FLEETS/Automation helps county track fleet upkeep and costs
Jackson County, Ore., has automated its fleet upkeep, a process that allows the county’s Roads Department to track preventive maintenance, labor and fuel costs, and warranty data. With that information readily accessible, the department is able to budget resources and estimate vehicle replacement schedules better than before.
Situated in the southwest portion of the state, Jackson County maintains approximately 1,000 miles of roadway and 350 bridges. The Roads Department operates a fleet of more than 450 units, ranging from motor pool vehicles and road maintenance trucks to bulldozers and chainsaws.
Automating the maintenance function was a matter of accountability and efficiency, according to J Domis, financial manager for the department. “Keeping track of our fleet operation with maintenance software is a matter of public responsibility and good management practice,” he says. “Customers need to know why we make the decisions we do, and we need to back up those decisions with solid documentation. If you don’t know your maintenance costs, or if you don’t know when it makes sense to do preventive maintenance or trade in your equipment, you’re operating blindly.”
To improve its vision, the department purchased Fleet Management software from San Diego-based Peregrine Systems. The software allows the county to track fleet assets from the time they are acquired through the time they are shed.
“We spend about $1 million each year on new equipment for our fleet,” Domis says. “Capturing cost data on a day-to-day basis is the first piece of the puzzle to determine accurate, comprehensive costs and vehicle replacement schedules. When we get a new asset, we track its initial cost, set up a preventive maintenance schedule, issue work orders, and do fuel and warranty tracking.”
In addition to using the software to document life-cycle costs, the department uses the program to help it anticipate the best timing for unit replacement. “When a new unit is purchased, the cost per unit is high because of issues such as depreciation,” Domis explains. “As time goes by, that cost likely will decline, bottom out and then rise again. The best time to replace a unit is usually near the point that the cost per unit has bottomed out.” By capturing operating costs and usage information, the department can easily identify the “bottoming out” point.
It also can analyze comparison data, which helps the department when it has to purchase new units. “[We can] categorize equipment into groups based on make, model, model year or manufacturer and analyze data from all standpoints,” Domis says. “We may learn, for example, that Brand A pickups are costing 15 percent more to maintain than Brand B pickups. Or we may find that a certain engine has a lower life-cycle cost. This specific information helps us set appropriate design specifications and make correct purchasing decisions.”
The automation has improved fleet performance and management efficiency, according to Domis. “The end result is that we’re getting more suitable equipment up front; it’s lasting longer due to proper maintenance; and we’re retiring equipment at the optimum time,” he notes.
