GF Blue logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Fleets Prepare for Hurricane Dorian

In preparation for Hurricane Dorian, fleets are topping up on fuel and bringing in reinforcements from other regions.

September 4, 2019
Fleets Prepare for Hurricane Dorian

In north central Fla., more than 7,000 pieces of equipment are ready to help Duke Energy restore power after the hurricane.

Photo courtesy of Duke Energy

2 min to read


Hurricane Dorian is headed up the Southeast coast, lashing the coast of central Florida on Tuesday evening and moving to Georgia, North and South Carolina, and possibly Virginia, according to the National Hurricane Center.

In north central Fla., more than 5,000 utility line workers and 7,000 pieces of equipment, ranging from line and tree-trimming trucks, trailers, and specialty vehicles, from 30 states gathered to help Duke Energy restore power after the hurricane. The vehicles and crew are located in a 135-acre cow pasture in Sumter, and Pinellas and Polk counties also have smaller muster locations, according to the utility.

Ad Loading...

Photo courtesy of National Hurricane Center

Hundreds of EMS crews and a fleet of ambulances and emergency response vehicles have also gathered in north central Florida ahead of the hurricane, according to WCJB.

In Greenville, N.C., the city’s fleet division has ordered additional fuel to ensure that supplies will be at full capacity when the storm arrives. It is also testing and filling generators throughout the city, WCTI reported.

The Tampa (Fla.) Police Department has added a 5-ton military vehicle to rescue residents in high water situations. The vehicle can drive through five feet of water and transport up to 30 people at a time, ABC Action News reported. The hurricane is not projected to hit Tampa. The Wilmington (N.C.) Police Department last month announced it had added two military surplus armored vehicles to its fleet for the upcoming hurricane season.

The Florida National Guard is ready with generators, high-wheel vehicles, helicopters, search and rescue equipment, and boats, according to WCTV. The South Carolina National Guard is also ready to support counties and first responders as needed, including evacuation assistance, high water vehicle transportation and evacuation, and search and rescue.

Using telematics data from commercial fleets, Geotab determined that commercial and government fleets in Florida are more prepared for this hurricane than they were for Hurricane Michael, in 2018. The company determined the percentage of vehicles with more than 50% of fuel in their tanks — nearly all regions (95%) have more than 50% of vehicles with at least this much fuel, including most of the cities along the eastern coast of Florida, according to a blog post.

Ad Loading...

The company stated while fuel levels are not an indicator for preparedness, it urges its fleet customers are sufficiently fueled to weather the storm.

More Operations

A youtube cheat sheet graphic.
Operations•October 11, 2026

Hazard Alerts, Fleet Car Sales Rise and a New Shuttle Concept

Fleet car sales doubled, but the bigger picture tells a different story in this week’s roundup.

Read More →
an image with let the data drive text overlay
Operations•by Jeanny Abraham•October 9, 2026

How St. Johns County Turned Fleet Data Into Better Replacement Decisions

St. Johns County, Florida, had fleet data, but turning it into reliable decision guidance was another matter. Instead of starting over with a new fleet management system, the county connected existing tools and built a scoring system that gives managers an objective look at fleet health.

Read More →
A graphic of passes for Fleet Forward.
Operations•by Staff Writer•October 6, 2026

Fleet Forward Conference Introduces One-Day Passes for 2026 

New one-day registration lets fleet professionals attend Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, with passes available for $249.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Two buses with a logo above them.
Operations•by News/Media Release•October 5, 2026

ENC Unveils its ZAVIR Medium-Duty Shuttle

Two variants of the concept shuttles were revealed: a low-floor configuration and a high-floor configuration.

Read More →
A graphic of an auto shop and cheat sheet text.
Operations•October 2, 2026

Could Your Next Fleet Technician Start as an Intern?

What if your next technician hasn’t worked in a fleet shop yet? What fleets are doing to free up time.

Read More →
a technician working with a text overlay that says Building Talent From Within
Operations•by Jeanny Abraham•October 2, 2026

How Phoenix Is Building Its Next Generation of Fleet Technicians

With more than 8,000 vehicles and pieces of equipment to maintain, the City of Phoenix could not afford to wait for fully trained technicians to walk through the door. Instead, they revamped their entire workforce strategy and showed how public fleets can create their own talent pipeline while preparing existing employees for increasingly complex vehicles.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A youtube graphic with a collage fleet images.
Operations•October 2, 2026

What’s Slowing Your Fleet Down?

Could a change in how work gets done help your fleet return vehicles to service sooner?

Read More →
A story graphic with data and cars.
Operations•by Nichole Osinski•October 1, 2026

Can Public Fleets Trust the Data Driving Their Decisions?

Public fleets have more data than ever, but inconsistent records and missing information can still undermine maintenance, replacement, and cost decisions.

Read More →
John Deere 40 P-Tier Compact Excavator
Operations•September 28, 2026

John Deere Introduces 40 P-Tier Compact Excavator

John Deere is adding a compact excavator designed for crews that need to move equipment between jobsites and handle multiple types of work with one machine. The 40 P-Tier weighs less than 10,000 pounds and offers configurable hydraulics, attachment options, and connected fleet-management capabilities.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A cheat sheet thumbnail with images of a checklist and fleet image.
Operations•September 25, 2026

How Leading Fleets Improve and Why Business Plans Matter

This week, we look at what past Leading Fleet winners can teach us about making progress, plus how to build a business plan your fleet will actually use.

Read More →