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    1. Big Iron

    All You Have is People

    Jan. 27, 2014
    Rod Sutton

    I asked a recently appointed equipment executive what his first goal was as he looked out at the fleet. His answer surprised me.

    Telematics, emissions, government regulations. Those issues came to my mind, but not his. “People,” he said, “because that’s all we have.”

    Senior managers within construction organizations look at fleet and see machines, machines that must be ready to build the projects that bring in the revenue for those organizations. This manager rightly saw his department’s position. “We don’t make anything,” he said. Fleet operations doesn’t build the projects; it is responsible for providing the machines that build the projects.

    This is a subtle distinction, but one equipment managers must understand. The primary goal of the fleet department is to field the machines, and this executive recognizes how dependent that goal is upon people.

    Construction Equipment has tackled the changing role of the equipment manager in recent years with our Management Challenge series. Underlying all of that, however, is the quality of the professionals responsible for fleet. The manager who understands what needs to be done must have the people to accomplish it.

    Let me pass along three tactics from my conversation:

    1) Ensure people in the fleet department are in the roles that best utilize their talents. Give them the opportunity to advance.

    2) Fleet is a service organization; build that culture.

    3) Recruit young people with technological savvy.

    About the Author

    Rod Sutton

    I have served as the editorial lead of Construction Equipment magazine and ConstructionEquipment.com since 2001. 

    Our mission is to help managers of heavy equipment and trucks to improve their performance in acquiring and managing their fleets. One way we do that is with our Executive Institute, where experts share information and ideas that will enable equipment managers to accurately manage equipment costs so that they can deliver the optimum financial benefits to their organizations.

    We also have a laser focus on product development, performance, and technology; as well as equipment acquisition, disposal, and maintenance. Our exclusive Field Tests take earthmoving equipment and truck into the field for professional evaluations.

    Check out our free newsletters to see the latest content.

    You can find me on LinkedIn.

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