With cities and states nationwide facing budget crunches, spending on vehicle fleets is under the microscope.
West Virginia, for one, is cutting fleet expenses 25% to 40% for some of its agencies by buying used cars rather than new ones. Recently, State Purchaser David Tincher bought 115 used cars — with extended warranties — for the state’s fleet. The cars had been leased for a year before being sold.
In New York, the Metro Transit Authority of Long Island plans to replace at least half of its fleet of 93 wheelchair-lift-equipped paratransit buses with cars over the next several years, since only 25% of the transportation service’s customers use wheelchairs. The company rolled out its first four such vehicles — Ford Crown Victorias — last week, and said it could save millions of dollars in vehicle, fuel, and maintenance costs.
These are just two examples, but I’m sure there are many more similar cases. Keep your eye on the fleet business, as it will certainly evolve in the next 12 months.
