Over the 2024 awards season and at the AFLA (Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association) annual conference in San Antonio, fleet professionals across the industry received recognition for their efforts toward excellence in leadership, efficiency, fleet management, and more.

What makes a fleet leader, or more fittingly, a champion, anyway?

Through the 2024 nomination processes, Automotive Fleet compiled data on Fleet Manager of the Year (sponsored by Wheels), Fleet Visionary (sponsored by Merchants Fleet), Fleet Hall of Fame nominees, and the Fleet Safety Award winner to determine what qualities make a notable fleet champion.

An overall analysis provided insights into outstanding leadership qualities, such as communication, driving positive change, adaptability, mentorship, and team support. However, specific achievements show what fleet industry trends and topics a fleet champion prioritizes that set them apart from the pack.

Initiatives surrounding sustainability, safety, and operational efficiency may be strong indicators of what it takes to be a fleet champion. Still, total transformation in these areas and fleet management practices drive them home.

Leading the Way in Sustainability

Sustainability plays a huge role in how fleets plan for the long term. To ensure a future where others can manage their resources responsibly, more and more fleet managers have become conscious of their fleet's contributions to the environment.

Examples of sustainability efforts include electric vehicle (EV) adoption and emission reduction. However, for these practices to make an impact, it's about setting a goal and sticking to it.

Sharon Etherington, the 2024 Fleet Manager of the Year, showed what it takes to realize sustainability by evolving the fleet at Roche Diagnostics to be 78.66% hybrid and 18.98% plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and battery-electric vehicles (BEVs). Roche has a goal of being fully electric by 2030.

On the other hand, implementing a more sustainable plan does not mean fleet managers have to be experts on EVs. Instead, they should be open to learning and adaptable to their fleet's unique needs.

Ernie Garcia at Gothic Landscape, who earned the 2024 Fleet Visionary award, implemented an EV pilot program that didn't initially work, though he learned more about home charging, public charging, the EV market, and the pros and cons of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles vs. EVs. By introducing hybrids, Garcia's reorganization saved roughly 65% of an F-150's monthly usage.

Even so, sustainability achievements are not exclusive to award winners. Finalists for 2024 Fleet Manager of the Year showed the same undertaking of work towards a sustainable fleet:

• Joseph Lukacs at Sherwin-Williams reduced rental days by 17.8%, contributing to a 2.7% reduction in CO2 emissions despite a fleet increase of almost 20%.

• Ted Chan at Schindler Elevator accelerated the adoption of nearly 200 EVs by June 2024, contributing to the company's net zero emissions goal by 2040. He also led a strategy that resulted in $2.1 million in fuel savings and reduced CO2 emissions per vehicle by 11.2% in 2023.

Incorporating sustainability into fleet management is a long-term commitment that drives environmental responsibility and operational efficiency, which these leaders demonstrate.

Putting Safety at the Forefront

Safety is an ever-changing effort that can branch out to many different areas. New tech and platforms are constantly shifting how fleets monitor the safety of their drivers and offer training where necessary.

Additionally, safety programs and policies protect businesses and ensure drivers return home safely. For example, Etherington reduced accident rates by 10.8% in 2023, with preventable accidents down by 22.9% year-over-year, and implemented continuous MVR monitoring and telematics for safety.

Although telematics or monitoring may be used to catch "bad" behavior, it can also identify good driving behaviors. Etherington brought a gamification approach to Roche's safety program by regularly posting the names of drivers who make the top 1% for safety.

Fleet Safety Award winner, Sandra Doucette, Sr. Manager of EHS at Advance Auto Parts (AAP), spearheaded a fleet safety strategy for 19,000 vehicles that resulted in significant reductions in preventable losses, claims, and costs through enhanced driver training, telematics, and risk management tools.

AAP’s mid-year 2023 vs 2024 performance metrics increase accounted for 88 preventable claims and repair cost avoidance of $468,539 based on the average repair amount of $5,308 for preventable claims. Doucette’s initiatives improved safety reduction in collision frequency, severity, cost, and overall risk. 

Others exuding best practices in safety are 2024 Automotive Fleet Hall of Fame inductees Theresa Belding, Matthew Betz, and Bill Gibson. All three honorees have been celebrated for their dedication to fleet safety for drivers and colleagues alike. In 2013, Belding earned the Fleet Excellence Award for Fleet Safety, proving that safety education is a long-term endeavor.

These leaders show that safety in fleet management is not just about mitigating risks — it's about fostering a culture of continuous improvement where drivers are protected and recognized for their commitment to safe practices.

The Fast Track to Efficiency

Overseeing operational efficiency is a crucial responsibility of being a fleet manager. Still, it takes a keen ability to maximize the productivity of one's fleet while minimizing costs, resources, and time. Although fuel consumption, vehicle utilization, and route optimization play a large part in efficiency efforts, one fleet's needs do not perfectly align with the next.

David Hayward, 2024 Fleet Manager of the Year finalist, pioneered the development of a "Fast Track Program" to reduce vehicle upfit times from 180 to 45 days at ABM. The program saved $3,700 per vehicle, achieving an annual savings of $900,000. Hayward also created an internal vehicle pool that reduced out-of-stock purchases by 80%, saving over $4 million.

Chan, who manages a fleet of 4,000 assets for Schindler Elevator, maintained fleet aging at 96% while limiting operational expense increases to less than 1% in 2023 despite inflation.

Through Etherington’s guidance, Roche benefitted from a total savings of $2,592,200 in 2023, comprised of $607,200 in hard dollar savings and $1,985,000 in cost avoidance savings. To accomplish this, Etherington worked with OEMs for incentives and contractual rebates while also saving time by directing drivers to mobile app usage.

Achieving operational efficiency in fleet management requires tailored solutions to each fleet's needs, which is aptly shown by these leaders in the industry.

A Plan for Success

The 2024 AFLA awards season highlighted the individuals leading fleet management and showed how a leader turns ambitious goals into measurable success.

Their achievements serve as a beacon for the industry, demonstrating that fleet managers can drive positive changes within their organizations and in the broader environmental and operational landscapes with creativity, focus, and dedication.

The hallmarks of a fleet champion will be their ability to adapt and lead with a vision that aligns with the industry's future, which includes sustainability, safety, and efficiency.