Bundaberg Regional Council’s Manager Fleet Services Andrew Railz (pictured on left) discusses the challenges and opportunities fleet is facing.
The interview below with Andrew was originally published in the IPWEA Fleet e-news in May 2015. See more on the IPWEA website.
What are the main challenges you face today as a fleet manager at Bundaberg?
Andrew: Fewer major projects are being undertaken due to decreasing capital budgets so utilisation levels of Council’s yellow plant items have decreased.
At this moment in time our fleet is the same size, but the amount of work we are required to do has become less. It means I haven’t been able to recover the amount of plant hire I need to recover. We are looking at downsizing our yellow plant due to low utilisation.
Technology is constantly changing in the industry, what impact does this have on fleet managers?
I guess one of the key things that is difficult to keep up with is the advancement of technology in fleet. If you look at most council fleet departments, they usually own items from every brand known to man. One of our challenges as fleet managers is providing mechanics with training to service these machines.
When I talk to people about fleet, I tell them that every fleet department is individual. In Brisbane, for example you may have six Toyota dealers, in Bundaberg there might be one Toyota dealer then further west there are no Toyota dealers so your technical support is limited. This is why we need to train our mechanics.
Do you find it easy to recruit new members of staff?
I have no problems recruiting mechanics at the moment – mainly due to the downturn in the mining sector.
Specialist fleet management staff, however, can be difficult to recruit. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that there has been limited professional development available until recently. It’s often difficult for a mechanic to gain that fleet management experience. Now we have IPWEA’s Fleet Management Certificate to help bridge the gap.
What are the main objectives of the Fleet panel?
To advance fleet management in Australia by providing professional development services.
It’s often forgotten that the fleet management profession has only really been considered a profession over the last 10 years.
What industry issues would you like to address in your role on the Fleet panel?
We often promote the most talented mechanic off the workshop floor without paying any attention to the fact that he is likely to have little or no experience and training in staff management, budgeting, dealing with senior management, etc.
The Fleet Panel has recognised the lack of training available to new workshop supervisors or those mechanics wishing to transition to supervisory roles. The Fleet Management Certificate addresses this challenge and provides a clear path for advancement in the fleet management industry. We will continue to champion this.
