First published by Government Fleet. 

Public fleet managers may be the experts in their industries, but outside forces such as elected officials and government administrators have a large say in fleet decisions. What should fleet managers know about how to communicate with these officials?

JD Schulte’s 27-year tenure with the City of Moline, IL, began with a job as a technician and has included 12 years as fleet manager, a brief stint as interim city administrator, and, 18 months ago, a promotion to his current role as Director of Public Works. Before accepting the fleet manager job, he suggested the operation be run like a business: departments would lease vehicles and other assets from a centralised fleet on an amortised basis, and the facility would serve as a regional hub for fleet maintenance.

They agreed, and the plan worked. The city has negotiated agreements with various agencies, including the US Department of Defence. 

Schulte believes the institutional knowledge he gained from his first decade-­plus in municipal service helped make his plan a reality, and his time as interim city administrator has helped him gain a fuller understanding of fleet’s role in overall government management.

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