January 2008


March 2013
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Finding a Fleet Management FitIntegrating a telematics system allowed this plumbing services company to take control of fleet management from a leasing company that wasn’t proving effective. |
March 2013
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Rethink Your Tool HaulerIf you’re hauling a lot of tools for your contracting business, dump your pickup and consider this type of custom-built rolling toolbox. |
March 2013
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Propane Factors for a Small FleetThis coffee roasting company says that at 50,000 miles annually per vehicle, the bi-fuel propane autogas conversion on two vans will likely pay back in less than one year. |
January 2013
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Better Life Maids Sees the Value of FleetProviding company vehicles is helping this cleaning company grow its business, retain workers and market itself as an environmentally friendly brand. |
January 2013
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Spec'ing the Extra Mile with Do-It-Yourself ModificationsThis sales fleet used some do-it-yourself modifications on the Isuzu Reach to create the optimal operating environment for its drivers. |
January 2013
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The Power of Data: Changing Driver BehaviorsTechnology can help monitor your drivers’ behaviors, but this small fleet puts the data into the drivers’ hands with a friendly peer competition. |
November 2012![]() |
The Urban Maze: Making Deliveries Count in NYCOperating its chain of drug stores in the tight spaces of New York City, Duane Reade has engineered a new concept in inventory management while optimizing its fleet for electrification. |
July 2012![]() |
Downsize to Rightsize: Service Fleet Leaps into the Scion xBThis HVAC company downsized its service vehicles from traditional cargo vans to the Scion xB — without a technician revolt. Read how the company made the vehicle work and saved significantly on gas. |
July 2012![]() |
Cleaning Company Utilizes Drivers as Mini-Fleet ManagersFor a company with just a few vehicles to manage, and with crews working out of them daily, Everclean Maids tells Business Fleet in this web exclusive how it relies on its drivers to not only manage the accompanying cleaning crews but the vehicles as well. |
July 2012 |
Ice Distribution Company Weighs Leasing, Rental Costs Over OwnershipIn this web-exclusive feature of ice manufacturing and distribution company, Summit Ice President Brian Washnock looks at how the company manages its mix of owned, leased and rented fleet, and more importantly, how he gets the ‘peace of mind’ that his drivers and trucks are safe. |
May 2012 |
Inside the Green Fleet Decision ProcessWith a directive to go green, numerous fleet applications and so many alternative-fuel and power options, what’s a fleet manager to do? Work the grants system, fit the vehicle to the task and calculate a favorable ROI. |
January 2012![]() |
The Juggler: How a Fleet Manager Moves a CircusFor the Big Apple Circus, transporting this small fleet requires a big top’s worth of planning. Learn how Tom Larson and his crew take the circus on the road, where the fleet manager becomes the ringmaster. |
December 2011 |
Pedal Power: The Ultimate Alternative Fuel?Bicycles used in a business can help save on more than just fuel expenses. Bikes reduce wear and tear on an existing fleet and lower expenses such as vehicle licensing and registration, insurance, damage repairs and parking tickets. |
September 2011![]() |
Portable Toilet Company Makes Best Use of GPS TrackingMobile Thrones, a portable toilet company in northern Texas, spends $10,000 a month on diesel fuel, making route management an integral part of keeping costs down for this small business. |
May 2011![]() |
Propane-Powered and ProfitableAustin Gutter King, a rain gutter installation and maintenance company, is realizing reduced fuel and maintenance costs after converting four vehicles to run on propane. The company has a total of 18 vehicles in its fleet. |
March 2011![]() |
The Science of RightsizingSteve Fisher uses a proactive approach to fleet cycling and procurement to rein in fleet costs for Communications International, a Vero Beach, Fla.-based public safety communications systems provider. |
January 2011![]() |
Managing A Quickly Growing FleetSince Will Smith joined Vector Resources, the company has expanded from a cable installation business to a major IT network provider for Fortune 500 companies. Learn how Smith has managed the fleet to keep pace. |
January 2011 |
Good Enough to Eat: From the Bakery to the VanOwners of an upscale cupcake bakery have transformed their Mercedes Sprinter into a mobile sales center and an extension of their brand. Their traveling enterprise started at the movie studios, but setting up shop in their plain white vans and generic folding tables wasn't cutting it. |
November 2010![]() |
Maintaining Control through Customization and Open-Ended LeasesLearn why the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA switched to custom-built vans and open-end leases. With so many of the organization's rescue vehicles at the end of their lifecycle, it looked to purpose-built vans as a reasonable alternative to trucks. |
September 2010![]() |
Somebody Call Security!For security system installers, the big, white van with shelves in the back and ladder racks on the roof has long been the standard bearer. Over the past several years, however, a challenging economic climate and soaring fuel costs have forced fleet managers in that industry to consider new options. |
July 2010![]() |
Small Fleet Right-Sizes Lease ProgramWith the right lease partner, the proper lease structure and driver controls, Roller Bearing Co. now has few worries these days. And that works well, as the person managing the fleet not only handles the vehicles, but everything from worker's comp, property/casualty insurance programs, benefits, union contract negotiations, long-term customer contracts and real estate. |
January 2010![]() |
Propane Provides a Competitive EdgeWhen Eric Hansen set out on his mission to create the first propane-powered lawn care crew in 2008, he couldn't have imagined the attention his 10-vehicle fleet would eventually attract. |
November 2009![]() |
In It For the Long HaulThis 53-year-old concrete drilling business, Roughneck Concrete Drilling & Sawing Company, is high maintenance when it comes to fleet, which also requires specialty equipment such as slab saws, core drilling machines and Bobcats. The result is a low incidence of breakdowns and vans that last up to 15 years. |
July 2009![]() |
A Clean and Uniform FleetWith onsite refueling, custom-built vans and proactive maintenance, Ziker Cleaners and Uniforms uses unique partnerships with local vendors to keep its fleet running smoothly. The third-generation, family-owned company has formed unique partnerships with other longstanding local businesses such as a Ford dealership, an oil company and custom van builder Utilimaster to aid the company in managing its fleet. |
May 2009
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Preventive Maintenance from 40,000 to 400,000 MilesThree small fleet administrators and a lessor share tips on preventive maintenance, from sensible PM for low-mileage vehicles to strict guidelines to help get your vehicles to 400,000 miles. |
March 2009
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Controlling Fleet Costs through MetricsBy using systems that monitor maintenance, advertising, payroll and job tracking, Joe Christenson has improved his fleet's efficiency and alleviated the need to outsource fleet management. |
January 2009
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Fleets Become ElectrifiedThese "first adopters" have created a blueprint for other companies on how to green their fleets while staying within budget. Four fleets—two universities, a construction company and a seafood delivery company—reveal the process of adopting different types of electric vehicle technology and how they made it work within budget for their individual applications. |
November 2008![]() |
Bug Doctor Crushes Fleet CostsStuart Aust operates a fleet of 27 vehicles, which includes Ford Rangers and F-150 pickup trucks. The F-150s carry termite and power spray rigs, while managers and inspectors drive Volkswagen Beetles, and Aust drives a Hummer H2. |
September 2008![]() |
High Fuel Costs Push Companies Toward Managed Fleet ProgramEven small fleets that reimburse at the IRS rate are being hit hard. Multiplying the 8-cent increase by 30 vehicles that drive 12,000 miles per year adds about $30,000 per year in fleet expense. |
January 2008
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Bakery Goes Green and Saves GreenCharles Feder, owner and operator of Rossmoor Pastries in Signal Hill, Calif., fortuitously stumbled upon a goldmine when he purchased his first natural gas vehicle (NGV) at auction in April 2006. The dedicated compressed natural gas (CNG) Dodge van, with only 14,000 miles, cost $4,300, while the gasoline-fueled vans were going for around $7,000. |
May 2007
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Benchmarking Keeps this Fleet on TrackLarry Gemma's trucks average 7.35 miles per gallon. His cost for preventive maintenance is 69 percent of his total maintenance and repair bill. And when a driver is off the road due to vehicle maintenance, the lost potential revenue is about four times the amount of the vehicle repair cost. How does Gemma get these important statistics about his fleet costs? Benchmarking. |
March 2006
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Small Fleet Best Practices: PurchasingThese delivery and service companies say personal relationships and painless transactions win out over price haggling. See what these seven companies say have helped them through the years, and lessons they've learned along the way. |
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