A self-commissioned audit of the fleet operations of the city of Mercer Island, Wash., found that dump trucks were underutilized and police vehicles should be used for 10 years for non-patrol vehicles and four for patrol vehicles, according to the Mercer Island Reporter.

Overall, Hennessy Fleet Consulting found that the city's fleet operations are well managed, but needs fleet software to track performance. The audit notes that there were no reports available with the department's current performance on common business practices such as cost per mile, downtime, and maintenance intervals. Shop time was also tracked inaccurately due to a work order system that is not user-friendly.

The Mercer Island City Council enlisted Hennessy to help reduce costs and improve efficiency. The consultant reviewed all city-owned vehicles and equipment except for fire apparatus. Steve Hennessy was tasked with analyzing the city's vehicles, fleet replacement strategy, and staffing level as well as providing recommendations for improving the program.

The audit found that two of the city's 5-yard dump trucks had very low utilization. However, they are necessary for the city's storm response, requiring further discussion in City Council. Hennessy also recommended that the city extend the useful life of police vehicles from eight years to 10 for non-patrol vehicles and from three years to four for patrol vehicles.

An audit of the city's maintenance department as a whole was conducted concurrently, which also recommended that fleet integrates a material management system.

Read the full audit here.