Fleet Maintenance Operations Manager

Fleet Maintenance Operations Manager

The Halter Group  |  Vincennes, Indiana  |  Full Time

45 bucket trucks. 70 crews. Ten states. Zero idle iron.

The Halter Group is a third-generation, family-owned line clearance contractor. Our crews work next to energized lines every day, and they’re counting on equipment that won’t let them down. Right now every unit we own is working. We need someone to keep it that way.

You’ll run the shop and the field mechanics who keep our aerial units, chippers, mowers, mulchers, stump grinders and trucks running. You report straight to the CEO. No layers, no runaround. Your scorecard is simple: equipment ready for crews, zero equipment-caused incidents, and cost per unit you can defend.

What you’ll own

The fleet. Run preventive maintenance on everything we field and hold PM compliance at 95% or better. Keep crew-ready availability at 90% or above. Knock out the spring and fall service cycles on time. Send mobile mechanics out to rights of way so crews aren’t sitting on a broken truck. Use oil sampling to catch hydraulic and engine problems before they turn into failures, and run down recurring hydraulic, PTO, boom and chipper problems to the root cause.

Safety, with no shortcuts. Own dielectric testing for insulated aerial devices under ANSI A92.2 and OSHA 1910.269, with certified records for every unit. Keep chipper feed controls, e-stops and guarding working to ANSI Z133. Keep us FMCSA compliant in every state we run. If a unit isn’t safe, you pull it, and it doesn’t go back out until you’ve signed off on the repair.

The crew. Hire, train and lead shop and mobile mechanics. Good mechanics are hard to find, so building and keeping a strong bench is a big part of this job. Push your people through OEM factory training (Altec, Terex, Versalift, Bandit, Vermeer, Morbark) and ASE certifications. Teach crew leaders how to do a real pre-use inspection.

The money. Build and run the fleet budget by contract. Negotiate with dealers, parts suppliers, test providers and outside shops. Every vendor meets our standard before a wrench turns: written contract, insurance on file, Halter supervision in our shop. No exceptions. Write specs for new trucks and chippers, run the bids, and make repair-or-replace calls based on lifecycle cost. We buy for contracted work, not wishful thinking.

Storm season. When the lines come down, we roll. You’ll keep the fleet storm-ready, stage equipment and mechanics for mutual aid, and back up crews in the field on multi-day and out-of-state deployments.

The numbers. Run MTC Pro Web and Motive telematics. Report to leadership on availability, crew hours lost to breakdowns, PM and dielectric compliance, and cost per unit.

Your first 90 days

Take the handoff from the outgoing fleet manager, including open repairs, down units, parts on order and vendor relationships. Close out the fall service cycle across every territory. Check the specs on the current pickup and service truck replacement program. Then give us a straight report on where the fleet stands: condition, age, compliance and when each unit needs replacing.

What you bring

You need a high school diploma or GED, at least 5 years working on heavy or specialty equipment including aerial lifts and hydraulics, and at least 2 years running mechanics or a shop. You know ANSI A92.2 inspection and dielectric testing, and FMCSA maintenance and inspection rules. You’ve worked in a computerized fleet or maintenance system. You have a valid driver’s license with a clean record, and you’re ready to travel and deploy for storms on short notice.

It’s a bonus if you’ve worked utility line clearance, tree care or electrical contractor fleets, or if you hold OEM factory training, aerial device inspector or dielectric test credentials, a Class A or B CDL, ASE Medium/Heavy Truck or CAFM certification, or a degree in diesel tech, fleet management or business. Knowing ANSI Z133 and TCIA standards helps, and Spanish is a plus.

The work, straight up

This isn’t a desk job. You’ll split time between the office, the Vincennes shop and job sites on rights of way, dealing with noise, fumes, rough ground, summer heat and winter ice storms. You’ll need to lift 50 lb and climb in and around trucks, booms and chippers. You’ll be on call for evenings, weekends and holidays, and some storm deployments run 1 to 3 weeks out of state. You’ll need to pass a background check, a drug screen and, if you hold a CDL, a DOT physical.

What you get

A salary of $75,000- $100,000 based on experience. Medical, dental and vision. A 401(k) with match. Paid time off and holidays. Tool and certification reimbursement. A company service truck. Storm response pay. And a family-owned company where your work matters to every crew we send out.

Ready to run the fleet?

Send your resume and a short cover letter to info@thehaltergroup.com. The position is open until filled.

The Halter Group is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by law. Employment is at will. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.