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What do you have to do to ensure everything is planned?

By FLEET e-news posted 06-10-2022
What do you have to do to ensure everything is planned? By: Anonymous Fleet Manager I ask for new requirements and replacement details for plant and equipment four months prior to the new financial year to ensure all requests are considered and funding is directed appropriately. I will even personally contact those I know will be a problem child. Somehow, they still can’t remember this! Even with all this communication the system still fails. Come the new financial year and I’m ready to spend, I get comments back to me like “That’s not what we want now. We want two of this make and model together with this body set up”. It’s only another $38,000 (each)! ...
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In case you missed it, here's a recent post in the Ask Your Mates Forum

By FLEET e-news posted 06-10-2022
In case you missed it, here's a recent post in the Ask Your Mates Forum 1. Visit to Shell Harbour Council : It was a sunny spring day when I visited Shell Harbour Council located one hour south of Sydney. I caught up with John Maslanka and Justin Hazelwood. They have supported many different areas of the council operations including a waste depot, marina, golf course and airport. I noticed the vehicles in the car park were all reversed into their spots (like at Parramatta). John explained that it was a safety initiative and the number of accidents had dropped significantly since implementing this simple requirement. Amanda, ...
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IPWEA FLEET Plant and Vehicle Management Professional Development Opportunities

By FLEET e-news posted 06-10-2022
IPWEA FLEET Plant and Vehicle Management Professional Development Opportunities Fleet Management Workshops . After a COVID enforced break, IPWEA Fleet is bringing the fleet community back together with the Fleet Management Training Workshops. These full day face-to-face events will allow local fleet teams to reconnect with each other and share the learnings from a challenging period while planning for a different future with electric and connected technologies. Held in most capital cities this coming October and November, the Workshops will include a mix of interactive professional development sessions and industry briefings. Click on the following ...
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The future is electric

By FLEET e-news posted 06-10-2022
By Marc Sibbald – Director IPWEA FLEET The future is electric In September the Tesla Model Y was the number three selling car in Australia. It made headlines everywhere because it’s something that was considered unachievable several years ago. It proves that the world has changed post-pandemic which means the expectations on Fleet Managers is changing as well. Since the last issue of Fleet Intouch I’ve been able to visit many depots and workshops. It’s been humbling to see what a great job our IPWEA Fleet Subscribers are doing with each and every fleet (follow Ask Your Mates to see the photos). I’ve learnt so much about workshop operations, garbage trucks ...
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Fleet Winter Webinar Series 2022 Wrap-up

By FLEET e-news posted 06-10-2022
Fleet Winter Webinar Series 2022 Wrap-up by Ken Goldberg, Consultant, IPWEA Fleet The Fleet Winter Webinar Series for 2022 has finished but is not forgotten. IPWEA Fleet’s themed webinar series had a terrific line-up of speakers over 4 sessions to deal with the very challenging and real issue of managing fleet in a tight labour market. The fleet community is absolutely facing this now and the sessions provided practical, well-thought through information to webinar attendees. Below is a summary of the key takeaways across the series. The first session was on branding and marketing to attract a broader fleet workforce demographic. The speaker, ...
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How much can I really tow?

By FLEET e-news posted 06-10-2022
How much can I really tow? by Stephen Haughey, Consultant, IPWEA Fleet and Chief Instructor, XDrive What a lot of vehicle manufacturers fail to mention is that hauling a vehicle (e.g., trailer, float, etc.) up to your maximum towing capability can sometimes affect the amount of weight you can carry. Depending upon the situation, this may impact the legal weight and lead to serious consequences. To highlight this, I have used the Ford PX Ranger as an example. The PX-series has been a commonly used mid-sized utility designed and engineered by Ford Australia and based on Ford’s T6 platform. First, let’s look at a couple of the vehicle’s weight ratings. ...
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IPWEA FLEET Manager’s Column

By FLEET e-news posted 12-08-2022
By Marc Sibbald – Director IPWEA FLEET Thank you for the warm welcome! It’s been six weeks since I started the role as Director IPWEA Fleet and I’m enjoying the opportunity to talk with members and learn about the projects people have been working on. As the Director of IPWEA Fleet, my task is to ensure our members are engaged, supported, and have opportunities to continue their professional development along a pathway of continuous learning. There’s no doubt that the next 10 years will be one of the most exciting times to be involved in fleet management as the world moves away from petrol and diesel engines towards zero emission vehicles. No one knows ...
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In case you missed it, here's a recent post in the Ask Your Mates Forum

By FLEET e-news posted 12-08-2022
In case you missed it, here's a recent post in the Ask Your Mates Forum Topic: Small Mobile Plant : Robert: Interested in hearing your opinions or approaches to handling small plant equipment (whipper snippers, chainsaws, pumps and the like) regarding Fleet/Asset management. What are your policies/procedures? What are your opinions on lifecycle replacement/budgeting? Thomas: All our small plant/outdoor power equipment e.g., Quick Cuts, Mowers, Chainsaws etc. are on a 6-month inspection and/or maintenance schedule. Refer to the 'Managing the risk of plant in the workplace QLD code of practice 2013' section 3.6 Inspecting ...
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The IPWEA Asset Management Pathway

By FLEET e-news posted 12-08-2022
The IPWEA Asset Management Pathway The IPWEA Asset Management Pathway is available now to meet the current and future needs of the asset and infrastructure focused public works professional. The Pathway supports your career development as an asset custodian, building your capability with practical learning opportunities, underpinned by our world best practice publications such as the International Infrastructure Management Manual (IIMM) and the International Infrastructure Financial Management Manual (IIFMM). You can choose to undertake one course or complete the pathway with a view to achieving an internationally recognised designation. Register for ...
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IPWEA FLEET Plant and Vehicle Management Professional Development Opportunities

By FLEET e-news posted 12-08-2022
IPWEA FLEET Plant and Vehicle Management Professional Development Opportunities Winter Webinar Series 2022 . IPWEA FLEET conduct themed webinar series annually providing practical information to the fleet community. The theme for this year’s webinar series is ‘Managing your fleet in a tight labour market’, which is a contemporary issue for fleet practitioners that you will not want to miss. Below are the dates and session topics: Session 1 Date/Time: Thursday, 25/8/22 at 11 am (1 hour duration) Topic: Branding and marketing to attract a broader Fleet workforce demographic Session 2 Date/Time: Thursday, 1/9/22 at 11 am (1 hour duration) ...
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Driving me up the wall

By FLEET e-news posted 12-08-2022
Driving me up the wall By: Anonymous Fleet Manager Time and time again the fleet department is instructed to implement a GPS tracking system with intelligent software. So, the fleet department then invests massive amounts of time to specify, procure and install a system. Mind you, this doesn’t include the initial cost and ongoing monthly fees – which are nothing to sniff at! But this is what really gets my goat! As far as I know, hardly anyone ends up using the system, which is expensive and time-consuming. I know there are numerous benefits using a system for the fleet department. The real benefits are obviously only realised when operational staff ...
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The formation and leadership of fleet strategy

By FLEET e-news posted 12-08-2022
The formation and leadership of fleet strategy by Ken Goldberg – Consultant, IPWEA FLEET Some of you may recall that I presented on Leadership in Fleet Management at the IPWEA Australasian Fleet Conference earlier this year. I covered theories relating to the formation and leadership of fleet strategy. This article has been included in this edition of Fleet intouch as a result of further interest in the topic. There are lots of ways to develop fleet strategy. A simple method entails essentially 4 key questions, as follows: 1) What do the users of our services want? This question is customer (or stakeholder) focused, to help you understand your ...
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EVs FBT free from 1st July 2022 -

By Marc Sibbald posted 28-07-2022
Hi everyone, Here's some very exciting news that will change the WOL for electric vehicles. It also creates an opportunity to add EVs as pool vehicles without working about who drives them home. https://fleetevnews.com.au/ev-fbt-exemption-bill-introduced-into-parliament/
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What will Fleet Management look like in the future?

By FLEET e-news posted 21-06-2022
By Rob Wilson – Director IPWEA FLEET What will Fleet Management look like in the future? The events of recent years may provide some insight into what lay ahead. While future challenges may be different, there are causes and effects that indicate two distinct areas that will continue to evolve in the practice of fleet management. Agility Agility is the ability to be flexible and respond quickly to change. This is a challenge for large organisations, but we have seen it can happen. We’ve seen organisations compelled to extend their replacement cycles and this reinforces the need to evolve beyond a notional optimum replacement time to a broad risk-based ...
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Can Your Obligations on Flexible Work, Gender Equality & Diversity Become Your New Superpower?

By FLEET e-news posted 21-06-2022
Can Your Obligations on Flexible Work, Gender Equality & Diversity Become Your New Superpower? (Part 2 of 2-part series) by Anne-Maree Coyne – Senior Consultant, Modus Management In Part 1 of this series, we looked at how flexible work arrangements, especially job sharing, can be a great strategy for attracting and retaining staff in the Fleet Industry (April 2022, Fleet Intouch). Flexible work arrangements are proving increasingly popular with employees wanting a better work life balance. This is particularly so as many of us return to workplaces, having experienced more flexible ‘work from home’ arrangements during Covid restrictions. Employees ...
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Zero Emissions Bus, Truck and Van Quarterly Report (Free Download)

By FLEET e-news posted 21-06-2022
Zero Emissions Bus, Truck and Van Quarterly Report (Free Download) Evenergi have launched the third edition of the Zero Emissions Bus, Truck and Van (BTV) Report in Australia. This is a very useful resource acting as a guide for tracking the market to make the transition to zero emissions happen. The report provides the following advantages: Be the first to know when new vehicles are available Compare all vehicles in the market by key specifications Understand the market readiness index by segment Understand charging platforms that are available and key specifications With the onset of the global climate crisis, many bus, truck and van fleet ...
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Everyone has a digital clock!

By FLEET e-news posted 21-06-2022
Everyone has a digital clock! By: Anonymous Fleet Manager I know everyone has a digital clock now (on your phone, on your PC, in your car, etc.) but just in case you don’t know how to use the old-fashioned type – When the big hand is on 6 and the little hand in on 2 its 2:30! I wonder why everybody’s time is more important than mine. If we have a meeting scheduled – SHOW UP ON TIME. That also means for online meetings – oh by the way your device will prompt you. I’ve even had staff ask me to remind them about a scheduled appointment. Here’s an idea – you remind me to remind you! It’s not only good business practice and good manners but a reflection ...
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IPWEA FLEET Plant and Vehicle Management Professional Development Opportunities

By FLEET e-news posted 21-06-2022
IPWEA FLEET Plant and Vehicle Management Professional Development Opportunities Winter Webinar Series 2022 . IPWEA FLEET conduct themed webinar series annually providing practical information to the fleet community. The theme for this year’s webinar series is ‘Managing your fleet in a tight labour market’, which is a contemporary issue for fleet practitioners. Mark your calendars for the following dates and session topics: Session 1 Date/Time: Thursday, 18/8/22 at 11 am (1 hour duration) Topic: Branding and marketing to attract a broader workforce demographic Session 2 Date/Time: Thursday, 1/9/22 at 11 am (1 hour duration) Topic: ...
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Ask-Your-Mates (FAQ)

By FLEET e-news posted 21-06-2022
In case you missed it, here's a recent post in the Ask Your Mates Forum Question on Recording of Assets Condition : Question on  1. Recording of Assets condition Hi Everyone Is anyone videoing their roads/ assets as a photographic/video graphic evidence needed with other authorities or internal purposes capturing the true and evident condition of the road/asset? If yes, can you please provide what equipment is best suited for this purpose? Dennis Purse | Temporary Flood Recovery Coordinator | Moree Plains Shire Council ------------------------------ Click here to view the full discussion on Ask Your Mates. ...
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Internal Combustion - Angry Fleet Manager Column

By FLEET e-news posted 20-04-2022
A bad manager blames everyone else! By: Anonymous Fleet Manager You know the old saying – a bad carpenter blames his tools. Well, I’ve got a new one – a bad manager blames EVERYONE ELSE! How many times have you heard someone say “The trouble is these young people…” or “It’s hard to get good help these days”. Well to those managers I say, what have you done to support the team? Have you specified the job properly? Have you provided detailed induction, so the new person understands what is expected? Have you ensured adequate supervision? Have you explained where to get help? Have you undertaken and skills analysis to understand any training requirements ...
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