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More stories about Department

  • High-tech systems monitor fuel use

    In these days of high fuel costs, it's important to know how well your fleet is doing with respect to fuel mileage and use. A good fuel management system can help you do that. You can identify vehicles that are not getting good fuel mileage, and you can use the mileage information to schedule...

  • Dealing with driver/operator shortages

    In-house training has proven to be the answer for public works departments that have difficulty finding qualified equipment operators and truck drivers.

  • Open-ended truck specifying speeds process

  • Fleet software saves time, money

    If you want to avoid having horror stories to tell, said Sam Lamerato, do your homework thoroughly when choosing your fleet management software. It's a must to visit another government agency to see your prospective software in action, said Lamerato, former chairman of the Fleet Services Committee...

  • Keeping your equipment shop updated

    Darryl Syler, fleet operations manager for Little Rock, Ark., and 38 technicians operate four shops in which they maintain some 1200 vehicles and machines for the city. “Our biggest challenge is to stay up-to-date with the ability to diagnose and repair our fleet and equipment,” he said.

  • Compensation packages ease hiring problems

    Benefits packages help public works departments attract and retain qualified fleet mechanics, even if public-sector wages run somewhat below the private sector, say fleet managers. Shortages of qualified mechanics appear to be a regional problem.

  • Training: put it in the purchase contract

    Providing training for mechanics these days—especially for new heavy equipment—can be a challenge, especially for smaller cities and counties. The solution, most fleet managers have found, is to write training into the purchase contracts for the equipment. Then it becomes the vendor's...

  • Quick-sealing tire technology

    Earlier this year Goodyear introduced commercial tire technology, called DuraSeal, that repairs tire punctures. And it works, said Ross Petrini, Toronto's fleet maintenance operations manager.

  • The fine art of foiling flats

    Should you do tire maintenance in-house or contract for it? With your own people, you may have more control, but a contracted shop often can do it for less money.

  • Managing your PM program— cost-effectively

    To make preventive maintenance (PM) cost effective, you need to strike a balance. Service intervals should be short enough to catch problems and prevent breakdowns, but if you can stretch out service intervals, you may save some money.