Implementation of Fleet Telematics to Increase Efficiency and Reduce Operational Costs

About the Program

Category: Transportation (Best in Category)

Year: 2013

Like other municipalities, Dakota County has a significant investment in fleet vehicles and equipment. These assets are used by County staff to provide services to taxpayers that include activities like road/park maintenance and law enforcement. It is a proven fact that driver/operator behavior has a large impact on operating costs. These behaviors can contribute up to 30 percent of a vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Tracking staff behavior requires many hours of oversight by supervisors and administrative support staff. The County’s goal was to determine if implementing a Fleet Telematics solution could help reduce overall fleet operating costs, increase vehicle utilization, and increase user accountability. In the case of Dakota County, the use of Fleet Telematics includes using global positioning systems to establish automatic vehicle location tracking, connection to the vehicle on-board diagnostic system, establishing user operational expectations, training users on the system, and using the system information and features to reduce operational costs.