By Derrick L. Coley
March 19, 2001

The plenary session Fleet Management and Decision Making, moderated by James Dineen, Montgomery County (OH) centered on the debate over centralized v. decentralized fleet operational services, outlined effective management techniques and discussed the benefits of preventive maintenance scheduling.

Ray Fabrizio, city of Philadelphia (PA), shared his city's transition from a de-centralized to a centralized facility. The centralized facility has a greater emphasis on providing a preventive maintenance schedule and the equipment necessary to complete repairs. The adaptation of the preventive maintenance schedule has allowed for greater vehicle availability.

Doug Snell, city of Dayton (OH), emphasized the need for fleet diversity to provide to environmental changes, such as elevation and narrow work areas. He stressed the need for fleet vehicles to take into account low impact effects on the environment after the work has been completed.

Both Philadelphia and Dayton pro-actively monitor repair needs, providing for greater flexibility. In Dayton, operators fill out service requests identifying maintenance needs. Regular, preventive maintenance scheduling allows for schedule re-adjustment and eliminated redundancy for Philadelphia's fleet. Both cities agree, effective and preventive fleet maintenance leads to a better bottom line.