Keeping the County Moving: Innovations in Fleet Services

Despite massive advances in automation, recent incidents have shown us that self-driving vehicles are still not quite ready for prime time.

While we still might be a ways off from safely incorporating self-driving cars into County operations, the Wake County General Services Administration (GSA) has found many ways to incorporate innovations into their Fleet Operations group. The group manages nearly 1,000 vehicles that help serve the needs of our more than one million residents. From paramedics and deputies to restaurant inspectors, county employees rely on the fleet to conduct business across Wake's 850+ square miles.

For several years, GSA has been successful in applying technology in order to improve efficiency. The group was recently recognized by a national fleet resource organization for their techniques and leadership. So what are they doing to earn such a position of leadership?

"Gently-Used" = Less $
Fleet Operations staff partner with departments across the county to find ways to reduce the cost of replacing vehicles when they meet their lifecycle requirements.

Whenever possible, vehicles are reconditioned, resulting in a cost savings of at least $7,000 per vehicle.

They also remount ambulance boxes (moving equipment from the retired vehicles to the new vehicle), which saves the county 35% on the cost of a new ambulance!

Dude, Where's My Car?
With the assistance of a grant, the county has installed telematics units on more than 200 of our vehicles in the past year. The units automatically send data such as vehicle location, driver behavior, idling time and other characteristics back to staff who can use these details to make operational changes for more efficient uses of the fleet.

Going Green
To help reduce waste, the staff has a structure in place to process the recycling of all cardboard, batteries, tires, oil filters, rotors and scrap metal used in the operation.

Plugging In
The Wake County fleet currently has 46 hybrid electric vehicles. The County has installed six electric vehicle charging stations at three different facilities and uses at least 110,000 gallons of BioDiesel annually.

Paying it Forward
Recognizing the importance of helping other agencies operate safe and efficient vehicle fleets, Fleet Operations staff uses Wake County’s facilities to share success stories and best practices across the industry.

Through innovation, collaboration and automation, the Fleet Operations group has found several ways to achieve two primary goals of any organization - better service and greater efficiency!