Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability

Centralizing Vehicle Fleet Operations and Implementing Cost-Saving Strategies Could Reduce State Spending

Report 11-16, April 2011




Report Summary

  • State law requires the Department of Management Services (DMS) to manage the state's vehicle fleet, but the department has delegated much of its authority to agencies and primarily serves an advisory role. This decentralized system hinders coordination, which reduces efficiency and increases costs. The current system also limits DMS's ability to optimize the use of the existing fleet, develop a uniform model for replacing the state's numerous aging vehicles, and implement statewide fuel and maintenance management contracts. In addition, some agency practices, such as assigning vehicles to employees that do not meet mileage use thresholds and providing mileage reimbursements to staff that extensively drive personal vehicles, may also increase state costs.
  • There are several options for improving fleet management and reducing costs, including centralizing all fleet operations under a single agency, centralizing some fleet operations under a single agency, requiring all agencies to use statewide fuel and fleet maintenance contracts, and outsourcing additional fleet services.


Related Reports
  1. Centralizing Aviation Operations and Implementing Cost-Saving Strategies Could Reduce State Spending
    Report 11-13 March 2011
  2. Improved State Vehicle Management Could Save Florida up to $2.4 Million Annually
    Report 02-31 May 2002
  3. Review of State Vehicle Fleet Purchasing
    Report 96-84 May 1997
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
Vehicle, car, light truck, pool, fleet, management services, decentralized, fleet management, maintenance, operations, repair, other states, models, efficiency, cost savings, data, EMIS, surplus, leasing, rental, equipment financing, centralize, consolidate, mileage reimbursement, state agencies