,” Smith

explained. “Once a fleet knows their duty-

cycle and any additional requirements

for the vehicle, they can assess what

VEHICLE FUEL MANAGEMENT

What’s an Alternative Fuel Anyway?

and research all aspects of how these

vehicles will fit into their fleets.

“Don’t push your sales staff into

electric vehicles when the infrastructure

to charge the vehicles is not in place or

their range will not allow them to do

their job without significant delays.

Find what works for you and move with

it,” he said. “Don’t jump in blindly, but

rather get your feet wet, be willing to

admit failures, and move forward to find

success.” ■

958765_Klash.indd 1 4/2/19 4:21 PM

FLEETSolutions THE MAGAZINE FOR FLEET MANAGEMENT 27

passenger vehicles but heavy-duty vehicles

as well. We are working very closely with

industry researchers and developers who

will bring these to market.”

Martinez recognizes that fully

autonomous commercial motor

vehicles, while almost a certainty, will

arrive farther into the future than

consumer counterparts. Regardless, he

enthusiastically awaits their arrival.

“Every year, we will see more and more

of these technologies introduced into the

commercial segment, and we expect that

not only will these make driving safer,

but easier as well, increasing the viability

of commercial motor vehicle driving as a

career option.”

Until the day when commercial vehicles

can take full command should the driver

become too tired to function effectively,

drivers will need to rest. However,

Martinez noted that there are not enough

places for large vehicles to park.

“The Federal Highway Administration

is the most closely related agency involved

with pouring concrete, effectuating for

where there are appropriate levels of

parking for trucks. Still, if the economy

continues to depend on trucks to deliver

goods, homes, and businesses as they

have for the last 100 years, we’d better

plan for appropriate parking.”

Besides the toll long-haul driving takes

on the person behind the wheel, it takes

as much of a toll on the mechanical parts

of the vehicle itself. Stressed vehicles

also lead to crashes and fatalities, and

Martinez believes more parking is crucial

to addressing the problem.

Driver Shortage and Crowdsourcing Security

Because of the difficulty of driving

commercial vehicles, there is a lack of

qualified candidates for the job. “Again,

technology will make driving large

vehicles safer and more attractive, but we

still need a solution right now,” Martinez

said. “What we’ve done, pursuant to the

law, is start a process to make it easier for

military personnel who are moving into

civilian life to get work as commercial

drivers. Many of them already have

experience with buses and large trucks.

Also, if you are under 21-years-old, you

cannot drive for interstate commerce.

Once again, we’re looking for flexibility

that will get these qualified individuals

behind the wheel and back to work.”

The unexpected benefit of having

more drivers at work includes where

drivers tend to be: the docks, ports,

airports, bus stations, and truck depots.

“One thing we’re actively engaged

in is working with our stakeholders to

stem the problem of human trafficking,”

Martinez said. “It is a federal crime for

someone to use a commercial motor

vehicle in any way to promote human

trafficking. Drivers see what’s going on

in the field and know when something

is not right.”

Martinez said that by having these

“boots on the ground” individuals as the

eyes and ears to uncover illicit activities,

this crime could be reduced. Further,

those who commit the crime can be

identified and punished.

Safety First continued from page 11

34

2

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853841_BACKRACK.indd 1 1/24/17 2:46 PM

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

28 www.nafa.org • info@nafa.org MAY/JUNE 2019

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

“If convicted, you would have

a lifetime ban in this industry.

You would never be able to drive a

commercial motor vehicle again in

this country.”

Drug AbuseFMCSA is actively looking to reduce

and ultimately bring to zero the number

of work zone and pedestrian fatalities.

One of the reasons these fatalities occur

is a nationwide problem: the increase in

drug abuse.

“Commercial motor vehicle drivers

are not immune to the problems found

across the country. We see states

legalizing the recreational use of

marijuana as well as the continuing use

of medical marijuana, but also we see the

skyrocketing use of both prescription and

illicit opioids,” Martinez said. “Because

FMCSA is an education agency as much

as an enforcement agency, we need to

be more stringent with the rules that

govern those who drive these vehicles.

As dangerous as trucks and buses can be,

they become easily more dangerous when

entrusted to a compromised driver.”

Common-Sense SolutionsAdministrator Martinez realizes that

while there are many safety concerns

that will be alleviated through technology

soon, many answers are at hand already

and are surprisingly no-nonsense.

“This brings us back to ‘Our Roads Our

Safety.’ We are tackling these large-scale

concerns and seeking improvements,

but we are just as passionate about

advocating solutions that are here right

now. Coexistence on America’s roadways

between commercial and passenger

vehicles is achievable, but it requires

everyone doing their part.”

Martinez cites distracted driving as

a leading contributor to crashes across

the spectrum, including all vehicle types,

as well as pedestrian and work zone

crashes and fatalities. Now as before,

the evidence is clear that driving while

texting or talking on cellphones greatly

decreases a driver’s cognitive abilities

and increases the chances of a crash.

Further, inattention as a pedestrian

can place an individual square in the

middle of danger. Martinez’s advice:

Turn off the phone and pay attention to

your surroundings, inside and outside

the vehicle.

“When you drill down into the data

that’s collected from various sources,

including crash investigations and

reporting from NHTSA, you can be

surprised,” he said. “For instance, the

information confirms that seat belts

save lives, and it is such a basic and

fundamental thing one can do for safety.

It is surprising that this is still such an

obvious but overlooked safety routine.

We look at these reports and realize that

even in some of the worst cases, outcomes

would have been much different if every

driver was buckled up. This is the one

thing that every driver and passenger

has direct control over.”

Martinez looks to the next year in his

job as a pivotal one as he helps balance

the needs of all drivers on America’s

roads with the requests of companies

and organizations that run commercial

vehicles. He recognizes that making

changes that improve safety for everyone

will require a desire to change, the

ability for every stakeholder to do their

part, and, of course, f lexibility. ■

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

3M COMMERCIAL SOLUTIONS ......................................................17 www.3M.comACERTUS (Formerly AmeriFleet/Metrogistics) ........................ Inside Front Cover www.acertusdelivers.comADRIAN STEEL COMPANY .............................................................. 3 www.AdrianSteel.comARI®...........................................................................................18, 19 www.arifleet.comBACKRACK INC. ............................................................................ 27 www.backrack.comELATEC USA INC .......................................................................... 4, 5 www.elatec.comGPS INSIGHT .................................................................................... 6 www.gpsinsight.com

KLASHWERKS ............................................................................... 26 www.raven.is/fleet.comMERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC ..........................................................12 www.mbcorpsales.comNISSAN NORTH AMERICA ............................................................ 23 www.nissanusa.com/fleetSEARS AUTOMOTIVE .................................................................... 29 www.searsauto.comSURE ECOSYSTEM .......................................................................... 9 www.sureecosystem.comTOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA .....................Outside Back Cover www.fleet.toyota.comTRACK STAR INTERNATIONAL, INC. .............................................14 www.trackstar.com

Martinez cites distracted driving as a leading contributor to crashes across the spectrum, including all vehicle types, as well

as pedestrian and work zone crashes and fatalities.

BALD TIRES?Have your fleet fully covered

the way it should be.Sears Auto Center can help your fleet get on the road quickly and safely. Special pricing, preventative maintenance and after-hours service will keep your fleet running during peak business hours so you can be there for your customers when they need you most.

Learn more at searsauto.com/fleet

We put your life in drive.

853621_Sears.indd 1 1/23/17 12:54 PM

NAFA Announces 2019 OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORSNAFA announces its 2019 officers and Board of Directors elected in February. Chosen as officers for the 2019-2021 term are:

THIS JUST IN

Robert Mossing, Fleet Manager, STERIS Corporation

Adam Seifert, CAFM, Team Lead – Consulting, ARI

Mark A. Smith, CAFM

President Patti M. Earley, CAFM®, Fleet Fueling Operations Supervisor, Florida Power & Light

Senior Vice President Ray Brisby, CAFM, Fleet Manager, Calgary Fire Department

Vice President Mike Camnetar, CAFM, Regional Vice President, Business Development, LeasePlan USA

Secretary/Treasurer Kathy Wellik, CAFM, Fleet Director, Iowa State University Transportation Services

Immediate Past President Bryan Flansburg, CAFM, Location Manager, First Student

NEW MEMBERS ELECTED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THREE-YEAR TERMS ARE:

CONTINUING ON THE NAFA BOARD ARE:Richard Battersby, CAFM, Fleet Manager, City of Oakland, California

Nancy Bean, CAFM, Fleet Manager, City of Provo, Utah

David Hayward, Manager, Deloitte

Maria Neve, Government Sales Manager, Merchants Fleet

Steve Saltzgiver, CAFS®, Manager, Mercury Associates

30 www.nafa.org • info@nafa.org MAY/JUNE 2019

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Ruth Alfson, CAFM Patrick Barrett, CAFM Jeffrey Jeter

NAFA thanks them for their service on the Board of Directors, as their terms concluded in February.

APRIL 6–8 | INDIANAPOLISAPRIL 6–8 | INDIANAPOLIS

GET YOUR FLEETON THE FAST TRACK

SAVE THE DATE

958928_Editorial.indd 1 4/2/19 3:20 PM

56 PERC

ENT

FEWER FRONT-TO-REAR CRASHES WITH INJURIES

WITH FORWARD-COLLISION WARNING PLUS AUTOBRAKE

ACCORDING TO THE IIHS.

Investing in a reliable � eet saves you future maintenance

costs and lost productivity.

Prototypes shown with options. 1. Drivers are responsible for their own safe driving. Always pay attention to your surroundings and drive safely. System effectiveness is dependent on many factors including road, weather and vehicle conditions. See Owner’s Manual for additional limitations and details. 2. The TSS Pre-Collision System is designed to help avoid or reduce the crash speed and damage in certain frontal collisions only. It is not a substitute for safe and attentive driving. System effectiveness is dependent on many factors including road, weather and vehicle conditions. See Owner’s Manual for additional limitations and details. 3. Automatic High Beams operate at speeds above 25 mph. Factors such as a dirty windshield, weather, lighting and terrain limit effectiveness, requiring the driver to manually operate the high beams. See Owner’s Manual for additional limitations and details. 4. Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist is designed to read visible lane markers under certain conditions. It provides a visual and audible alert, and slight steering force when lane departure is detected. It is not a collision-avoidance system or a substitute for safe and attentive driving. Effectiveness is dependent on many factors including road, weather and vehicle conditions. See Owner’s Manualfor additional limitations and details. Steering Assist not available on all models. 5. Dynamic Radar Cruise Control is designed to assist the driver and is not a substitute for safe and attentive driving practices. System effectiveness is dependent on many factors including road, weather and traffic conditions. See Owner’s Manual for additional limitations and details. Dynamic Radar Cruise Control not available on all models. ©2018 Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

Toyota Safety Sense™1 is now on most new Toyotas at no extra cost.Toyota Safety Sense™ (TSS) is a bundle of active safety features designed to help protect you and your � eet investment. Crash-avoidance technologies like TSS have the bene� t of helping to keep maintenance costs low while prioritizing safety. Learn more at � eet.toyota.com. Let’s Go Places.

Common sense, meet Toyota Safety Sense.™

LANE DEPARTURE ALERTWITH STEERING ASSIST4

PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM2

AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAMS3

DYNAMIC RADARCRUISE CONTROL5

Designed to alert drivers and may automatically apply brakes to help reduce impact.

Switches automaticallyto low beams as oncoming

vehicles approach.

Designed to alert drivers and even helps prevent unintentional

drifting from lanes.

Reduces cruise control speed when needed by monitoring the speed of

the car in front of you.

935809_Toyota.indd 1 03/10/18 5:14 PM

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE IS HARDLY an exact science. But the

impact on a f leet operation can be

significant. “For most vocational f leets,

how you handle preventive maintenance

inf luences virtually all facets of your

overall f leet management strategy,” said

Chris Foster, Manager, Truck and

Equipment Maintenance, ARI. “A

comprehensive PM strategy helps you

control operating costs, increase

reliability, and minimize unforeseen

downtime. Conversely, an inconsistent

approach to preventive maintenance can

dramatically impact the performance

of your f leet along with your ability to

effectively service your customers.”

Your preventive maintenance

regimen requires maintenance itself,

auditing the parameters in which

scheduled work is done, the policies that

govern such work, and adapting when

forces both internally and externally

impact your fleet’s utility.

Policy in PlaceWhen it comes to managing preventive

maintenance (PM) schedules, NAFA

Regular Member Richard Battersby,

CAFM®, starts in the most logical place.

“We start with manufacturer-

recommended intervals for time and

mileage/hours and adjust for severe

duty such as police patrol vehicles,” said

Battersby, Fleet Manager for the City of

Oakland, California. Those guidelines are

Have You Maintained Your

Preventive Maintenance Regimen?By Sandy Smith

strictly adhered to, even though there may

be challenges related to a vehicle in the

body shop, or at a remote location.

With about 1,500 vehicles in the fleet,

though, there are times when a dashboard

light comes on, or when a driver thinks

something isn’t right. “We make every

effort to resolve drop-in complaints as

quickly possible, while the driver waits.

However, these can sometimes turn into

out-of-service status for repairs required

due to safety. We try to operate from an

appointment model, but this really doesn’t

accommodate drop-ins if everyone has

their day filled.”

OEM guidelines, spelled out in such

detail in owner’s manuals, don’t always

accommodate the various fleet needs.

Meeting those is the bare minimum, to

ensure that the warranty is maintained.

For fleets, though, the stakes are higher.

“Preventive maintenance timetables are

very important as it relates to keeping the

drivers safe, mitigating downtime as well

as keeping the OEM warranty valid with

solid maintenance records,” said Mark

Ackerman, Director of Maintenance and

Repair, LeasePlan. “When drivers are

down for any length of time, it takes away

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from business productivity, thus costing

the client money.”

Foster notes that, in recent years,

OEMs have become “more stringent in

terms of warranty recovery and support.

Specifically, the OEMs are looking for

additional documentation to support

warranty claims to ensure the units were

properly maintained prior to failure. This

really underscores the importance of

PM compliance. Adhering to consistent

preventive maintenance schedules to

minimize PM variability is something

the OEMs are stressing across the board.”

Fleets and their fleet management

companies, then, have a hard task: setting

time tables that meet OEM requirements,

keep vehicles at peak performance, and

fit within the repair and maintenance

budget. “Setting accurate and effective

preventive maintenance schedules that

are incorporated into corporate driver

policies ensures organizational alignment

for necessary vehicle care,” said NAFA

Associate Member George Albright,

CAFM, Director of Fleet Maintenance,

Merchants Fleet.

It is a high hill to climb, for sure. Even

fleet management companies, which have

data from multiple fleets from which to

derive best practices, do not have the

luxury of applying a one-size-fits-all

solution.

“Establishing a fleet maintenance

policy varies from client to client in terms of

what is required preventive maintenance

and what, if any, timetable is established,”

said NAFA Associate Member Mark Lange,

CAFM, Managed Maintenance Analyst for

Element Fleet Management. “It’s critical

that, whatever preventive maintenance

policies are established, adherence to

the policy occurs. In most cases, this will

include a mileage and time threshold.

Not only does preventive maintenance

help reduce unnecessary expenses and

maintain vehicle warranties, but ensuring

the vehicle is evaluated during servicing

is critical to identify any potential safety

issues that need to be addressed.”

In some cases, a blanket policy makes

sense, Lange said. “The clients may want

to create an oil change policy that is a

blanket policy so that regardless of what

vehicle is used or how it’s used, the client

has one defined oil change interval. In

such cases, we will consult with the client

to develop such a blanket policy. If the

client’s goals are aligned primarily with

low-cost operation regarding oil change

intervals, the best option may be the OEM

recommendations, which may include an

oil indicator on the dash. The FMC will

MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT

Common Questions about Preventive MaintenancePreventive maintenance can be a confusing topic and fleet management companies hear it all. Much of it, though, boils down to asking whether the OEM and the vehicle itself are giving the fleet the right information.

Minder lights: “By researching the vehicles thoroughly, you will find

that most manufacturers will list the average mileage the maintenance minder light comes on, allowing for recommendations on an interval,” said Mark Ackerman, Director, Maintenance and Repair, LeasePlan. “Additionally, the OEM will have a minimum recommendation if the light does not come on, such as at least once a year.”

Discrepancies in guidance:The various tools, like telematics diagnostics and OEM

monitors, may not always agree. Which to follow? “We advise fleet managers with vehicles leveraging multiple maintenance schedule tools to instruct their drivers to follow whichever prompts them first,” said NAFA Associate Member George Albright, CAFM, Director of Fleet Maintenance, Merchants Fleet. “For example, a utility vehicle not due for its next

preventive maintenance service for 1,500 miles should still have that service performed if the vehicle’s onboard oil life monitor is triggered. This practice helps to create alignment throughout the organization, eliminate confusion for fleet drivers, and maintain the vehicle’s OEM warranty.”

Cost savings: PM is not the place to skimp. “The biggest misconception

around PM scheduling is the notion that extending intervals or skipping a particular service is an easy way to eliminate a portion of your fleet spend,” said Chris Foster, Manager, Truck and Equipment Maintenance, ARI. “This couldn’t be further from the truth. Arbitrarily extending intervals or skipping services may help reduce maintenance costs today, but undoubtedly your operating expenses will increase over time and these escalating costs typically far exceed the perceived savings.”

Here are a few of the more common concerns:

“Establishing a fleet maintenance policy varies from client to client in terms of what is required preventive maintenance and

what, if any, timetable is established.”- NAFA Associate Member Mark Lange, CAFM,

Managed Maintenance Analyst for Element Fleet Management

still recommend a time-based interval

to ensure the vehicle has regular safety

inspections.”

Timing is EverythingWhat goes into a good f leet PM

schedule? The most obvious place to start

is the OEM recommendations, Albright

says. “This practice will help to ensure

that vehicle service repairs are provided

at the minimum OEM requirement to

prevent invalidation of the manufacturer

warranty.”

Then, it is time to consider how

the vehicle is used. “Understanding a

vehicle’s idle time is key, as vehicles with

high idle time may require a schedule

based on vehicle engine hours rather

than mileage or time,” Albright said.

“Most newer model vehicles are equipped

with an onboard oil life monitor that

measures temperature, vehicle starts,

distance traveled, and time in transit

and will proactively alert a driver when

the vehicle has reached the next required

service.”

The fleet’s own data can provide a

mountain of information, Foster said,

especially to “help uncover trends and

begin to customize PM intervals based

on asset type, application, payload,

geography, etc. In addition to the PM

intervals, we also tailor secondary

PM services — air filter, fuel filter,

transmission service, etc. — to the

unique operating characteristics of each

fleet.”

Foster suggests looking to the end of

the vehicle’s life as well. “For example,

if you’re targeting an extended lifecycle

for an asset, consistent maintenance is

vital to maximizing the vehicle’s effective

service life. Poor PM compliance or

inconsistent intervals between services

will be magnified as the vehicle ages.”

Understand the UniquenessIn most cases, a blanket policy isn’t

specific enough, and it’s impossible to set

an individual PM schedule for each fleet

vehicle. Instead, Albright says, policies

should be based on vehicle utilization. “A

severe or extreme service schedule will

require more frequent services than a

normal service schedule. For example, a

utility vehicle operating in the mountains

of Breckenridge, Colorado, should follow

the severe or extreme service schedule

versus the executive vehicle in Charlotte,

North Carolina, which should follow the

normal service schedule. The correct

identification of the required service

schedule is important, as the mileage

intervals may vary by 3,000 to 4,000, and

incorrectly selecting the service schedule

can result in your fleet vehicles receiving

unnecessary service or, worse, preventable

damage due to excessive wear.”

At the opposite end of the spectrum

are those repairs or vehicle checks that

are unscheduled. Ackerman suggests

providing the drivers the ability to make

unscheduled repairs up to a small amount,

say $100, without receiving authorization.

“These are typically incidental items such

as wiper blades and various filters. For

items above and beyond this, the repair

facility is instructed to call us or submit

electronically for review of any additional

repairs. These are reviewed by an ASE-

certified technician for proper pricing,

repair need, and client instructions being

followed. If all these criteria are met,

additional approval is given to the repair

facility to proceed.”

Ackerman notes that some clients

have multiple approval limits based

on vehicle mileage. Those with higher

mileage, for instance, may have a lower

approval limit. “This practice provides

fleet managers with better visibility to

potential ‘repair vs. replacement’ vehicle

cycling opportunities. When setting

these parameters, fleet managers need

to consider their organization’s optimal

vehicle replacement cycles and how

their maintenance schedules and repair

approval parameters can help to support

those lifecycle policies.”

The driver must be taken into

consideration as well. “Vehicles such

as those driven by executives may want

to be handled completely different, in

that the client may not want the driver

to receive overdue notifications and

they may want those directed to an

administrative assistant,” Lange said.

“The PM requirements of an executive

vehicle may also vary from what is

OEM recommended vs. OEM dealership

recommended. In many cases, the OEM

dealerships have far more aggressive

maintenance schedules. Executive

drivers typically have the authority to

approve all preventive maintenance, and

executives will typically approve the OEM

dealership’s aggressive PM schedules

regardless of the OEM schedule.”

Explore Predictive ModelingSetting a PM policy can be challenging.

Fleet management companies have data

that they can use to see what’s “working

and what isn’t,” Ackerman said.

That sort of analysis, Albright said,

can help fleet managers move “toward

predictive analysis modeling that can

reduce unscheduled repairs, limit driver

downtime, and lower vehicle ownership

costs.”

The insight also can help a f leet

understand not just the “what” but

also the “why” of f leet performance,

Foster said. “Today, fleet professionals

want to know not only which units are

costing them the most but also why those

units are costing so much. Our role as

a fleet management provider is to help

customers identify the key metrics and

trends within their business and how

they can act upon them, empowering

our clients to drive meaningful business

improvements.” ■

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By Fiona Soltes

ALL IN A DAY’S work? Hardly.

Managing a fleet can include any

number of special circumstances, events,

and situations that require forethought,

playing “what if,” and relying on lessons

learned.

Case in point from NAFA Regular

Member Richard Battersby, CAFM, CPFP,

of Oakland (California) Public Works: He

has learned that it’s important to block

storm drains during major parades,

such as those for NBA championships.

Quite simply, “Confetti lasts forever.”

But he also has learned the value

of deploying aged assets in anticipated

hotspots and planning for gridlock as

well as the need to assemble a team

and begin planning as far in advance

of a special event as possible. It’s not

necessary to reinvent the wheel when

it comes to high profile and special

events, he attests, especially if there’s

a chance to connect with someone who

has experienced something similar.

Sharing StoriesIn spring 2018, Battersby joined

several f leet professionals in sharing

stories and insight from less-than-

normal days. Sporting events, visits

from high-level politicians and important

meetings topped their lists. Regardless of

the reason, extra sources were needed;

however, the professionals spoke about

the need for f lexibility and creativity

in f luid situations and admitting that

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every time their phones rang in the days

leading up to those events, it could be

someone else with a different request,

needing to be prioritized.

As for Battersby, he has assisted

in planning for several high-profile

happenings, including the Global Climate

Action Summit, the Davis Bike Club 4th of

July Criterium, and the State Capitol 9/11

Memorial Remembrance. But those don’t

compare to those two NBA Championship

parades in 2017 and 2018.

“The biggest surprises were the

level of staff required to be involved in

executing such an event successfully, and

the numerous small details that normally

would be easy to execute but in the context

of planning and executing support for a

major event become extremely difficult,”

he said.

His best piece of wisdom, in addition

to seeking counsel from those with prior

experience? Develop and maintain a

checklist in addition to a directory of

important internal contacts that clearly

identifies areas of responsibility and

a directory of external contacts that

identifies the services they provide.

Game Plan for Game DayNAFA Regular Member Al Thunberg,

CAFM, City of Minneapolis (Minnesota)

Fleet Services, made it through Super

Bowl LII in February 2018. It takes a while

to figure out which teams will play in any

such event. That one was the Philadelphia

Eagles and New England Patriots, in case

anyone needs a reminder. But the city

knew it would host about three years

in advance. Minneapolis had staff working

full time on Super Bowl planning a year

before kickoff, and the fleet department

“really dug in and got the detailed plans

together” within the last half year. The

event provided fleet a unique opportunity:

the chance to make a solid and successful

case for a new mobile command van, as

well as additional marked squad cars and

other resources.

In August 2007, a bridge over

the Mississippi River in Minnesota

collapsed, tragically killing 13 people

and injuring 145.

“We knew, when that happened, that

our old mobile command van was too

small,” Thunberg said. “When a big event

like that happens, the upper-ranking

police command staff, everybody wants

to be in that van.”

The new one — thanks to that Super

Bowl — is 45 feet long, with four slide-outs

and a large conference room to handle

the higher level of staff needed for a high-

profile event.

It turned out it wasn’t needed for the

big game, but Thunberg is perfectly fine

with that.

“Fortunately,” he said, “there were

no big surprises.” What was in use was

a f leet of 10 special crew cab Polaris

Rangers with black and white marking,

badges and emergency lighting. Polaris is

Al Thunberg, CAFM Jeff Hawthorne, CAFMRichard Battersby, CAFM Robert Martinez

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a Minneapolis-based company, Thunberg

said, and the fleet added to 10 others

that had been purchased prior. “They

ended up being really valuable,” he said.

They were especially useful for getting

into tight spaces and for patrolling the

2.5-mile security perimeter around the

stadium. Lessons learned? The city could

have used more of them, and they should

have been equipped with GPS.

Presidential Visit ModeNAFA Regular Member Jeffrey

Hawthorne, CAFM, of Palm Beach

(Florida) County Sheriff’s Office has

found himself dealing with the same

“special event” again and again.

President Donald Trump’s private club,

Mar-a-Lago, is in Palm Beach, and Trump

is fond of visiting there.

“And every time he comes, every visit,

it’s a major undertaking,” Hawthorne

said. “You’ve got to be flexible.”

Granted, processes and expectations

have become more familiar. In the

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beginning, additional equipment —especially barricades, fencing, and a

storage trailer – was required. Today,

being in “presidential visit mode” means

recognizing that he may go anywhere

in the county, which is more than 2,300

square miles.

“For every facet of your operation, you

must have a contingency,” Hawthorne

said. That means, for example, backup

plans for spare vehicles or access to

retail fuel. There are now emergency

fuel cards in case a fill-up is required.

The department also learned to keep

spare SunPass toll road transponders on

hand for use on unmarked vehicles. Until

recent changes in state law, unmarked

units were not exempt from toll charges.

And everywhere the president goes,

bands of security go with him.

Big City, Big CrowdsThen there’s NAFA Regular Member

Robert Martinez, Deputy Commissioner

for Support Services, City of New York

Police Department. He joined the NYPD

as a mechanic in 1986, and while working

his way up the f leet ranks, endured both

the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001,

and Hurricane Sandy. But he also sees

his share of significant planned events,

too: the New York City Marathon, for

example, with almost 53,000 finishers

in 2018. There’s New Year’s Eve in Times

Square, which draws an estimated 2

million revelers; the annual Village

Halloween Parade; the lighting of the

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree; and

the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Let’s not forget the presence of Trump

Tower, which President Trump considers

his permanent residence. (The biggest

challenge there, Martinez said, is that

the tower is a public access building,

which makes things a bit trickier than

the White House.)

His best advice for preparedness?

Documentation of everything. In the

case of an unplanned signif icant

event, he added, it’s essential to know

what kind of reporting is needed for

FEMA for reimbursement, as well as

to remember that “you can’t get rid of

anything until FEMA says you can get rid

of it.” Experience from those unplanned

events could also help with ideas for the

anticipated ones.

Hurricane Sandy, for example,

led NYPD to gather just under 900

light towers for the public to plug in

cell phones, laptops, and more as a

community service. Many of those

towers were borrowed at the time, but

the department did end up purchasing

about 200 to add to its initial 80. That

storm also provided valuable lessons

about where water will go and led to the

design and purchase of several pickups

with higher suspension and bigger tires

to meet different needs.

In addition, the department keeps an

eye on world events and considers the

impact they might bring to the city. Trucks

being driven into crowds, for example,

led to careful preparation for the New

York marathon, doing whatever possible

to block “almost every intersection with

vehicles, from the beginning to the end.”

Too Much of a Good Thing?So, is it possible to be too prepared

for a special event? Some might say no,

but perhaps. Thunberg, for example,

originally staffed his shop 24 hours a day

for 10 days prior to the Super Bowl. It’s

normally open 18 hours a day, five days

a week. In hindsight, however, “it wasn’t

really needed that far in advance.”

When doing the planning, he said, they

figured if everything went well, the worst

that could happen is that they’d be bored

and could use the time cleaning the shop.

“And everything did go well,” he said.

They even set up a TV and watched the

game. ■

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Hurricane Sandy, for example, led NYPD to gather just under 900 light towers for the

public to plug in cell phones, laptops, and more as a community service.

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