For the 13th time in the past 14 years, San Bernardino County Fleet Management has been named one of the 100 Best Fleets in North America, coming in 23rd place this year.

The 100 Best Fleets competition recognizes fleet operations that perform at a high level using industry recognized processes and procedures, key performance indicators and best practices. The 100 Best Fleets results are announced every year at the National Association of Fleet Administrators Institute and Expo conference.

The approximately 100 men and women of San Bernardino County Fleet Management provide acquisition, maintenance, repair, modification, and disposal services for the majority of county vehicles and equipment. Fleet Management’s main garage in San Bernardino includes four shops: automotive, heavy duty, welding/metal fabrication, and generator services, as well as a parts room and fueling station. The department also operates five smaller service centers in Barstow, Hesperia, Needles, Rancho Cucamonga and Twentynine Palms and 60 strategically located fueling sites.

Additionally, Fleet Management operates a motor pool, which has ownership and/or maintenance and replacement responsibility for approximately 1,940 vehicles and pieces of equipment assigned to or used by county departments.

County Fleet Management is on a roll.

The agency that acquires and cares for the vast majority of county vehicles was named the top government fleet in the nation on Tuesday at the Government Fleet Expo and Conference

San Bernardino County earned the top spot for showing leadership with staff, with customers and within the community; staying efficient and competitive; overcoming challenges; and having a vision and direction for the Fleet Management operation.

Falling in closely behind San Bernardino County were the counties of Riverside, San Diego, Ventura and Sacramento; the cities of Long Beach, Anaheim, Oakland and Beverly Hills; and other notables including New York City, Boston, Houston, Milwaukee and Indianapolis.

San Bernardino County was also recognized as one of five fleets nationwide for its completion of the Certified Fleet Management Operation (CFMO) program and CLEANFleet program.

The CFMO certification benchmarks fleet practices against private-sector companies with which the public-sector group competes most directly. The certification testing process addresses 20 categories and eight foundation categories to ensure fleet management success and aims to make a fleet operation cost-effective, efficient, competitive, and well-managed.

The CLEANFleet certification ensures fleet operations are energy-efficient and environmentally responsible.

The approximately 100 men and women of San Bernardino County Fleet Management provide acquisition, maintenance, repair, modification, and disposal services for the majority of county vehicles and equipment. Fleet Management’s main garage in San Bernardino includes four shops: automotive, heavy duty, welding/metal fabrication, and generator services, as well as a parts room and fueling station. The department also operates five smaller service centers in Barstow, Hesperia, Needles, Rancho Cucamonga and Twentynine Palms and 60 strategically located fueling sites.

Additionally, Fleet Management operates a motor pool, which has ownership and/or maintenance and replacement responsibility for approximately 1,940 vehicles and pieces of equipment assigned to or used by county departments.

Continuing San Bernardino County’s recognition at national levels, the County’s Fleet Management Department received four awards at the Government Fleet Expo in Tennessee last month.  The national “Leading Fleets Award” is an open competition to all 34,000 public entity fleets in the United States and Canada.  All applicants are recognized but only the top 50 best fleets are named in the final round of competition.  From the final 50, the top 20 receive numbered rankings.  San Bernardino County’s Fleet Management department placed 20^th this year.

In conjunction with Government Fleet Magazine and the American Public Works Association, the awards program, sponsored by Ford Motor Company, recognizes fleet operations that are performing well in the areas of fleet leadership, efficiency, future goals planning and overcoming challenges.

The Fleet Management (SBC Fleet) department also received its “CleanFleet Certification, a national program certifying fleet operations as energy efficient and environmentally responsible.  This program is the industry-recognized method of measuring and rewarding high maintaining standards in clean fleet management.  Certification categories include hazardous waste generator identification, general waste management requirements and storage, recycled oil products and used oil management program, vehicle and equipment washing facilities, facility air quality, Freon management, contract repair work (outside services), product storage, facility management, administration and general management, including purchasing policies, vehicle replacement and carbon footprint, facility utilities and carbon footprint.

Additionally, SBC Fleet received its second certification as a “Certified Fleet Management Operation”, from Government Fleet Management Alliance (GFMA).  This program identifies fleets that are efficient and cost effective. With over 120 certification criteria addressing 20 critical operational areas of fleet management, SBC Fleet is one of 22 fleets certified in the nation.  The certification process includes eight foundation categories: staffing and productivity, company and employee goals, mission statement and business plan, parts inventory management, replacement policy and financial program, fleet utilization management, fleet policy and procedures documentation, preventive maintenance program and customer service and level of support.

The fourth and final award, also presented by GFMA, is the “Master Certification” award, given to those fleets that are both “certified and CleanFleet” certified.  There are only six public fleets in the United States and Canada which have achieved GFMA’s Master level certification.

Earlier this year, SBC Fleet also placed 8^th in the 100 Best Fleets in the Nation competition.  This is the 12th year San Bernardino County Fleet Management has placed in the top 100 fleets in the nation and ranking as high as number two in the nation.

“I am exceedingly proud that our Fleet Management Department continues to contribute to the Countywide Vision by operating in a businesslike manner and being good stewards of taxpayer’s resources.  Being recognized as one of the most professional and efficient fleets in the nation is a great honor and a testament of the hard work and dedication of the Fleet staff,” said Roger Weaver, Director of Fleet Management. “Congratulations to every employee in the department for what they do in improving our vehicles and services, saving taxpayer dollars, and in contributing to San Bernardino County’s vision of creating a better place to live.”

This is an example of how Government Works.