Goodbye and Thank you Mike Wilson

After 26 years of dedicated service, our esteemed Fleet Manager Mike Wilson is retiring. His last day will be Friday, June 6. Throughout his career, Mike has been the backbone of our operations ensuring that our fleet ran smoothly and efficiently. His expertise, leadership, and unwavering commitment have been essential to the success of Fleet Services. As we bid farewell, we celebrate the countless contributions Mike has made and wish him a joyful and fulfilling retirement. Thank you, Mike, for your remarkable service and leadership!

Sincerely,

Fleet Services Staff

New Rates for FY 26

The FY 26 vehicle rental and class-based lease rates are posted on our website. Rates will take effect 7/1/2025.

For assigned vehicles, the Administrative Contact will receive FY 26 rates for individual vehicles through the Assigned Vehicle Portal. Also, for the new FY we will be conducting our Annual Contact and MFK validation. An automated message will be generated on July 1 by the Assigned Vehicle Portal asking Admin Contacts (and Delegates) to review the contact names and MFKs for the new fiscal year. If they are accurate, please confirm them, and if not, update the contact name and MFK accordingly.

Fleet Services Temporary Location

We are still working on the logistics of the move to our new temporary location. We are targeting the week of Monday, June 23, but have not yet finalized the date. We will be moving to the former Housing Services Building located next to the new Nagle-Duda Gymnastics and Spirit Squad Training Center across the street from the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex. The address is 175 Prairie Meadow Dr. Customers will pick up and return vehicles at the new location and will be able to park personal vehicles. The shop will remain in its usual location and will operate through the construction. We are planning some emails and communication to be sent out to customers with affected reservations and will try to make the process as seamless as possible. 

Dropping a Vehicle at the Shop, Drop the Keys Off Too!

If you are dropping a vehicle off at the shop for service, please walk inside to the Fleet Services maintenance office area (center of shop) and physically hand the keys to someone. If no one is around you may leave them in the blue plastic bin hanging on the door. To note that you are experiencing problems with your vehicle or your vehicle needs more than “routine maintenance,” please fill out sheet on the clipboard above the blue plastic bin. When the vehicle is done and ready to be picked up you will need to come inside the shop office and pick up the set of keys you left. When the Fleet Services Admin Offices moves, spare sets of keys will no longer be available to service vehicles so please remember to drop off your keys as well as your vehicle.

The First Ever Multi-Car Pileup Crash Test

Earlier this month PBS aired a two-part NOVA special ULTIMATE CRASH TEST that explores what really happens in a multi-vehicle collision. It was a first-of-its-kind experiment that recreated the conditions of a highway pileup in a controlled setting allowing data of such an accident to be thoroughly analyzed for the first time to help improve car safety. According to Executive Producer Dan Chambers, “The insights that this experiment gleans on driver behavior and vehicle design could very well save lives in the future.” Check out the full series on PBS, it is pretty fascinating.

Honest Mike’s Used Cars

We are cycling through our sedan and minivan swaps and will have more sale vehicles coming soon. Next to hit auction will be a gray 2020 Chevy Malibu with about 71k miles, a 2020 Blue Dodge Grand Caravan with 70k miles, and a white 2016 Chevy Colorado 4x4 with just under 20k miles. Take a look at our auction page, keep checking so you don’t miss out on the car of your dreams.

Fleet Factoid

In his 26 years as Fleet Manager, Mike Wilson has led the purchase of about 75 vehicles per year. That means that over his tenure Mike has purchased about 1950 vehicles for the University!