Lighting fleet and equipment manager job description
A lighting fleet and equipment manager keeps the bucket trucks, vans, trailers and aerial lifts inspected, repaired and ready for the next job. They schedule service around holiday and retrofit work, track each lift's inspection dates, and keep DOT paperwork current for trucks and trailer pairs over the federal weight line.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, electrical contractors · BLS, May 2025
The Fleet / Equipment Manager is responsible for maintaining and organizing all company vehicles, lifts, and installation tools to ensure optimal performance and availability. This role directly impacts operational efficiency and customer satisfaction by ensuring that all equipment is safe, functional, and ready for use at all times.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Manage and schedule routine maintenance and repairs for all company vehicles and equipment to minimize downtime.
Track and document all equipment usage and maintenance activities using industry-standard software.
Coordinate with vendors and suppliers to procure necessary tools and parts efficiently.
Implement and oversee safety protocols to ensure compliance with industry regulations.
Develop and maintain an inventory system for all tools and equipment to prevent loss and ensure availability.
Collaborate with the operations team to forecast equipment needs based on project schedules.
Train staff on proper equipment use and safety procedures to enhance productivity and safety.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct daily inspections of vehicles and equipment to identify any maintenance needs.
Update maintenance logs and inventory records regularly.
Schedule and oversee repairs and maintenance activities with external service providers.
Monitor fuel usage and optimize routes to improve fuel efficiency.
Communicate with the operations team to ensure equipment is available for scheduled installations.
Review and approve equipment-related invoices and track expenses.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Equipment uptime rate ≥ 95%.
Maintenance cost per vehicle ≤ $500 monthly.
Inventory accuracy rate ≥ 98%.
Safety compliance score ≥ 90%.
30/60/90-day ramp expectations: Achieve 80% of KPI targets by 30 days, 90% by 60 days, and 100% by 90 days.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent; technical certification preferred.
Valid driver’s license and clean driving record.
Proficiency with fleet management software and inventory tracking tools.
Strong organizational and multitasking abilities.
Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
6. Preferred Experience
3+ years of experience in fleet or equipment management, preferably in the lighting installation industry.
Familiarity with OSHA safety standards and compliance.
Experience in vendor management and procurement.
Previous experience in a supervisory role is a plus.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds regularly.
Frequent standing, walking, and bending.
Ability to work in various weather conditions.
Willingness to travel locally as needed.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 4 PM.
May require occasional evening or weekend work during peak seasons.
On-call for urgent equipment issues.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Competitive salary based on experience, with potential for performance bonuses.
Bonuses tied to achieving KPI targets and maintaining high safety and quality standards.
Benefits include health insurance, paid time off, and retirement savings plan.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional lighting installations with a focus on quality and customer satisfaction. We foster a culture of accountability, craftsmanship, and safety while encouraging personal and professional growth. Join us to be part of a team that values excellence and innovation.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
What a fleet and equipment manager handles at a lighting company
A lighting contractor's equipment list mixes road vehicles with machines that lift people. A boom that fails its morning check idles a crew as surely as a truck that won't start.
A trailer can put a pickup under DOT rules
In interstate commerce, FMCSA rules reach a vehicle rated at 10,001 pounds or more. Once a truck tows, the rating that counts is the higher of two numbers: the combined rating on the truck's door label, or the truck and trailer ratings added up. So a heavy-duty pickup towing a boom lift can come under the rules even when the pickup alone sits below the line. Read the door label and trailer plate for every pair your crews use. Source: eCFR: Commercial motor vehicle and GCWR definitions (49 CFR 390.5T).
CDLs start at a higher weight
A CDL comes in for a single truck rated at 26,001 pounds or more, or for a combination that heavy when the trailer alone is rated above 10,000 pounds. Drivers of lighter trucks that still count as commercial need a medical certificate and must keep it with them on duty. Since June 23, 2025, a CDL or learner's permit holder with a current certificate no longer has to carry it. Source: eCFR: Commercial motor vehicle definition for CDLs (49 CFR 383.5).
Every boom starts the day with a controls test
OSHA requires boom and bucket truck controls to be tested each day before use. The insulated part of a boom can't be changed in any way that could weaken its insulation. Changing a lift for a use its maker didn't plan, such as a custom pole-handling add-on, needs written sign-off. That comes from the maker or an equal body, such as a nationally recognized testing lab. Source: eCFR: Aerial lifts, construction (29 CFR 1926.453).
Annual lift inspections run on a 13-month clock
ANSI/SAIA A92.22 is an industry standard, not an OSHA rule. It has the owner make sure each scissor or boom lift gets an annual inspection no later than 13 months after the last one. Someone qualified on that make and model does it. They work through the maker's bulletins and confirm the lift is registered with the maker. For rentals, ask the rental house for the date before the unit ships. Source: JLG, a lift maker, quoting ANSI A92.22 on annual inspections.
A new lift model means new familiarization
Under the A92 training standard, operators are trained on a lift's class. Then they learn each model before they run it, with proof of both. When the company buys or rents a model crews haven't used, the fleet manager sets up that walk-through from the maker's manual and files the records. Anyone riding along gets basic rider instruction from the operator. Source: JLG, a lift maker, on ANSI A92.22 and A92.24 operator training.
How much lighting fleet and equipment managers make
The closest BLS group for lighting fleet and equipment managers is transportation, storage, and distribution managers. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $79,720 a year ($38.33 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $107,230 median for transportation, storage, and distribution managers in all industries. About 1,140 of the 221,180 transportation, storage, and distribution managers in that survey work for electrical contractors.
Salaried, with the KPI bonus the template describes. Weigh it on uptime and safety results, not on cutting repair spending alone, or worn lifts stay in service too long.
Electrical contractors
$79,720$79,720 median Middle half $62,440–$103,200 10th–90th $55,160–$139,930
All industries
$107,230$107,230 median Middle half $82,440–$146,770 10th–90th $65,120–$194,900
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k$200k$225k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Electrical contractors
$55,160
$62,440
$79,720
$103,200
$139,930
All industries
$65,120
$82,440
$107,230
$146,770
$194,900
BLS doesn’t publish pay for lighting installers on their own. These figures cover electrical contractors, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has kept a mixed fleet of trucks and aerial lifts on a service schedule
Reads rating plates and knows where the DOT and CDL lines fall
Keeps a file for each truck and lift that shows every inspection and repair at a glance
Gets firm repair dates from shops and lines up a rental when they slip
Takes a lift out of service after a failed check, even with a big job tomorrow
Teach these on the job
Your bucket truck, boom and scissor models
Your maintenance software and telematics
Ladder racks, hitches and how crews load holiday gear
Which rental houses carry the lift heights you need
Your approval limits for repairs, rentals and purchases
Expect to work from a maintenance system or spreadsheet kept by unit, telematics for location and fuel, fuel cards, and each lift maker's manuals and service bulletins. Tell candidates how many trucks, trailers and lifts they'll look after, and whether any of them takes a CDL to drive.
Lighting fleet and equipment manager interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Taking unsafe equipment out of service
An installer reports a boom lift's controls are sticking, and crews need it tomorrow for a big job. What do you do?
A strong answer: Tags it out right away, arranges repair or a rental replacement and tells dispatch and operations.
Behavioral · Training on equipment
Tell me about a time you trained crews to run a lift or bucket truck safely.
A strong answer: Demonstrated, covered the model's controls and limits, had them operate under watch and signed them off only when they did it right.
Pull a year of repair invoices, rental bills and inspection dates before you set targets, and judge the fall holiday weeks on their own.
Equipment uptime rate ≥ 95%
Hours each truck and lift was ready for work divided by scheduled hours, from the maintenance log. Report lifts apart from trucks, and count a lift tagged out after a failed check as down.
Maintenance cost per vehicle ≤ $500 monthly
Repair, parts and outside shop costs per unit each month, from the invoices you approve. Separate planned service from breakdowns, so one old bucket truck doesn't hide in an average.
Inventory accuracy rate ≥ 98%
Count tools and gear against the equipment list on a set schedule: meters, ladders, harnesses, chargers. Track losses by crew, and recount after the January takedowns.
Safety compliance score ≥ 90%
Score each unit on one checklist: daily lift checks logged, annual inspection current, DOT items current where they apply, defects closed. Count overdue items, not just failures.
30/60/90-day ramp expectations
By day 30, a full list of every unit with its inspection dates. By day 60, a service calendar. By day 90, the template's measures reported each month.
Career path
Lighting installerRuns lifts and loads trucks every day, and learns what breaks.
Fleet and equipment coordinatorSchedules shop visits, logs lift inspections and books rentals.
Fleet and equipment managerKeeps every truck, trailer and lift inspected, repaired and earning.
Operations managerMatches crews and machines to the job schedule across the company.
Do scissor lifts fall under the same OSHA rule as bucket trucks?
Usually not. OSHA's lift rules for bucket trucks and boom platforms cover lifts mounted on a vehicle. OSHA's scissor lift hazard alert says many scissor lifts fall under its scaffold standard instead. That standard has its own guardrail and training sections. File each machine's records under the rule that fits it, so inspections and sign-offs line up when someone asks.
How much does a lighting fleet and equipment manager make?
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $79,720 a year ($38.33 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $62,440 and $103,200 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Do in-state trucks have to follow DOT rules?
Trucks used only in intrastate commerce answer to state rules. Federal rules let a state exempt trucks rated below 26,001 pounds from some or all of its own rules, but not ones hauling placarded hazmat or carrying 16 or more people. Ask your state's motor carrier office before you treat a bucket truck as exempt.
How many lifts should a lighting company own instead of rent?
Own the lifts your crews use most weeks, and rent tall booms and odd sizes for the few jobs that need them. Track rental days by model. When one model's yearly rental bill comes close to the cost of owning it, counting storage, hauling, inspections and insurance, take the comparison to the operations manager.
Can our own mechanic do the annual lift inspection?
Yes, if the owner judges them qualified on each make and model they inspect, which is the bar the standard sets. For a small fleet, a dealer or factory-trained tech is the simple choice. If you train your own mechanic, keep proof of training for each model they sign off, and keep each maker's bulletins in the unit's file.
