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The City of Salem, Oregon, was named the #1 Public Fleet in NAFA's 100 Best Fleets competition in 2026, followed by the #1 Overall Leading Fleet in Government Fleet's national rankings.
Achieving that recognition while managing nearly 1,200 assets with a team of just nine technicians required more than operational improvements. It meant changing the culture of the entire department.
In this episode of The Fleet, host Chris Brandt welcomes Jim Schmidt, Acting IT Director for the City of Salem, to discuss how he helped transform the city's fleet operation through employee empowerment, strategic outsourcing, and data-driven decision-making.
Jim shares how his team improved vehicle availability from a reported baseline of 88% to 99%, streamlined maintenance workflows, and built a culture of trust and accountability. He also discusses the value of pursuing national fleet rankings, how recognition can help demonstrate fleet's value to city leadership, and why getting employees invested in continuous improvement has been central to Salem's success.
Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by Element Fleet Management.
If your organization depends on a fleet of vehicles, it's time to think about your fleet as a strategic asset. Learn more at elementfleet.com.
Chapters
• 0:00 The #1 fleet in government — and how Jim got there
• 2:36 Why running a municipal fleet is a different game
• 4:12 From farming and cranes to fleet manager (by accident)
• 6:5 Nine technicians, 1,148 assets, one of everything
• 6:59 Walking into Salem's shop in 2018 — what he inherited
• 8:8 The morale problem behind the mess
• 9:42 'Moving forward' — the two-word slogan that changed everything
• 12:26 The two-word hiring rule: attitude and aptitude
• 16:59 Outsourcing upfits and standardizing the fleet
• 21:25 88% to 99% availability — what actually fixed it
• 24:32 Reclassing parts jobs into a data analyst and grant writer
• 26:17 The $200 'savings' costing thousands in tow bills
• 28:24 Killing the cost-center mindset in city hall
• 34:52 Why he chased the #1 ranking — rankings as political armor
• 37:27 The 40-year employee who walked in and asked one question
• 41:9 Empowerment on the shop floor: 'find a way to yes'
• 45:34 Building trust when you're not the technical expert
• 51:2 The future of fleet: from mechanics to problem solvers