The Women in Fleet profile series introduces fleet managers to some of the most influential women in fleet. Every month, we get to know another positive female force in the fleet industry.

This month, we spoke with Emily Garza, vehicle fleet manager for Archrock, a natural gas/compression services company.

Getting into Fleet

While Garza is newer to Archrock, having worked there for just under a year, she has been involved in the fleet industry for 16 years total.

Garza’s experience in fleet includes both FMC and private/corporate experience. She was a Vehicle Acquisition Manager at Enterprise Fleet Management and Fleet Manager at Element. She also spent three and a half years at Service Corporation International as the Corporate Fleet Manager.

Starting her career at Enterprise Rent-A-Car gave Garza some initial exposure to the rental and fleet industry. After a year and a half, she decided to make the switch to the fleet management side of the business.

Today, Garza and her team are responsible for managing the vehicle fleet of approximately 2,000 total assets (vehicles & equipment).

“Currently, our largest challenge is right-sizing the fleet and focusing on cost savings going into 2020. Outlining the right purchasing strategies and timeframes for Archrock is also a key initiative, along with streamlining current day to day fleet processes,” Garza noted.

Outside of obtaining her CAFM, Garza is most proud of the FleetSmart program she and her team developed and implemented at Service Corporation International.

“FleetSmart was a transformational program put together to gain visibility to all of our fleet spend. The program increased utilization of FMC service programs and extended professional vehicle lifecycles, all while reducing overall costs,” she said.

Driving her continued success after close to two decades in fleet is change.

“The fleet industry continues to evolve and is constantly changing. There is always something new to learn and insight to be gained. This motivates me to stay current with the newest trends and work to institute any such programs or products into Archrock’s fleet, making our overall organization more successful,” Garza said.

When it comes to advice for others in the industry? Networking is key.

“Network, network, network! There are some amazing women (and men) in the fleet industry, some with years of experience and some with only a few. All can influence or help you in one way or another. Have fun and embrace the chaos!” she said.

Get to Know Me

Experience is only part of our story and what someone likes to read, watch, and listen to can help paint a fuller picture of their personality. Here are some of Garza’s favorites:

• Book: “Being an avid reader, I like a variety of titles. ‘Pride & Prejudice’, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ and ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ series are some of my favorites,” she said.

• Movie: “Sneakers” or “Pretty Woman,” Garza said.

• Songs: “The River by Garth Brooks,” she said.

• You May Not Know: “I grew up in a small farm community and graduated in a senior class of only 54 people,” Garza shared.