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Fleet Management
What We Do and Why We Do It
 The Fleet Management Administration (FMA) keeps District government going by repairing and maintaining more than 3,000 vehicles used for all city services except police, fire, corrections and schools. FMA also fuels all 6,000 DC government vehicles, including school buses, fire and trash trucks, and street sweepers. DC government agencies rely on Fleet’s expertise when acquiring new vehicles to meet program needs.
A critical operation is preparing the vehicles to be used in the Snow and Ice Control Program. Approximately 400 vehicles are in the program, including heavy dump trucks and large pick-up trucks that are used to spread salt and plow the streets, as well as the equipment used to load salt onto these trucks.
Fleet plays an important role in helping the District reduce its fuel consumption and to meet its environmental goals for improved air quality. It achieves this by providing healthier fuel alternatives like E-85, electric, compressed natural gas (CNG), and ultra-low sulfur diesel for the vehicles it purchases and maintains for about 30 DC government agencies. Altogether, there are more than 700 alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles in the District’s fleet. These vehicles are used to sweep streets, tow vehicles, enforce sanitation and parking laws, remove graffiti, plow snow, pick up leaves, and collect trash and recyclables. E-85 is a form of ethanol alcohol mixed with gas, easy to manufacture and process, and can be made from very common materials, such as sugar cane. It has the highest oxygen content of any transportation fuel available today, making it burn cleaner than gasoline. Fewer exhaust fumes mean less smog, better air quality, and fewer breathing problems. E85 also gives off fewer greenhouse gas vapors, like carbon dioxide. The main contributor to global warming.
CNG is considered an environmentally “clean” alternative to gasoline and diesel fuel. DPW is using two trash trucks, also known as packers, which are fueled by CNG and will test this fuel in a mechanical street sweeper. There are about 200 CNG vehicles in the District’s vehicle fleet and most of DPW’s Parking Control Officers use CNG vehicles.
 In 2007, DPW switched its 2,300 diesel-fueled vehicles to ultra-low sulfur diesel to reduce air pollution from emissions. The next step is introducing bio-diesel (B-20) fuel, a clean burning alternative fuel that comes from 20 percent renewable resources. The District will be one of a few major cities to use this renewable resource. The agency’s commitment to reducing fuel consumption also led to incorporating hybrid vehicles, e.g., pick-ups, sedans and vans, into the District’s fleet. While the US Department of Energy does not consider hybrids alternative fuel vehicles because they are powered primarily by gasoline, they continue to make a contribution to fuel reduction. The District will continue to test and implement other fuel- and emissions-reduction techniques, such as car sharing. An expert mechanic is to be treasured and DPW is growing its own through a program at Spingarn High School that specializes in vehicle body work repairs. This partnership offers approximately 20 District high school students job training and career opportunities in the District government. Beginning in September 2008, DPW, in partnership with the Department of Employment Services, will sponsor an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) apprenticeship program for up to eight students at Montgomery College. ASE certification is the recognized industry standard for highly trained and qualified automotive technicians. This will be the first public-public apprenticeship program established within the District government.
How You Can Help
DC residents can also help keep our air cleaner and safer when operating your vehicle by following these simple fuel conservation tips:
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Don’t top off your gas tank when refueling.
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Make sure the gas cap is fitted properly.
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Eliminate unnecessary idling time.
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Do not exceed the speed limit.
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Accelerate smoothly.
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Avoid quick starts and sudden stops.
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Use air conditioning only when necessary.
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Carpool with others whenever possible.
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Keep tires properly inflated.
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Avoid transporting excess weight.
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Promptly notify the service shop if your vehicle needs repair.
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Keep scheduled maintenance appointments. |
