Volume 1 Issue 1

During the past couple of months the state has seen sharply declining revenues as a result of the troubling economy and related budget shortfalls. The Office of Fleet Management (OFM) has not been impervious to these difficult economic times, as we have been forced to reduce our staff by over 50 percent. This reduction is changing the way the state fleet is managed, and now more than ever agencies need to take an introspective look at their operations and determine where they can get the best bang for their buck to weather these tough economic times.

Many agencies are asking questions like, "What can our agency do to significantly reduce costs?" or "How can we get the most return on our fleet budget? OFM is dedicated to providing not only answers to these difficult questions, but also an array of proven tools to help agencies reduce costs in their fleet operations.

This publication was created to assist agencies with the answers to these questions. Each issue offers strategies and best fleet practices that can aid state agencies in further reducing fleet expenses and increasing efficiencies. As always, we welcome your suggestions, ideas and feedback on how we can improve our services.

Happy Reading,

Steve

Steve Saltzgiver

Director - Office of Fleet Management
Department of Administrative Services

steve.saltzgiver@doas.ga.gov

POLICY CORNER - VEHICLE ACQUISITION PROCESS

By Steve Saltzgiver

Most state agencies desiring a replacement or additional vehicle acquisition for their fleet understand the "Vehicle Request (VR)" policy and procedures currently in place (i.e. Policy 10- Section II, 5.1) However, what agencies may not know are recent changes OFM has created to assist agencies with the selection of appropriate vehicles for their intended purpose. OFM's has created a new user-friendly form that systematically guides agencies through a series of questions designed to assist them in arriving at the correct vehicle application for the agency's intended purpose. This new form asks agencies specific questions like:

What other transportation alternatives have you considered versus purchasing a new vehicle?
What payload do you plan to haul with the vehicle you are requesting?
What is the overall weight of the cargo you intend to transport?
How is this vehicle being funded?
Etc.

Down the road OFM plans to make this vehicle selector form available online to speed up the process and make it much easier for its customers to input this data. In addition to the new vehicle selector form OFM has began using each agency's fleet vehicle data in the VITAL Data repository to in aid in the overall justification and "VR" approval process before sending the vehicle to the Office of Planning and Budget for final approval. OFM will be considering the following key performance indicators in the "VR" approval process:

Vehicle utilization and historical use
Vehicle operating costs (i.e. fuel and repair)
Vehicles already replaced and not surplussed,
Vehicles in agency fleets with "zero" miles or fuel
Etc.

Any agencies with questions about the viability, accuracy and quality of their VITAL data can contact OFM for an evaluation and summary report of recommendations.

ACCURATE MILEAGE: OFM HELPS AGENCIES CORRECT BAD MILEAGE

By Jim Sever

Bobby Arrington, from the Office of Fleet Management, held a two-hour training session with 42 employees from the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) on March 10 at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth, GA. The purpose of this training session was to introduce their employees to VITAL, our Fleet Management System application. The group was shown how to navigate the application, enter odometer readings, enter vehicle maintenance items, and correct odometer readings that may have been incorrectly inputted at the pump. Additionally, Bobby discussed how to use WEX Cards for making fuel purchases.

We appreciate DJJ for allowing us to present the information and Fleet Coordinator Frank Rodriguez, for supporting our efforts to stress the importance of correct odometer reading in the management of a fleet system. If you have a need for a similar training session, call the Office of Fleet Management. Jim Sever is available at 404-657-6907 for assistance.

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA - USES ALTERNATIVE FUEL CHOICES

By Bill Fox, University of Georgia - Fleet Coordinator

There are many alternative fuels available to lower the USA’s dependency on foreign oil and provide cleaner air to breathe. Accordingly, there are a variety of vehicles that run on these fuel options: dedicated vehicles, hybrid vehicles, bi-Fuel vehicles, and flex fuel vehicles, to name a few. Despite the availability of these technologically advanced vehicles (i.e., LEV’s (Low Emissions Vehicles) and ULEV’s (Ultra Low Emissions Vehicles), we still use crude oil-based fuels from foreign countries. The University of Georgia is testing many of these vehicles and different fuels to help in cleaning the air and lowering the U.S. dependency on foreign oils. More>>

GEORGIA FLEET DATA TELLS STORY

By Steve Saltzgiver

In accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order issued in 2005 and state fleet policy and procedures approved by the Office of Planning and Budget (OPB) and the Department of Administrative Services (DOAS), the Office of Fleet management (OFM) has been working closely with each state agency that is required to enter fleet data into the statewide data repository called VITAL (Vehicle Information Tracking And Logistics). Since this policy went into effect, OFM has been assessing the data from various state agencies to determine its reliability and effectiveness in making business case decisions related to the fleet activities and cost data. The verdict is in…. Read more>>

OFM FIELD ADJUSTMENTS ARE LOWING STATE FLEET COSTS

By Steve Saltzgiver

For the past eleven years, Roger Kennedy, a fleet industry expert on the OFM staff, has worked closely with agencies as a resource to further reduce their weekly fleet costs. On average, Roger saves over $3,000 dollars a week on negotiated field adjustments with the state's supplier community. This is a major benefit of the OFM ARI Maintenance Management network.

One phenomenon OFM frequently sees in this current economic climate is an increase in suppliers adding unnecessary costs to the vehicle repair estimates. We refer to this practice as adding "gravy" or an extra layer of unnecessary costs to the quotes. Agencies have to be vigilant to prevent "gravy" from being added to fleet estimates. Someone with an expert "fleet eye" must catch these unnecessary repair costs and make the supplier renegotiate their original estimates. This is where Roger Kennedy's unique talents and abilities play a key cost-saving role for agencies.

Recently, Roger was awarded the Department of Administrative Services (DOAS) Most Valuable Player award for his continued efforts in assisting agencies with reducing fleet expenditures. Below are a few examples of how Roger is working with OFM customers to reduce state fleet costs:

· He saved Kennesaw State precious fleet dollars on a 2003 Ford Crown Vic Police Unit. The dealer indicated that a bad engine would have an estimated cost of $4900 and went to bat as the DOAS MVP found another engine supplier quoting $3400. Roger saved the university approximately $1500.

· Pineland CSB’s 1997 Ford Explorer needed an engine and the local shop quoted $4739. Roger found a source for $3300, saving the agency almost $1400.

· Middle Georgia CSB’s 1998 Ford Contour in Dublin needed an engine. The local vendor quoted $4706 and Roger found an engine for $2570. The savings were nearly $2500.

Roger's business acumen and experience in dealing with the state's vendor community has saved agencies over $67,000 since December 2008! Roger and OFM are making a difference by saving precious state vehicle repair dollars. Any agency interested in taking advantage of this resource can give Roger a call at 404-656-6295 and watch the savings roll in!

OFM Changes its contact Information

By Jim Sever

Effective June 1, 2009, we will be changing our main contact information for the Office of Fleet Management. In an effort to streamline our process for customers to obtain OFM services as well as reduce our overall expenses, we will change our contact number to 404-657-6906 and email address to fms@doas.ga.gov

For your convenience, you can begin using our new telephone number and email address today as they are already in place. The new contact information is currently being used in conjunction with our main Help Desk number and email address for our VITAL Fleet Management System. Should you have any questions, contact Jim Sever at 404-657-6907.

KEY POINTS IN AUDITING FLEET VEHICLES

Is your agency fleet safe and cost-effective? Ever wonder what you should be checking to ensure your fleet vehicles are operating at their optimal level of performance? The following Key Points in Fleet Auditing are useful when compared with your established monthly reports and documentation:

Is your preventive maintenance being performed in a timely and efficient manner to ensure vehicles are safe to operate?
Are each of your fleet vehicles being properly utilized and in accordance with agency and state policy? Have you checked your utilization ratio?
Are old, turned-in units being disposed in accordance with state policy? Do you have any vehicles sitting idle, needing to be sent to Surplus Property for disposal?
Is your outsourced fuel provider (e.g., Wright Express) or maintenance repair supplier providing you with the services you require, at the agreed-upon price and at the right level of service?
Is someone reviewing each invoice to ensure suppliers are not taking advantage of the state? Are you checking your invoices to ensure non-fleet expenses are not being charged to the state?
Do your monthly fleet reports in each functional area reflect the key data needed to properly track the cost of your fleet?
Are your drivers trained properly to operate a vehicle safely and are they making cost-effective decisions at the point of sale (e.g. fuel price shopping, preventing supplier repair up-selling, etc) to save your agency budget dollars?
Are you reviewing repair transactions to ensure your agency is not being charged taxes for services where the state is exempt?
Are assigned vehicles being monitored to ensure all use is business related and in compliance with state and local laws and regulations?

Safe and efficiently-operated state vehicles enhance agency productivity, reduce budget costs, and improve driver morale. Contact the Office of Fleet Management if you need assistance to effectively manage your agency fleet vehicles.

THE WONDER OF UGA'S REGULARLY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE

By Bill Fox, University of Georgia - Fleet Coordinator

Since 2004, this white van (pictured right) has been driven to 13 colleges and universities in and around Atlanta and Athens for 50 weeks per year by one man, Mr. Theron Sharp. Regular maintenance on this vehicle has includes:

Periodic maintenance on the engine
Oil and filter changes every 3,000 miles
Work on the transmission every 30,000 miles
Work on the radiator every three years
A tune-up every 100,000 miles
Brake flushes every two (2) years.

The only repairs outside of normal maintenance have been work on the tires, brakes, belts, hoses, and one alternator replacement. This van has 350,984 miles as of May 4, 2009.

As you can see, the longevity of this van is a testament to the University of Georgia shop, preventative maintenance, and the driver's care of the vehicle.

Happy motoring, UGA!

DOAS Office of Fleet Management

"Driving Change in State Fleet Management!"