Lombard's Fleet Reduction Adds Up to Significant Savings
John Mannino is the Fleet Supervisor for the Public Works Department and initiated the research that ultimately reduced the number of Village vehicles in the fleet by 11 and “pooled” the rest. “Pooled vehicles are not assigned to individual staff members but instead are shared among departments and buildings. This plan allowed the Village to reduce the fleet by 11 underused vehicles that added up to a significant cost savings,” said Mannino. A software tracking system, utilized by the department, tracks each vehicle's life cycle costs which identify miles traveled per year and the annual cost of gas per vehicle.
A report is generated each November and given to all Village Department Directors for review that identifies which vehicles are fully depreciated, how much the vehicles are costing, their salvage value, and ultimately, their replacement cost (that is if there is enough money in the vehicle's reserve to replace it with a more fuel efficient option). “Approximately one-third of the Village's fleet can be replaced by a smaller more fuel efficient car or truck with the exception of service vehicles like fire engines,” Mannino explained. “It is quite a savings in fuel expenditures with a car that can go approximately 50 miles per gallon versus a car that may only get eight to ten miles per gallon. The initial cost of the replacement fuel efficient vehicle may be higher but in the long run with its saving in fuel, the Village comes out ahead,” said Mannino.
Collectively, the fleet of vehicles totals one million miles of usage per year. Half of these miles are accumulated by the police vehicles. According to Mannino, “there are 23 police cars and tactical units that are used around the clock servicing the Lombard community. When it is time to replace the vehicles, we have already started researching possible replacement cars that will provide a 20% savings in fuel costs and perhaps utilize a state bidding process to purchase the replacement vehicles that will add to the provisions. The no-idling policy that is in effect has also contributed to current fuel savings.”
Mannino practices what he preaches and takes the smaller fuel efficient vehicle as often as possible to run errands versus using a pick-up truck. However, there are still occasions, like during a snow storm, when a larger vehicle is needed to get the job done. “You do need a mix of vehicles in the fleet for different scenarios but in every case, the Village is continually strategizing ways to reduce costs and run more efficiently,” concluded Mannino.
During the past few years, all Village departments have been looking at various ways to save money, reduce Village expenditures and combine resources yet still deliver the same quality services that Lombard residents expect to receive. Reviewing and reducing vehicle management is one such way the Lombard Public Works Department is doing just that.