Fleet Financials, January/February 2018

q 4 FLEET FINANCIALS JANUARY FEBRUARY 2018 Letters to the Editor Road to Failure u The March April 2017 article How to Avoid Becoming a Prisoner of Legacy Behavior was a great article I particularly agreed with the passage that read Legacy behavior can become a trap a safe space for a fleet manager who might be hesitant to make changes But with the fleet world around him or her changing at a dizzying pace refusal to throw away the burden of legacy behavior can be the road to failure How true Tim King Fleet Consultant Las Vegas Often those who fall back on legacy behavior are managing a fleet from a tactical level But there is a difference between a well managed fleet and a best in class fleet I define a best inclass fleet as one that represents the top tier performance level in its specific industry segment which is used as a standard or benchmark Based on my experience the great fleet managers who manage bestin class fleets have one trait in common They manage their fleets from a strategic perspective A tactical fleet manager may be well suited to operate a well managed fleet but you need a strategic perspective to operate a best in class fleet which transcends day to day fleet management Editor Management Support Needed u The editorial entitled Deciphering the DNA of Award Winning Fleet Professionals was a great editorial I like that you added the role of senior management It is our responsibility to keep them informed but they need to trust we are the professionals they hired Bob Mossing Senior Manager Fleet Administration STERIS Corporation Mentor Ohio I completely agree Bob Senior management must recognize their fleet leader as an active member of corporate management which is critical to guaranteeing a successful fleet operation Senior management must recognize their in house fleet professional as the subject matter expert on all matters dealing with fleet management As a result the in house fleet professional must have the full backing and support of senior management when decisions are implemented The in house fleet professional must be kept in the loop involving all management decisions that may impact fleet operations Senior management must never enter into any arrangement affecting fleet operations without input from the in house fleet professional and giving due weight to his or her recommendations Also senior management should never bypass the in house fleet professional by communicating directly with drivers field management or company suppliers regarding fleet related issues Without the support of senior management even the most competent fleet professional will be set up for failure Editor Distilling to the Essentials u I read the editorial on Deciphering the DNA of Award Winning Fleet Professionals and you did a terrific job in distilling it down to the essentials Thanks for another great editorial Michael Cullen Director of Fleet Management Charter Communications Greenwood Village Colo Understanding the essentials of fleet management is critical to success A key fundamental of fleet management is to continually reassess fleet operations link to the corporations overall mission Fleet managers need to regularly keep their management informed as to how fleet is helping to improve the corporate mission Besides being an expert in fleet management a great fleet professional is also intimately aware of the companys product line and services marketing objectives corporate culture and the needs of user groups Editor Common Traits Decoded u I read the editorial in the November December 2017 issue and wanted to thank you for decoding the common traits among award winning fleet professionals based on your years of industry experience Tracy Durocher Marketing Manager Merchants Fleet Management Hookset N H Based on my years of experience Ive learned that great fleet professionals never stop learning They are lifelong learners who attend fleet conferences and seminars to keep pace with best practices as they evolve in the industry All are active members in industry associations such as the Automotive Fleet Leasing Association AFLA and NAFA Another trait that I have observed in common among great fleet professional is that they are all goal setters They set financial goals involving acquisition and remarketing or operational goals involving maintenance and fuel management They strive to reduce not only hard costs but also soft costs They are goal oriented in all aspects of fleet management including driver productivity safety accident management and so forth Editor Additional Feedback u Other readers also weighed in with comments to the November December 2017 editorial entitled Deciphering the DNA of Award Winning Fleet Professionals Here are some examples This is an excellent summary of attributes for fleet leadership Great article Kelley Hatlee Customer Support Supervisor National Service Department Enterprise Fleet Management St Louis Mo Wonderful insight Lee Pierce Global Fleet Manager Weatherford Houston Great article Thank you Sara Burnam Director Fleet Management Palm Beach County West Palm Beach Fla