Fleet teams are expected to keep essential services moving through emergencies, ageing assets, workforce shortages and rapid technological change, all while maintaining safety, readiness and public accountability.In this episode, Keith Kerman explains how New York City manages one of the world’s largest municipal fleet operations and why the same principles apply whether an organisation operates hundreds of vehicles or tens of thousands.Keith Kerman, Chief Fleet Officer for the City of New York and Deputy Commissioner for Fleet Management, joins Infrastructure Matters host and IPWEA Fleet Director Marc Sibbald to explore:✅ How New York City manages approximately 40,000 owned and contracted fleet assets✅ Why fleet readiness is critical to police, fire, sanitation and emergency services✅ How telematics supports safety, maintenance and vehicle utilisation✅ How fleet data helped New York City reduce its fleet by 2,000 vehicles✅ How Vision Zero and intelligent speed assistance are improving fleet safety✅ How partnerships with schools are developing the next generation of technicians✅ Why fleet leaders need a stronger voice in organisational decision-makingKeith oversees approximately 29,000 city-owned assets and 10,000 contracted school buses supporting more than 50 New York City agencies. The operation includes around 1,300 mechanics, 250,000 annual work orders, 400 fuel sites and 2,500 electric-vehicle chargers.The conversation explores how New York City uses asset-management systems, performance data and public fleet-readiness reporting to monitor availability, maintenance, utilisation and risk before emergencies occur.Keith also explains why telematics should be a foundation of modern fleet management. Better utilisation data allowed the city to share, transfer and remove underused vehicles, reducing the fleet by 2,000 assets.The episode examines New York City’s Safe Fleet Transition initiatives, including truck side guards, high-visibility vehicles, surround cameras, automatic braking, pedestrian alerts and intelligent speed assistance. Keith explains how dynamic speed controls can prevent vehicles from accelerating beyond the posted limit.Workforce capability is another major focus. With assets ageing and replacement vehicles delayed, mechanics face growing pressure to keep critical services operating. Keith shares how partnerships with public schools are creating paid placements, practical automotive training and direct pathways into city fleet careers.The central message is clear: fleet is not simply a support function. It is a strategic enabler of emergency response, safety, sustainability and community service delivery.About Keith KermanKeith Kerman is the Chief Fleet Officer for the City of New York and Deputy Commissioner for Fleet Management. He oversees approximately 40,000 owned and contracted assets supporting more than 50 agencies and is New York City’s first Chief Fleet Officer.About Infrastructure MattersInfrastructure Matters is IPWEA’s podcast for public works engineers, asset management professionals, fleet leaders and local government decision-makers across Australia and New Zealand.Each episode explores the engineering challenges, technological developments, sustainability breakthroughs and leadership strategies shaping infrastructure across Australasia and around the world.🔔 Follow Infrastructure Matters to stay ahead in public works, fleet management and infrastructure asset management.🔗 Connect with IPWEA🌐 Website: https://www.ipwea.org🎙️ Infrastructure Matters: https://www.ipwea.org/podcast🚛 IPWEA Fleet: https://www.ipwea.org/fleet💼 LinkedIn: https://www.ipwea.org/linkedin👥 Become an IPWEA member: https://www.ipwea.org/membership
