From Tune-ups to custom builds, Fleet Maintenance has it covered
Metro Water Recovery operates out of two wastewater treatment facilities and a farm. To manage these three locations, a crew of mechanics and technicians in the Resource Recovery and Reuse Department maintain and fix 400+ pieces of equipment, ranging from power washers and generators to cars and heavy equipment.
“If it has wheels or an engine, we handle it,” explains Fleet Maintenance Manager Rob White. The team is made up of 16 employees, two supervisors and a senior work planner who modify, repair, and service Metro’s equipment and vehicles.
According to Pat Moncrief, Equipment & Transportation Technician II, “there is no alternative to us.“ He elaborates, “Nothing gets sourced out. We handle our equipment from the cradle to the grave and we do it all in-house.” If there is not an existing piece of equipment that meets Metro’s needs, the Fleet Maintenance team has the skills to customize equipment or fabricate what we need.
Second to none
With Metro’s diverse fleet of vehicles, an encyclopedic knowledge is required. “When you look at John Deere, they have both a farm division and they have a construction division, CAT has a farm division and construction division; we use equipment for both, so we have to be familiar with both sides of their businesses,” explains Moncrief. Many external shops only service one division’s line of equipment.
In addition, the individual makes and models of the various carts and vehicles used by Metro are fully serviced and, in some instances, are custom-built after acquisition to meet the day-to-day needs of Metro. “Very few shops can say they can do this type of work,” states Moncrief.
To add to the uniqueness, since Metro is a Department of Transportation Facility, warranty repairs, full inspections, and routine testing (including emissions testing), are conducted on Metro’s fleet by the team. Custom upgrades are built in the welding shop. A large corner of the shop serves as the supply storage for all the needed repairs.
Beyond routine maintenance
Metro’s Fleet Maintenance team provides an exceptional level of support that is critical to the organization’s daily operations. Their expertise extends beyond standard vehicle maintenance to include the customization, rebuilding, and long-term sustainability of specialized equipment essential to Metro’s mission.
A prime example of their impact is the continued operation of the 3244 Terra Gators®, which were discontinued in 2010. Rather than allowing these essential machines to become obsolete, the Fleet Maintenance team has developed innovative solutions to keep them running efficiently. Their ability to rebuild and customize components ensures that land application operations remain uninterrupted, benefiting both Metro’s METROGRO® Farm and the many local farms that rely on biosolids for soil enrichment.
The Fleet Maintenance team’s dedication and technical expertise make them an invaluable asset to Metro. Their work goes far beyond routine maintenance—it enables innovation, extends the lifespan of critical equipment, and ensures the organization can meet its commitments to sustainability and efficiency.
While the shop lights do go off at the end of the day, much like the flow of Metro, work never stops.