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Sewell Fleet tells commissioners first‑quarter fleet costs below prior‑year quarterly average; cites carryover repairs
Summary
Sewell Fleet Management reported Midland County’s first‑quarter fleet expense at $212,496.06, below the previous fiscal‑year quarterly average of about $316,947. The company outlined operational changes — an in‑shop coordinator, a QR check‑in form and a single call center number — intended to speed repairs and reduce downtime.
Simon Reed, fleet success manager for Sewell Fleet Management, told the Midland County Commissioners Court that the county’s total fleet expense for the first quarter was $212,496.06, roughly $100,000 less than the previous fiscal year’s average quarterly expense of about $316,947. Reed said that result came despite “headwinds” inherited from the prior vendor, including carryover repairs he estimated at about $35,000–$40,000.
Reed described workflow changes aimed at reducing the fleet’s total cost of ownership. The company has hired an in‑shop coordinator, Courtney Graham, to manage shop communications and driver intake. Drivers can call a single Sewell call center number (1804930122) to triage repairs so vehicles are directed to the most cost‑effective provider or a mobile technician when appropriate. Reed said the goal is to reduce downtime and the backlog in the county shop, which can slow major repairs and routine preventive maintenance (PM).
Reed showed commissioners examples of vendor invoices uploaded to a county portal for transparency and said Sewell will credit subscription fees for units that were listed in the county fleet but already sold or disposed of before service began. He broke out Q1 costs by category: about $137,000 in light‑duty maintenance and roughly $41,000 in heavy‑duty/equipment expenses, noting some large repairs and engine/transmission work drove higher costs this quarter and explained those are expected to moderate as preventive maintenance rises.
County commissioners and staff asked about employee experience with the new process; Reed said feedback is “generally very positive,” with faster turnaround on routine services such as oil changes. Dennis (county fleet staff) and other commissioners discussed backlog, communication issues and the need to call the central number consistently so the triage system functions as intended. Reed said more detailed utilization metrics will be covered in the next quarterly review.
The presentation was informational and required no court action at the meeting. The county will receive an updated subscription credit and a fuller utilization analysis in the next quarter.
