A fleet manager is responsible for maintaining and operating a fleet of vehicles, trucks, or equipment. A fleet can belong to a government agency such as the post office, a service organization such as the fire or police department, a private enterprise that makes deliveries, and so on. A fleet can be large or small, consisting of two or three vehicles or thousands of vehicles. The number of mechanics and technicians required to maintain the fleet will vary with its size, but the fleet manager is generally a people supervisor as well as the manager of the operation.  A full fleet may require administrative personnel as well as mechanics, so for large teams, the fleet manager may have several supervisors reporting to him, each with a team of their own.

Qualifications necessary to become a fleet manager vary with the employer. Some employers like to see a four year degree in business administration or a related job field. Others are willing to promote fleet mechanics or supervisors who show the right skills and have a background that includes several years working in a fleet environment. Some employers require three to four years of journey level experience as a heavy equipment mechanic along with a two or four year degree.

Good communication skills, good planning and organizational skills and effective decision making ability are important qualifications for anyone aspiring to a fleet management position, along with superior knowledge of the business being managed.

The core duty of a fleet manager is to organize and administer the fleet so that it runs smoothly, meets schedules and is properly maintained. A big part of the job is making sure that routine maintenance schedules are developed and followed so that the fleet is in good working order at all times.

It is also necessary to enforce good record keeping and analyze metrics like gas usage and vehicle downtimes in order to maximize profits.

Fleet managers direct technicians and administrative personnel associated with maintaining the fleet. They develop standards, checklists and policies for maintaining and servicing vehicles and are responsible for the fleet’s operating budget. A fleet manager makes budget decisions such as whether to purchase or lease a new fleet vehicle, what to do when a vehicle is out of service due to repairs, and how to dispose of vehicles that are no longer serviceable.

Fleet managers are also responsible for ensuring that the organization follows health and safety standards, has safe operating procedures and accident prevention programs in place. Fleet managers might create operating procedure manuals or task someone else on the team to do so. If there are local or civil codes or government regulations and policies that must be followed, it is the responsibility of the fleet manager to find out what those are and adhere to them.

Because a fleet manager is responsible for people as well as vehicles, he or she is often responsible for performance evaluations, pay increases, and resource scheduling and management. Fleet managers are responsible for hiring and sometimes firing staff. At times it might be necessary to enforce disciplinary action. At times like this it is important to have good communication skills, be a good problem solver and have the ability to resolve conflicts if they arise.