Five decades can offer a special perspective: a long-term view of trends, challenges and innovations.
Gail Watson already has such an industry-leading seat, joining the National Insurance team in 1971 and serving as Nationwide’s fleet and valet manager from 1981 until her recent retirement. .
“I can recall the 1970s when the big question was whether cruise control was worth adding to fleet vehicles to save fuel,” she said. “Fast forward to today, look at the technology in vehicles! Safety features like adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, automatic lane change and braking, and a few more! ”
Manage a Fleet of 4,200 Vehicles
Watson manages a fleet of 4,200 vehicles dispersed across the country with an annual spend of $38 million. She is also responsible for nationwide employee garages and related third-party vendors.
Among her accomplishments, Watson has noted her central role in several corporate initiatives, including vehicle branding; fleet compliance audits; cost management, involving negotiations to reduce prices and cut costs; and a state-of-the-art driver profile program.
The Nationwide fleet was also one of the first to transition in 2007 to a Paperless Office program with partner Wheels, Inc. and in 2010, drivers nationwide were one of the largest groups to participate in the Green Driver Challenge to develop sustainable driving habits.
Additionally, Watson detailed the impact of the potential outsourcing on her fleet operations.
“Throughout my career, one of my biggest fears has been the possibility of being outsourced and resulting in job loss. I take this as an opportunity and look at the performance of those who can do the job better.
“As my fleet has shrunk over the past few years, it has become easy to move day-to-day operations of the fleet, such as taking driver calls to our fleet management company. My team has had many kudos over the years, but I think how the team’s operations look when I retire is an important achievement and no one has lost their jobs. ”
Contributing to industry groups
Throughout his career, Watson has been actively involved in industry groups. She has held a variety of positions within the NAFA Fleet Management Association (NAFA), including chairing the national conference program committees and national editorial team, and serving three terms as president. local chapter president. She is also a three-term Ford Fleet Advisory Committee member and a two-term Wheels Customer Advisory Board member.
Watson is grateful for the company’s support of her industry activities. “I hope they see that I can bring meaningful information to help me do my job, and I can easily say that my participation has greatly helped me in my personal and professional career. her profession,” she said.
Leaving challenges behind
In the closing months of his career, Watson (along with every other fleet manager) experienced the devastation caused by microchip shortages. “Problems causing chip shortages must be fixed!” she speaks. “In my entire career, I never dreamed that we would sell used cars, 3 years old / 75,000 miles old for the same or close to what we paid for them initially. And this shortage is seriously affecting the production of the manufacturer.”
She sees another challenge in the transition to electric vehicles: battery technology and longevity. “For the annual mileage I’ve seen on team vehicles, I don’t know how drivers can go through a day without recharging these days. And that can cause performance problems if you can’t get your work done.”
Give advice
Watson promotes continuing education, networking with industry experts, and most importantly, networking with peers. “I love the NAFA Online General Forum that brings together where fleet experts can submit questions. I have found the answers to be really helpful! ”
As parting advice, Watson says the key talent critical to successful fleet managers is “innovating, staying informed, and using the knowledge you have to think through. And don’t be afraid to try new things!
