Together, Two Fleet Drivers Rack up 62 Years
No one is more surprised than Motor Vehicle Operator Oren Boujo that his 33rd year as a NYCHA Fleet driver begins this November. “It’s amazing,” he said. “Who holds a job for 33 years?”
Probably fellow Fleet Motor Vehicle Operator Kenneth Shindler: In January, he will begin his 31st year as a NYCHA Fleet driver. The two have transported NYCHA mail, and driven NYCHA executives to important meetings and ribbon-cutting ceremonies and legal staff to night court.
“I’ve just met so many different people and so many very pleasant people,” Mr. Shindler said. “I’ve always tried to be respectful and get along with everyone and stay calm and do my job; I am proud of my 31 years with NYCHA and City service,” the Queens native said. “I feel a great sense of accomplishment of having helped so many people over these many years.”
Mr. Boujo, for his part, cherishes his “moving office.” Before working at NYCHA, he was a foot messenger in Lower Manhattan. “I like the freedom of being outdoors – I’m not in an enclosed area,” he said. “I’m not stationary: I’m mobile. I get to go to different places all the time.”
Both drivers transport NYCHA mail to all departments and developments across the five boroughs. “Transporting the Authority mail is always a time-sensitive responsibility,” Deputy Director of Fleet Services Joe D’Amato said. “Being able to navigate our ever-changing city streets to ensure that all deliveries are made on time requires unique skill.”
“Both team members bring a wealth of experience, having navigated the streets of NYC in different types of vehicles, in all weather conditions and through various emergency situations, for over three decades,” Mr. D’Amato said. “Oren’s bright personality and positive nature makes everyone that he comes across feel welcomed, and Kenny’s love for his family and deep sense of wisdom brings unique perspective and approach to work, and to life.”
NYCHA is converting its fleet to electric by purchasing hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric vehicles, and adding to its network of charging stations, including fully solar charging stations.
“Kenny and Oren have both expressed their appreciation of the efforts to go full electric,” Mr. D’Amato said. “They both have remained flexible and open to the changes, which include vehicle telematics and having to plug in their vehicles at the end of their workday.”
Vehicle telematics combine GPS systems, onboard vehicle diagnostics, wireless devices, and black box technologies to record, cross-reference, and transmit a vehicle’s speed, location, and maintenance needs – technologies that were only a “thing of the future” when Oren and Kenny began their driving careers at NYCHA.
NYCHA Fleet Services manages about 1,000 on-road vehicles and 1,200 off-road utility vehicles. It has 14 staff members, including five multi-vehicle operators, a dedicated tow operator, two auto mechanics, and a collisions coordinator.
A lot has changed since Mr. Boujo and Mr. Shindler started driving for NYCHA. Mr. Shindler likes the comfort and convenience of charging his car every three days. The ride is better too, he said. “The electric vehicle drives very smoothly,” he noted.
About other changes in road travel, Mr. Boujo said: “When I came here in 1989, E-ZPass didn’t exist. We used tokens, with a different token for each bridge. They were packaged like floor tiles stacked high – and weighed almost as much.” More important, though, Mr. Boujo noted, “The cars we are driving now are made a lot better than 30 years ago. [The older cars] were often at the mechanics. Electric is a positive move.”
