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AF's Top 100 Commercial Fleets for 1978

Our annual Top Fleets ranking represent more than 272,000 vehicles.

by Staff
March 1, 1980
7 min to read


AF Fleet Rank

Company & Headquarters

Fleet Contact

Co. Owned

Lessor (s)

# Cars

# Lt. Trucks & Vans

Total

1

Xerox

Rochester, NY

Ron Pink

-

Gelco, Hertz , Leaseway

8,250

1,750

10,000

2

Frito-Lay

Dallas, TX

Joe Wilson

Pete Philip

´

-

300

8,300

8,600

3

Tupperware

Orlando, FL

Bernie Janis

-

"In-House" Leasing

7,300

-

7,800

4

3-M

St. Paul, MN

Floyd Piper

´

-

5,469

1,614

7,083

5

Honeywell

Minneapolis, MN

Doug McLeod

-

Gelco PH&H

5,000

2,000

7,000

6

Orkin

Atlanta, GA

Porter Thompson

´

Chrysler B&M (Beaudry)

3,200

3,100

6,300

7

Goodyear

Akron, OH

Jay Furbay

´

Only 250 Cars Leased

1,840

4,440

6,280

8

Westinghouse

Pittsburgh, PA

Lou Dobak

-

"In-House" Leasing

4,000

2,000

6,000

9

Union Carbide

New York, NY

Walt Dzitko

-

Wheels, Gelco Hertz

3,500

2,000

5,500

10

Tenneco

Houston, TX

John Gudelman

´

Fleet Services

3,457

1,972

5,429

11

Digit Equipment

Maynard, MA

Steve Bury

´

PH&H

5,000

200

5,200

12

Exxon

Houston, TX

Jack Lamb

´

-

2,580

2,400

4,980

13

Dow Chemical

Midland, MI

Dwight Olsen Pamela Pfuehler

-

CCEC/ McCullagh

2,900

2,100

5,000

14

Allstate

Northbrook, IL

Bob Peluso "Bud" Fenger

´

-

4,300

50

4,350

15

Shaklee

Emeryville, CA

Pete Wood

´

-

4,200

25

4,225

16

Motorola

Schaumburg, IL

Rudy Diblik

´

-

3,800

400

4,200

17

Montgomery Ward

Chicago, IL

Roseann Neveitt

-

Gelco

400

3,500

3,900

18

Nabisco

E. Hanover, NJ

John Mihalker

´

-

3,500

360

3,860

19

Shell

Houston, TX

L.J Boudreax

´

-

2,300

1,400

3,700

20

U.S Steel

Pittsburgh, PA

"Mac" Wilson

´

-

1,600

2,000

3,600

21

Georgia Pacific

Portland, OR

Robert Sumner

´

-

2,000

1,600

3,600

22

Canteen Corp.

Chicago, IL

Tom Gredlics

´

-

1,000

2,500

3,500

23

Eastman Kodak

Rochester, NY

Scott Thomas

´

-

3,500

30

3,530

24

Brown & Root

Houston, TX

Roger Ivey

´

-

1,450

2,050

3,500

25

Continental Insurance

New York, NY

R. Gray Woolsey

´

-

3,487

6

3,493

26

Weyerhaueser

Tacoma, WA

John Peterson

-

"In-House" Leasing

1,119

2,296

3,415

27

Phillips

Bartlesville, OK

E.R. Ewing

´

Major Enterprise

1,303

2,110

3,413

28

W.R Grace

New York, NY

Edward Boehme

´

PH&H Hertz

2,039

1,302

3,341

29

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Salt Lake City, UT

Don Benson

´

-

3,100

-

3,100

30

Purolator

New Hyde Park, NY

Bob Fritts

´

-

200

2,800

3,000

31

Borg-Warner

Palatine, Il

Tom Poland

-

"In House" Leasing

2,600

400

3,000

32

Dresser Ind.

Houston, TX

Jo Barr

-

Dresser

2,000

1,000

3,000

33

Burlington Northern

St. Paul, MN

Lauren Elverhoy

-

Gelco

700

2,200

2,900

34

Liberty Mutual

Boston, MA

Jim Force

´

-

2,800

23

2,823

35

Revlon

New York, NY

Ray Brealt

-

Gelco Hertz

2,800

-

2,800

36

State Farm Insurance

Bloomington, IL

Tom Costigan

´

-

5,700

-

5,700

37

Crawford

Atlanta, GA

B.L. Garrett Wanda Ellison

-

Colesco "In-House"

2,750

-

2,750

38

Avon Products

New York, NY

Doreen Woodrum

-

Gelco Gamble

2,600

-

2,600

39

Transamerica

Los Angeles, CA

Bill Slathour

-

"In-House" Leasing

2,500

100

2,600

40

Hartford Insurance

Hartford, CT

Ralph Radant

´

-

2,600

-

2,600

41

FMC Corp.

Chicago, IL

Kate Schneider

´

-

1,670

830

2,500

42

Kraft

Chicago, IL

Ed Jackstis

´

-

2,400

45

2,445

43

Procter & Gamble

Cincinnati, OH

Clarence O'Dell

N.A

N.A

2,400

-

2,400

44

IC Industries

Chicago, IL

Jeff Grade

-

Gelco

2,000

400

2,400

45

Upjohn

Kalamazoo, MI

Judy Rafferty

-

Wheels Leaseway

2,150

250

2,400

46

Getty Refining

Tulsa, OK

Bob Scott

´

-

300

2,000

2,300

47

Philip Morris

New York, NY

Greg Tarring

-

PH&H

2,200

2

2,202

48

American Cyanamid

Wayne, NJ

Chuck Woehrle

-

ARI, PH&H Allstate

2,125

75

2,200

49

INA

Philadelphia, PA

Charles Krewson

´

-

2,108

6

2,114

50

Federal Express Memphis, TN

Ron Pruitt

-

HLR Corp.

-

2,069

2,069

51

General Foots

White Plains, NY

Christ Pollard

´

-

1,950

80

2,030

52

Household Finance

Chicago, IL

Mary Kowalski

-

Lend Lease

2,000

7

2,007

53

Greyhound

Phoenix, AZ

Ed Bloomfield

´

-

1,900

100

2,000

54

Pfizer

New York, NY

Sara Shannon

-

Wheels PH&H

1,950

50

2,000

55

Pepsi Cola

Chicago, IL

Walt Miller

-

Gelco

200

1,800

2,000

56

Cities Service

Tulsa, OK

Mr. Williams

´

-

750

1,200

1,950

57

N.L McCullough/ NL Ind.

Houston, TX

Earl Reeves

-

PH&H

1,252

681

1,933

58

Allstate Insurance

Northbrook, IL

"Bud" Fenger

-

Allstate

1,900

-

1,900

59

Economics Labs

St. Paul, MN

Mr. Itel

Pete Schnidg

´

-

1,780

70

1,850

60

Merck

Rahway, NJ

Alma Cristauro

-

PH&H

1,735

85

1,820

61

Fireman's Fund

San Francisco, CA

Dan Townsend

Both

U.S Fleet

1,800

10

1,810

62

General Mills

Minneapolis, MN

Jim Rowe

Henry Paetzel

´

-

1,600

200

1,800

63

Amoco Oil

Chicago, IL

Tom Buckley

´

-

1,800

-

1,800

64

Ashland Oil

Ashland, KY

Mary Lou Dougherty

´

Cancelling Lessors

1,600

150

1,750

65

Marathon Oil

Findlay, OH

Lois Smith

´

Gelco

725

1,000

1,725

66

Wausau Insurance Co.

 Wausau, WI

Dorothy Elliot

´

Consolidated Gelco

1,700

12

1,712

67

Ingersoll-Rand

Los Angeles, CA

Terry Felicia

-

Wheels Gambles

1,225

475

1,700

68

Johnson & Johnson

New Brunswick, NJ

H. Smorgans

-

"In-House" Leasing

1,600

100

1,700

69

Farmers Insurance Group

Pasadena, CA

Willis Wheeler

-

"In-House" Leasing

1,700

-

1,700

70

U.S. Fidelity & Guaranty

Baltimore, MD

Jack Sibley

´

-

1,650

-

1,650

71

Moore Business Forms

Glenview, IL

Greg Furch

-

ARI Gambles

1,600

8

1,608

72

Jewell Companies

Chicago, IL

Bill Thomas

´

-

400

1,200

1,600

73

Back of America

San Francisco, CA

Don Dennler

´

-

1,500

100

1,600

74

McDonald's

Oak Brook, IL

Don Kolb

-

PH&H

1,500

50

1,550

75

Searle

Skokie, IL

Ilene Mann

-

ARI

1,500

50

1,550

76

Brown & Williamson

Louisville, KY

Bob Whitfield

´

-

1,450

50

1,500

77

Gulf Oil

Houston, TX

R. Sowickie

J.E. Cumming

-

Gelco ARI

1,300

170

1,470

78

Sherwin

Cleveland, OH

G.N. Hickey

-

N.A

650

750

1,400

79

Eli Lilly

Indianapolis, IN

Vic Hassler Sue Webster

-

Wheels Lend Lease

1,400

-

1,400

80

Smith Kline Corp.

Philadelphia, PA

John Mahony Bill Haney

-

ARI, Wheels

1,310

49

1,359

81

Thomas J. Lipton

Englewood Cliffs, NJ

Walter Langseder

´

-

750

600

1,350

82

American Tobacco

New York, NY

Harold Powers

´

-

1,190

125

1,315

83

Owens Illinois

Toledo, OH

Mary Johnson

-

PH&H McCullagh

1,170

130

1,300

84

Lorillard

New York, NY

George Klock

´

PH&H Gambles

1,300

-

1,300

85

Pepsico, Inc.

Purchase, NY

S. Levy

Barbara Gunport

´

Mission Leasing, Gelco

400

900

1,300

86

Abbott Labs No.

Chicago, IL

Mack Taylor

-

PH&H, Wheels

1,300

-

1,300

87

Hallmark Cards

Kansas City, MO

Helen Bland

´

-

1,250

-

1,250

88

American Greetings

Cleveland, OH

Pat Percival

-

PH&H McCullagh

1,250

-

1,250

89

Owens/Corning

Toledo, OH

Earl Mitchell Bev Decello

-

PH&H

1,100

100

1,200

90

Hoffman Laroche

Nutley, NJ

Roy Ingalls

´

PH&H

1,050

150

1,200

91

American Can

Greenwich, CT

Eileen Samia

-

PH&H

1,100

100

1,200

92

Johns Manville

Denver, CO

A.R. Holden

´

Kerr

1,000

200

1,200

93

American Home Products

New York, NY

Elizabeth Witkowski

-

Wheels

1,200

-

1,200

94

Colgate Palmolive

New York, NY

Francis Kelly

-

PH&H

1,150

2

1,152

95

GAF Corp.

Wayne, NJ

Sal Giacchi

-

Genway, Hertz, Sentinal

1,125

-

1,125

96

Gerber Products

Fremont, MI

Pat Sheehan

´

Wheels, ARI

950

150

1,100

97

Baxter-Travenol

Deerfield, IL

Pat Sheehan

´

Wheels, ARI

950

150

1,100

98

L'eggs

Winston-Salem, NC

Bob Morris

-

Hollister, Wheels

100

1,000

1,100

99

Continental Oil

Houston, TX

Leon Nierman

´

-

851

187

1,038

100

Coca Cola

Atlanta, GA

Carol Hunerwadel

´

-

1,000

30

1,030


TOTAL




199,007

73,918

272,925


In May 1980, AF updated the original listing with the information below.

The last seven of the fleets listed in this update are new to the list, thus changing the ranking of many of the fleets published in March. The numbers shown to the left of each listing are the new fleets' ranks in the updated charts.



AF Fleet Rank

Company & Headquarters

Fleet Contact

Co. Owned

Lessor (s)

# Cars

# Lt. Trucks & Vans

Total

3

Tupperware

Orlando, FL

Bernie Janis

-

"In-House"

7,800

-

7,800

9

State Farm Insurance

Bloomington, IL

Tom Sours

-

Colesco "In-House"

5,700

-

5,700

13

Dow Chemical

Midland, MI

Dwight Olsen Pamela Pfuehler

-

CCEC/ McCullagh

2,900

2,100

5,000

23

Johnson Controls

Milwaukee, WI

R.M. Borchert

-

Gelco Wheels Southgate

1,300

2,260

3,560

38

GAB Business Services

New York, NY

G.J. Keenan

´

PHH

2,800

-

2,800

39

Travelers Insurance

Hartford, CT

Art Derdarian

-

PHH

2,800

-

2,800

49

Diebold, Inc.

Canton, OH

Dave Allton

-

PHH Leaseway Gambles Guardsman

900

1,500

2,400

50

Chessie System

Baltimore, MD

P.C. McNulty

´

PHH ARI

800

1,600

2,400

82

St. Regis Paper Co.

New York, NY

R.G. McCarthy

-

ARI Gambles Associates Consultants, Inc.

800

700

1,500

93

Bell & Howell

Chicago, IL

Kathleen M. Rodig

-

ARI Wheels Leaseway

1,100

200

1,300



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