14 New Ideas For Fleet ImprovementSeptember 2015, Government Fleet ­ Feature

By Thi Dao

1. IMPROVING CUSTOMER SERVICEPROVIDE A 'FAST LUBE' OPTION

Plan: The City and County of Denver’s Fleet Advisory Committee members said they wanted a “quick lube” option forsimple oil and filter changes, similar to what is provided in the private sector. The Fleet Division set out to provide themthis service, said Todd Richardson, director, Fleet Management Division.

Execution: In April 2015, the division began offering a Fast Lube service for vehicles weighing 1.5 tons and lighter at twoof its facilities. Each month, first line supervisors in charge of the preventive maintenance (PM) program let departmentmanagers know via e­mail which vehicles are eligible for a fast lube service — vehicles that only need an inspection; lube,oil, and filter change; and minor repairs. Drivers can make an appointment or just drop in. Each facility has two volunteertechnicians who are responsible for fast lube services, with a goal of returning the vehicle within 45 minutes. While theirvehicles are serviced, drivers can work at an available computer, walk over to nearby buildings for meetings, or check outone of two available cars. If technicians find a safety deficiency that needs to be fixed immediately and will take longer,the customer can keep the loaner vehicle longer.

Challenges: Richardson said at first, customers didn’t think it was possible. After they started seeing other people use theprogram for about a month, it took off. He also e­mails managers reminding them about the program every few weeks.Another challenge came in finding an area for most commonly used fast­lube parts and making sure they were available.Once these were determined, the program has run smoothly.

Results: “The general feedback from the advisory committee is they are very happy. They get their vehicle back quickly,and it doesn’t disrupt their day,” Richardson said. Not only has the no­cost program improved customer service, it has alsoimproved PM. Some drivers who were months behind on their PM brought their vehicles in for a fast lube service.

Advice: “Always look at your operation and look for opportunities that can give you a big return on investment without a lotof expense on your part,” Richardson advised.

2. BUYING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENTSTART A 'TRY BEFORE YOU BUY' PROGRAM

Plan: Sarasota County (Fla.) Fleet Services wanted to increase user department cooperation in purchasing off­roadequipment while making sure the vehicles that departments requested would perform well, said Fleet Services ManagerGreg Morris and Acquisitions Manager Brianne Hayes.

Execution: Fleet implemented a “try before you buy” program modeled after a similar program Morris had used in the AirForce. Hayes works with dealers to secure demo equipment; depending on their availability, the county can keep someunits for a day and others for weeks. Technicians check maintainability before it goes to users for testing. For the unitsthat meet expectations, Hayes and Morris review company financials, availability of warranty, training, parts, emissions,structural integrity, and manufacturer customer support. If the asset passes all the reviews including a comparison of thenew asset to existing assets, Hayes purchases the asset from a pre­existing national or local contract.

Challenges: A good evaluation of an asset does take time, Morris said, but since the assets are used for daily operations,the time problem is minimal. Hayes added that getting specialized equipment, such as a Menzi Muck, for a longer periodof time, is sometimes a challenge.

Results: The program has been a success for user departments and vendors. Vendors get feedback about the unit,operators can see if the equipment is the right tool, and technicians provide their input as well.

Advice: Hayes cautions fleets to fully read liability waivers before signing a demo contract. “Sometimes the waiverliabilities are very vague,” she said. “Make sure that your county or municipality is not responsible for anything thathappens [to the equipment] during that demonstration or use time frame.”

3. IMPROVING CUSTOMER SERVICEPROVIDE A REAL­TIME VEHICLE STATUS BOARD

Plan: A large volume of phone calls that fleet service writers at the City of Tulsa, Okla., received were from customerswanting to know if their vehicles were ready. Customers on the night shift were unable to reach fleet staff because theshop was closed. Fleet management wanted to develop a real­time electronic status board that could be accessed 24/7through the internet to improve customer communication while decreasing call volume, said Michael Wallace, maintenancemanager, Equipment Management Division.

Execution: Fleet started by using a Google Docs­based system at its light vehicle garage, where the largest volume ofwork comes from the Tulsa Police Department. The PD placed a link to the document on its internal page, which allowedpolice officers on overnight shifts to check the status of their car during their working hours. During business hours, theboard provided a color­coded visual of how many vehicles were ready, eliminating the need for officers to call the shop.

Challenges: The service writer had to manually input the information from the fleet system into the document, and it onlyserved one of the maintenance shops. Fleet needed to get the system to integrate with its AssetWorks M5 system toeliminate duplication of effort and expand the project to other shops. Through persistence and follow­up in working with theIT department, as well as strong support from the department director, the division was able to push the project through.

Results: Equipment Management now has a service status board that automatically pulls information from M5 as workorders are written and as work statuses are changed. It updates every five minutes. The division has continued to receivepositive feedback about this communication tool, Wallace said.

Advice: “If you can overcome the technology issues of getting an automated service board system in place, you gain avery effective customer communication tool,” Wallace said.

4. LOWERING FUEL SYSTEM DOWNTIME & COSTIMPROVE FUEL SYSTEM PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE

Plan: Operators repeatedly reported problems with the City of Houston’s 68 fuel sites, noting that fuel was pumpingslowly. When they put in a work order, a technician would change the filters on the fuel system. This would happen severaltimes before the tanks were cleaned and fuel polished, which slowed down city operations, said Thomas Hollier, fuelmanager. He set out to change the reactive fuel site maintenance program into a proactive one.

Execution: Fleet management implemented a new preventive maintenance (PM) program for the fuel system. Atechnician checks fuel tanks for water once per week. The technician samples the fuel and changes and dates the filterstwice per year, and if the sample is even slightly dirty, the tanks will be cleaned and fuel polished. Additionally, any timean operator suspects a problem with the fuel or has problems with vehicle performance, a technician checks the fuel,changes filters, and sends the fuel out to a lab for testing.

Challenges: Hollier said the biggest challenge was catching up on tank cleanings for all 68 locations. It took staff a fullyear to implement this change. It also took a while before technicians and inspectors got into the mindset of beingproactive.

Results: In fiscal year 2014, Fleet Management had 30 tanks cleaned for $69,000. In fiscal­year 2015, this was reduced tosix tank cleanings, costing about $15,000. By treating the fuel before it becomes a problem and reducing problems withdirty fuel, “operators can do the job they are paid [to] do instead of waiting for fuel,” Hollier explained.

Advice: “Be persistent,” Hollier advised. “At first people aren’t used to doing it a certain way, and you have to becommitted to making it work.”

5. REDUCING VEHICLE UPFIT COSTINSTALL AFFORDABLE TOOLBOXES IN POLICE VEHICLES

Plan: When transitioning from Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor sedans to the Ford Police Interceptor Utility models,Sonoma County (Calif.) Fleet Operations had the opportunity to install lockable toolboxes in the rear cargo area. Purpose­­built boxes could cost between $800 and $1,500, and Fleet Operations wanted to find a solution that would meet a $500per vehicle budget, said David Worthington, fleet manager.

Execution: Fleet team members measured the rear cargo area of the utility vehicle to determine what space they had towork with after the installation of radio, light­bar controller, auxiliary battery, and fire extinguisher equipment. They foundthat Sears offered a range of toolboxes that met the dimension constraints and fell under the budget. The toolboxeschosen are of high enough quality that they will last through several replacement cycles of vehicles. Periodic sales atSears reduce the price of each box from $475 to $275, and staff can pick them up at a nearby store rather than payshipping costs.

Challenges: Technicians had to find a way to fit the toolbox in the cargo area while still providing access to the spare tireand additional equipment to be installed behind it. They installed spacers underneath the toolbox to raise it enough to allowaccess to the tire while still being far enough forward of the rear partition to provide room for equipment to be installedbehind the toolbox, Worthington said.

Results: The toolboxes have held up well with no needed repairs and have met the need for lockable storage at arelatively low cost. The placement of the toolbox also protects radio and light bar controller equipment from impact,Worthington said.

Advice: “My advice to other fleet professionals is to think ‘outside of the box’ for solutions to challenges and not quicklyaccept that nothing exists that meets your needs within a limited budget,” Worthington said.

6. CUTTING UNDERUTILIZED VEHICLESLET CUSTOMERS KNOW THE COST OF UNDERUTILIZED EQUIPMENT

Plan: Reassigning or auctioning off underutilized assets can be a point of contention with customer departments that wantto keep their vehicles. This is often because they don’t see the full cost of keeping their underutilized equipment.

Execution: Richard Battersby, CAFM, CPFP, equipment services manager, City of Oakland, Calif., has a method he’sbeen using for years to show user departments this exact cost. In addition to the standard metrics he sends periodically,he also formats a secondary underutilized vehicle report table in the far right column that shows cost per mile (CPM). Thisalso lists the average CPM for that vehicle class as a reference point. “Even though underutilized vehicles may haverather small total annual expenses, and departments are willing to spend that to keep the vehicle ‘just in case,’ when youlook at the CPM, they shoot through the roof since there are much fewer miles to spread the costs over,” Battersby said.

Results: When presented with the data showing extremely high cost per mile expenses and extremely low utilization, themajority of departmental customers turned in the non­specialty equipment for reutilization in order to avoid making it intothe month­end fleet utilization report as an executive summary highlighted item, Battersby said.

7. SLASHING TECHNICIAN WORKLOADSTREAMLINE THE UPLIFTING PROCESS

Plan: After deciding to replace the Ventura County, Calif., Ford Crown Victoria patrol vehicles with Chevrolet Tahoe PPVs,fleet staff had to determine how to upfit the vehicles in the most efficient way possible. They made changes such asmodifying partitions to allow the driver to recline and installing LED instead of halogen spotlights on the sides of the cars.The most noteworthy change is a switch to new push bumpers that save technicians time during the upfitting process,said Kenny Schmidt, automotive system technician.

Execution: Fleet staff purchased three Setina push bars to test out. Staff members settled on the one that resulted in

less work to install and repair, the Setina PB­450­L4 with LED lights. Schmidt said with the previous push bar, he wouldtake the bumper off, take the headlights out and fit corner strobes in there (negating the warranty), and put the speaker onunderneath the bumper. The new method allows him to leave the headlights in and put the speaker on the outside of thepush bar and the lights on the push bar.

Challenges: Finding all the parts for the new vehicle was a challenge, but the improved efficiency will help the county inthe long run, Schmidt said.

Results: The new bumper reduces upfit time by about four hours per vehicle. Multiply that by 30 vehicles already inservice, 30 more just­delivered vehicles, and 50 to be purchased this year, and the time savings is significant. For repairsand decommissioning vehicles, the time savings to remove the push bar and accessories are an additional two hourssince technicians won’t have to take the push bar apart. Fleet Operations is also upfitting vehicles for other agencies tohelp them reduce costs.

Advice: Getting a new vehicle is a good time to re­evaluate your processes, Schmidt said. As for the push bar, “it’s easierto have everything on the outside,” he said.

8. ENHANCING PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE ADD AIR CONDITIONING TO THE PM CHECKLIST

Plan: A few years ago, the City of Houston Fire Department fleet was in disrepair, and air conditioning systems on themajority of trucks weren’t working. Firefighters face 95­degree weather with 95% humidity in the summer. Dressed in fullgear and sitting in a hot vehicle, not to mention returning to the hot vehicle during and after fighting a fire, was dangerous,and the AC would repeatedly fail just months after repair. Denny Traylor, deputy assistant director, Fleet ManagementDepartment, set out to fix this problem.

Execution: Traylor made sure that broken air conditioning systems were fixed, but he also made AC service a part of thepreventive maintenance (PM) program. “By making it a part of the PM checklist, we would be able to look at thesesystems every 45 days so that components we identified from service would be checked,” he said. The PM checklistservices include replacing the AC filter; cleaning the evaporator and condenser cores; and checking condenser fans, ACsystem pressures, and central air vent temperature.

Challenges: The biggest challenge to the change may be in getting technicians to buy into the program, Traylor said. Hedoes so by reinforcing how important the program is and showing them the results — fewer AC breakdowns.

Results: The oldest heavy­duty fire vehicles were purchased in 1999, and effective PM lowers repair costs, which isimportant when departments don’t have the funding to replace vehicles. By fiscal­year 2015, the number of hours

technicians logged working on AC repairs had decreased by more than 39%, from 1,749 hours in 2013 to 1,245 hours in2014 and finally 1,063 hours in 2015. Following its success, Traylor is implementing air conditioner PM in solid wastetrucks, which have the same problem.

Advice: Traylor warned that it may be difficult to explain to operators that air conditioning can only lower vehicletemperature about 20 degrees.

9. BOOSTING TECHNICIAN RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING BUILD TRAINING INTO VEHICLE PURCHASES

Plan: The City of Orlando had two technician problems: a small qualified technician pool to hire from and no trainingbudget for its own technicians. Management began seeking ways to overcome these challenges, according to DarylGreenlee, fleet manager.

Execution: To overcome the lack of dedicated training budget, fleet management began negotiating training into everyvehicle and equipment purchase for technical staff. For example, the next purchase of Fire Department rescue trucks willinclude training for three Emergency Vehicle Technician tracks for ambulances. This includes three levels of certification,with five total exams. This will also be done for fire trucks such as pumpers and tower apparatus as well as automobilesand heavy equipment. To solve the technician recruitment problem, management toured local trade schools to educatestudents about fleet jobs. The city hired lower­grade technicians and internally trained those technicians to journeymenlevel, which is helped by the fleet’s new training program.

Challenges: Technicians were at first hesitant about all the new training because it seemed overwhelming, but within ayear, they had embraced the project and set out to become leaders in their region, Greenlee said. Another challenge wasthat the project didn’t move fast enough, but once Greenlee explained it to Human Resources and Procurement, it becameeasier to implement.

Results: Greenlee expects every technician assigned to work on Fire Department equipment to soon be EVT ambulancecertified, with other certifications following after. For light­duty vehicles, this process has helped the city fleet become awarranty provider for Chrysler, Ford, and GM.

Advice: Plan ahead, Greenlee advised. “Get buy­in with HR and with training personnel,” he said, referring to the city’straining officer.

10. IMPROVING PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCEADJUST PM FOR ENGINES WITH SCR SYSTEMS

Plan: Not long after the introduction of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) engines into the Manatee County, Fla., fleet in2010, staff began to see SCR fault codes indicating routine maintenance was needed, said Michael Brennan, CEM, fleetservices division manager. The division saw it would have to make changes to its preventive maintenance (PM) programto reduce downtime from these systems.

Execution: Fleet worked to identify errors and their exact cause, then see how to fix it and perform PM to that part of thesystem, said Matt Case, EMS, maintenance superintendent/senior technician. The SCR maintenance checklist nowincludes inspection of diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) tank, cap, and lines; scanning for any current or pending trouble codes;replacement of DEF filter; and check of DEF fluid quality.

Challenges: Technician awareness of the systems and their maintenance requirements was a big issue early on, Brennansaid. There was very little training available in the area on these systems, so most training was hands­on troubleshootingand working with OEM diagnostic software and technician assistance call centers. It took a while to add appropriateinventory to support the increased PM requirements, and fleet had to evaluate the cost into its inventory program andbudget. Staff also had to add standard labor codes to its maintenance management system to track maintenance andrepair, and all this results in increased PM time.

Results: Scheduled maintenance issues have increased but these efforts have reduced downtime resulting from SCRsystems as well as catalyst replacement. Fleet will continue these actions as the county replaces its off­road constructionequipment.

Advice: Brennan said it’s important to enlist the knowledge of technicians when adding or changing the PM program.

11. ENSURING EMPLOYEE SATISFACTIONENHANCE COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE SHOP

Plan: The City of Columbus, Ohio, fleet is open 24 hours a day every day of the year, and fleet management wanted toimprove communication between all shifts and staff positions in order to talk about safety, training, testing, generalannouncements, and fleet vision, said John King, fleet operations manager, and Kelly Reagan, fleet administrator.

Execution: In 2013, King started SHOP talks to improve communication — this stands for safety, help, opportunity, andplan. SHOP talks happen daily at the beginning of every shift in an effort to create an environment where individuals feelopen to talking to each other and supervisors. One focus is on safety, where employees will discuss a safety topicprovided by the safety manager, any accidents or near misses, or safety concerns, King said. Management put upstrategically placed banners around the facility, communicated the importance of the program, and visited and participatedin some of the meetings, Reagan said.

Challenges: One challenge was in gaining buy­in from all personnel on the floor. Reagan emphasized that this was notjust a meeting, but an attempt to change the culture within the shop.

Results: “I believe we have seen a cultural change and we have better communication than in years past,” King said.Reagan added that the improved communication has led to a safer workforce and decreased downtimes for vehicles in theshop. It also allowed the fleet to perform Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training and helpedOSHA recordable incidents in the shop drop in severity and expense by 80%.

Advice: “Follow­up is mission critical, and discuss findings from the meetings,” Reagan recommended. “Remember this isa safe place to speak your mind.”

12. IMPROVING TECHNICIAN SAFETYPURCHASE FALL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT FOR TECHNICIANS

Plan: Fleet management at the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) inOregon brainstormed ways to improve fall protection for technicians workingon trucks. The facility already had harnesses, but finding a safe attachmentpoint for every piece of equipment was difficult. They wanted to find a moreeffective method, said Gary Lentsch, CAFM, fleet supervisor.

Execution: Staff researched cantilever ladders that technicians could workon, with wheels so they could be moved to whatever vehicle was beingrepaired. They also worked with a local company to design a scaffolding­likeplatform that technicians could use. The product has wheels, is height­adjustable, fits around vehicle contours, has non­slip material, and has aladder to the platform. Both these devices bring technicians up to their workareas and allow them to work on a steady surface. EWEB added both thescaffolding device and cantilever ladder to the shop in January.

Challenges: Lentsch said the main challenge was in trying to find aconfiguration that fit the majority of the fleet. These two products have metthat need.

Results: Lentsch estimates the products reduce the risk of technician falls by 95%. Technicians feel safer, and theybelieve productivity has improved as a result. “They feel they’re doing a better job because they’re working on something— versus holding on [to the side of the truck] while they’re working. They’re able to work with two hands,” Lentsch said.

Advice: Shop safety is an essential part of fleet management. “This is the one thing that could be a life­changer for any ofour technicians, if they just slip and fall off a piece of equipment. As fleet professionals, we need to do everything we canto keep our employees safe,” Lentsch said.

13. INCREASING VEHICLE RESALE VALUEIMPROVE THE PREPPING PROCESS FOR VEHICLES GOING TO AUCTION

Plan: While preparing vehicles for auction, Iowa State University Transportation Services staff wrote vehicle informationon the windshield with a wax pen, including year, mileage, and some vehicle options. It was not consistent, lackedinformation, and generally looked unprofessional, said Butch Hansen, shop manager. Transportation Services personnelwanted to change this process.

Execution: The shop manager worked closely with technicians and clean­up employees during the training and kick­off ofthis process. Employees made a photocopy of the original window sticker and placed it in the left rear window of everyvehicle being sold with double­sided tape. All manufacturer information is readily accessible on all window stickersincluding assembly plant, delivering dealer, fuel economy estimates, engine and transmission info, standard equipmentand options, and the original retail price for the vehicle and options.

Challenges: Transportation Services immediately had 100% staff buy­in as it was a faster and easier process than theone previously used and gave a very professional image of the sale vehicles, Hansen said. Staff members just needed tobe consistent with the photocopies and the placement of copies in the vehicles.

Results: The professional look and additional information has increased resale value. Transportation Services saw a 5.6%increase in resale value in the first auction after making this change. Having consistency with placement has alsoprovided positive feedback from both auctioneers and consumers, Hansen said.

Advice: “Start making copies and get started — be consistent,” Hansen recommended.

14. RAISING PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE COMPLIANCECHANGE TECHNICIAN HOURS TO FOCUS ON PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

Plan: Ohio State University fleet management had made various attempts to get drivers to bring their vehicles in forpreventive maintenance (PM), but they didn’t stick. Jason Hildebrand, fleet maintenance superintendent, said manyvehicles were past due for services, sometimes even a year past due, which led to vehicle failure in some cases.Hildebrand started a new program this June, shifting shop hours to two hours earlier so vehicles would be ready beforedrivers started their shifts.

Execution: Hildebrand talked to technicians to see if they would be open to a schedule change — changing from a 7a.m.­3:30 p.m. shift to a 5 a.m.­1:30 p.m. shift. After getting their consent, he spoke to Human Resources, whichapproved it. The change affected just the automotive shop; the lawn care shop’s technicians kept their old hours. He e­mails user departments the new PM schedule list and his recommendations for which vehicles should be brought in.Drivers drop the keys in a new night drop box, and the vehicles are ready by the time drivers start their shift the nextmorning at 7 a.m.

Challenges: User departments were concerned about afternoon support coverage, but Hildebrand informed themtechnicians in the lawn care shop could handle pressing repairs or questions. Another challenge was in getting theinformation out to end users — they picked up on the new program slowly, but Hildebrand reported that it’s getting better.

Results: Fleet technicians increased PM services from 10 services monthly to 45 monthly since the program started.Hildebrand said PM compliance has increased from 51% at the beginning of the year to 81% in the first two months sinceprogram implementation.

Advice: “Sell it to the technicians first,” Hildebrand said. Technicians had approached him for a 10/40 work schedule, buthe wasn’t able to provide it. This was another option he proposed, and the two extra hours in the afternoon means theyhave more time in the day for errands and appointments.

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