Fleet Maintenance Operations Manager

The Halter Group•Kentland, IN

7d•$75,000 - $100,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Fleet Maintenance Operations Manager oversees The Halter Group’s fleet maintenance shop and field mechanics, supporting 45 bucket trucks and 70 crews across ten states. The manager reports directly to the CEO and is accountable for equipment readiness, equipment safety, and defensible per-unit costs. The fleet includes aerial units, chippers, mowers, mulchers, stump grinders, and trucks. The role owns preventive maintenance, seasonal service cycles, mobile repairs, oil sampling, and root-cause analysis of recurring equipment problems. It also oversees dielectric testing and related records, chipper safety systems, and FMCSA compliance. The manager hires, trains, and leads shop and mobile mechanics; builds their capabilities through OEM training and certifications; and trains crew leaders in pre-use inspections. Responsibilities include developing and managing contract-based fleet budgets, negotiating with vendors, controlling vendor compliance, specifying and bidding new equipment, and making lifecycle-cost repair-or-replace decisions. The manager also prepares the fleet for storm response, stages equipment and mechanics for mutual aid, and supports field crews during extended and out-of-state deployments. The position uses MTC Pro Web and Motive telematics and reports fleet performance metrics to leadership. During the first 90 days, the manager will take over the outgoing manager’s open repairs, down units, parts orders, and vendor relationships; complete the fall service cycle across territories; review pickup and service truck replacement specifications; and report on fleet condition, age, compliance, and replacement timing. This is a hands-on role split among the office, the Vincennes shop, and rights-of-way job sites. Work involves noise, fumes, rough ground, summer heat, and winter ice storms. The manager must lift up to 50 pounds and climb around trucks, booms, and chippers. Evening, weekend, and holiday on-call work is required, as are occasional out-of-state storm deployments lasting one to three weeks. Candidates must pass a background check and drug screen; candidates with a CDL must also pass a DOT physical.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
At least 5 years of experience working on heavy or specialty equipment, including aerial lifts and hydraulics.
At least 2 years of experience managing mechanics or a shop.
Knowledge of ANSI A92.2 inspection and dielectric testing.
Knowledge of FMCSA maintenance and inspection requirements.
Experience with a computerized fleet or maintenance system.
Valid driver’s license with a clean record.
Ability and readiness to travel and deploy for storms on short notice.
Ability to lift 50 pounds and climb in and around trucks, booms, and chippers.
Ability to pass a background check and drug screen; candidates who hold a CDL must pass a DOT physical.
Authorization to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

Experience with utility line clearance, tree care, or electrical contractor fleets.
OEM factory training.
Aerial device inspector or dielectric test credentials.
Class A or B CDL.
ASE Medium/Heavy Truck certification.
CAFM certification.
A degree in diesel technology, fleet management, or business.
Knowledge of ANSI Z133 and TCIA standards.
Spanish language skills.

Responsibilities

Oversee preventive maintenance for all fleet equipment and maintain preventive maintenance compliance at 95% or better.
Maintain crew-ready equipment availability at 90% or above and complete spring and fall service cycles on time.
Dispatch mobile mechanics to rights-of-way job sites to minimize crew downtime.
Use oil sampling to identify hydraulic and engine problems before failure, and investigate recurring hydraulic, PTO, boom, and chipper issues to determine root causes.
Own dielectric testing for insulated aerial devices under ANSI A92.2 and OSHA 1910.269 and maintain certified records for every unit.
Ensure chipper feed controls, emergency stops, and guards meet ANSI Z133 requirements, and maintain FMCSA compliance in every operating state.
Remove unsafe equipment from service and approve its return only after signing off on the repair.
Hire, train, and lead shop and mobile mechanics; support OEM factory training and ASE certifications.
Train crew leaders to perform thorough pre-use inspections.
Develop and manage fleet budgets by contract; negotiate with dealers, parts suppliers, testing providers, and outside shops.
Ensure vendors have written contracts and insurance on file, and that work in the company shop is supervised by Halter.
Write specifications and run bids for new trucks and chippers; make repair-or-replace decisions based on lifecycle costs and contracted work.
Keep the fleet storm-ready, stage equipment and mechanics for mutual aid, and support crews during multi-day and out-of-state storm deployments.
Use MTC Pro Web and Motive telematics and report equipment availability, crew hours lost to breakdowns, preventive maintenance and dielectric compliance, and cost per unit to leadership.
Take over open repairs, down units, parts on order, and vendor relationships from the outgoing fleet manager; close out the fall service cycle; review replacement-program specifications; and report fleet condition, age, compliance, and replacement timing.
Be available for evening, weekend, and holiday on-call work and short-notice storm deployment.