September 2008, Government Fleet - Feature
Fleets Share Fuel Management Best Practices
By Chad Simon
Bruce Kilmer, Business Systems Analyst Supervisor, City of Austin, Texas
Fleet Size: 5,000 vehicles and pieces of equipment
Fuel Management System: MAXIMUS FuelFocus
Fueling Sites: 32
The City of Austin is converting its fuel management program to MAXIMUS FuelFocus and currently has 17 terminals online, with the remaining to be converted by end of first quarter 2009. Management initially was interested in tracking fuel usage at the unit level, mpg, and cpm. The fleet is developing software modifications with MAXIMUS to limit fuel station visits and gallons per vehicle per day.
Keying in on FuelFocus
The City of Austin fleet currently uses fuel cards, but plans to switch to a key fob. After swiping, the user enters the unit number and vehicle mileage. FuelFocus automates the process. When the user inserts the nozzle into the tank, the vehicle is automatically identified and engine-related information is transferred seamlessly to the MAXIMUS system. The vehicle is equipped with a transmitter and the nozzle contains a receiver. The transmitter and receiver must be in close proximity to fuel the vehicle. The pump will not activate if the user attempts to fuel an unauthorized vehicle.
Seeking Accurate Data
The City’s current system collects inaccurate data because it relies on users entering proper meter readings. Management can’t monitor mpg or cpm without accurate meter information. Kilmer hopes to improve accuracy with the MAXIMUS system.
"We’ve seen lots of mistakes at the pump with people putting in the wrong information," he said. "It gives them three tries, and after the third try, it just allows them to get fuel because we don’t have any restrictions. If they need to get fuel, they need to get fuel. We’ve also had problems when drivers start the transaction, but then fuel up multiple vehicles with the same card."
When implementing a similar fuel management system, Kilmer suggests fleet managers evaluate the type of data they require and how they can incorporate it into their system.
"If you have a separate maintenance package, how do you get that same information to your maintenance software package? For us, that was part of the challenge. One system with one record was a lot better, and I would recommend that for just about any fleet. Not having to maintain two separate systems to get your data is always a good thing," Kilmer said.