The state of Oklahoma will see millions of dollars in cost savings as it rightsizes its fleet, selling underutilized vehicles.

In February 2023, Government Fleetreported that the Oklahoma Governor's Office announced an initiative to modernize the state's vehicle utilization. The initiative has three primary objectives:

1. Place all state agencies onto a central fleet management system by the end of calendar year 2023.

2. Implement telematics technology on all vehicles.

3. Identify underutilized vehicles and reduce the statewide fleet.

The state is in the first phase of the fleet reduction objective, conducting interviews and requests to internally disperse of underutilized vehicles.

The Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) has installed Geotab telematics devices and data in 3,200 of its vehicles to better understand daily use to determine whether a vehicle can be turned in and sold.

Once the devices have been installed in all of the vehicles and they are on a centralized system, the state will have new insights into vehicle usage, as well as automated mileage reporting with the end goal of improving efficiency. 

"We're always looking for ways to make government more efficient while being good stewards of taxpayer dollars," Gov. Kevin Stitt said. "This initiative will cut down on unnecessary resources and hold our agencies to even higher standards." 

OMES Fleet Management partnered with state agencies to conduct a complete review and accounting of the state's vehicle fleet. As of February, the state had 10,800 vehicles in its fleet.

Oklahoma's Fleet Size: Room for Improvement

An annual evaluation of the state's fleet found that nearly 75% of them — 7,955 vehicles — are driven less than 12,000 miles per year and are considered underutilized. 

Since the initiative began, state agencies have turned in a total of 655 underutilized vehicles. An OMES spokesperson told Government Fleet that will result in an estimated $5.9 million in cost savings.

OMES noted that sedans and other passenger vehicles like light-duty trucks and SUVs have been the most commonly turned in vehicles. These are mostly used for administrative functions.

The state has emphasized letting go of older vehicles, which are more costly to maintain. Agencies have also turned in newer vehicles with low mileage, which have then been used to replace the more aging segment of the fleet.

Lessons Learned in Fleet Rightsizing

An OMES spokesperson told Government Fleet that, "by identifying and eliminating hundreds of underutilized vehicles, the state has not only streamlined our fleet but also made a significant contribution to our fiscal responsibility. This initiative is just one example of our commitment to efficient government operations and responsible resource
management."

The vehicles that are turned in will be sold through the State Surplus program.