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GSA Office of Governmentwide Policy

Issue 23 January 2003

http://www.gsa.gov/vehiclepolicy Vehicle

Views

In This Issue

The State Dept in Cairo . . . . . . . . 1

AutoChoice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

DOE Funds 23 AFV Projects. . . . . 3

DOE Completes Testing on

3 Hydrogen Fueled Vehicles . . . . . 4

Air Force Alternate Fuels . . . . . . . 5

E85 Scores Big. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

McChord Air Force Base 

to Open E85 Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

EPA on Bidiesel Emissions. . . . . . 7

California Fuel Cell 

Fueling Station Opens. . . . . . . . . . 8

Retreaded Tires. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

vehicle.policy@gsa.gov . . . . . . . . 10

Fleet Management Update . . . . . 10

ASSE Urges Drivers 

to Avoid Distractions . . . . . . . . . . 11

Sleep Awareness Week . . . . . . . . 12

NETS Drive Safely Work Week . 13

USDOT Promotes Seat Belts . . 14

Ford Crown Victoria Update . . . . 15

CDL Rule Toughens Penalties . . 16

Work Zone Awareness . . . . . . . . . 17

New GSA Publications . . . . . . . . 18

Use of GPS and CNG Vehicles. . 19

The State

Department in

Cairo, Egypt

Did you see this person at the

last two FedFleet

Workshops? The most

amazing fleet professionals attend

the FedFleet Workshop and

Information Fairs! Tarek Nour is the

fleet manager for the State

Department in Cairo, Egypt. Here is

his story: 

I manage 350 vehicles. Seventy

percent of our fleet is General

Motor’s vehicles. We also have

Jeeps, and some European vehicles.

We have all types of vehicles:

sedans, vans, light and heavy trucks,

and forklifts. We purchase most of

our vehicles through the State

Department from GSA. 

We have a vehicle replacement

program based on mileage driven,

year, model, and vehicle condition. 

All of our vehicle repairs are done inhouse except body repair and

painting. We provide routine

preventive maintenance in

accordance with the manufacturer’s

schedule of periodic maintenance

and emergency service on client

vehicles. We also perform

maintenance and minor repairs on

lightly armored vehicles. We are

certified to perform GM warranty

work in conjunction with the GM

Egyptian office.

My greatest challenges are the

cultural differences between

American passengers and Egyptian

drivers, the availability of spare parts

and technicians that can work on

American vehicles, and using and

maintaining specialty vehicles such

as heavy and light armored vehicles. 

I have 65 employees serving at the

Motor Pool that is divided into three

different locations:

• Motor pool operation: a

supervisor, 2 admin, 31 drivers, 2

dispatchers, 2 dispatchers/drivers,

4 servicemen, and 2 gas pump

attendants; 

Continued on page 2

Tarek Nour
2

CAIRO from page 1

VehicleViews

The General Services

Administration’s (GSA) Automotive

Division’s on-line AutoChoice

program has undergone several

enhancements in an effort to expand

its capabilities and assist customers

in making informed choices for their

vehicle purchases. 

AutoChoice allows customers to:

• Choose Vehicle Makes and Models

• Compare Base Prices &

Equipment Options

• Compare Miles Per Gallon (MPG)

(Sedans and Light Trucks Only)

• Check Status (Sedans and Light

Trucks Only)

• Place An Order On-line

• Link To The Federal Vehicle

Standards

The program contains information on

sedans, light trucks, light duty body

trucks, medium/heavy trucks and

buses. 

New Enhancements

1. The newest enhancement to

AutoChoice is that it now includes

standard items under the STAN

(Standardized Trucks Available

Now) program. STAN covers the

following medium/heavy trucks:

cab & chassis, dump trucks, van

body trucks, stake trucks, truck

tractors and maintenance/line

body trucks. 

2. Standard Items under our BARB

(Buses All Ready to Buy) program

are also now included in our

AutoChoice program. It covers the

following types of buses: school

(adult passenger), shuttle, transit

and coach.You can view the

various types of buses and

available options, configure your

vehicle, compare prices and place

an order.

3. The OEM Clarifications tab

provides clarifications covering

vehicle equipment options from

DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General

Motors and Honda for each model.

4. The Features and Specifications

tab is available for sedans and

light trucks (without body

applications). This tab provides

more detailed information about

each model to assist customers in

selecting the right vehicle for their

agency’s mission.

5. AutoChoice includes a section

entitled Alternative Fuel Vehicles

(AFVs). This section is located

under Vehicle Types and provides

customers quick and easy access

to view the standard items, which

represent alternative fuel vehicles.

The listing is categorized by AFV

type. 

If you would like to view AutoChoice,

visit our web site at:

fss.gsa.gov/vehicles/buying then click

on the AutoChoice button. The first

time you use the program you will

need to register as a new user. You

will need to know your agency and

bureau codes. In addition to

configuring and pricing the vehicles

that provide the best value, you can

add your choice(s) to the “Garage”

and place your order with GSA

Automotive electronically. If you need

assistance is accessing this

information, please contact GSA

Automotives’ Customer CARE line

on (703) 308-CARS.

Stay turned for further enhancements

to: Customer CARE (703) 308-CARS

fss.gsa.gov/vehicles/buying 

• Workshop: an admin clerk, a chief

mechanic, 2 auto mechanic

foreman, 16 mechanics, 2

servicemen; and 

• A purchasing agent. 

We recently set up a revolving fund

(ICASS) to provide vehicles and

drivers for the State Department and

other federal agencies in Egypt. My

operation provides the following

services:

• Provide light-armored vehicles

and drivers to operate home to

office shuttles,

• Provide gasoline service for 350

vehicles,

• Provide clean, mechanically sound

and reliable vehicles, and safe,

courteous drivers for all

authorized vehicle users, and

• Arrange ground transportation

and supervise vehicle movements

for VIP visits as required.

Currently we are starting to establish

a training program for our mechanics

and drivers. We will also establish

programs in our Middle and Far East

posts including American Embassies

in Sudan, Algeria, Pakistan,

Bangladesh, Qatar, and Uganda. 
3

To support expanded use of

alternative fuels in U.S.

Department of Energy (DOE)

fleets nationwide, DOE’s Field

Operations Testing Activity and its

Federal Fleet Alternative Fuel

Vehicle (AFV) Activity have selected

23 alternative fuel infrastructure

projects at 12 DOE facilities to

receive $2.7 million of funding.

The projects involve the construction

of AFV fueling infrastructure such as

fueling stations and storage tanks.

The alternative fuel infrastructure

projects include 11 or 12 E85 (85

percent ethanol) projects, 8 or 9 CNG

(compressed natural gas) projects,

and 4 B20 (20 percent biodiesel)

projects.

The 12 DOE facilities, their locations,

and types of alternative fuel

infrastructure projects are: 

• Bonneville Power Administration

(Vancouver, Wash. and Portland,

Ore.) - 2 CNG projects

• Fermi National Accelerator

Laboratory (Batavia, Ill.) – 1 E85

project

• Idaho National Engineering and

Environmental Laboratory (Idaho

Falls, Idaho) – 1 B20, 2 CNG, and 1

E85 projects

• Lawrence Berkley National

Laboratory (Berkeley, Calif.) – 1

E85 project

• Lawrence Livermore National

Laboratory (Livermore, Calif.) - 1

CNG project

• Los Alamos National Laboratory

(Los Alamos, N.M.) – 1 B20 and 2

E85 projects

• National Energy Technology

Laboratory (Morgantown, W.Va.

and Pittsburgh, Pa.) – 2 CNG and 2

E85 projects

• Nevada Test Site (Las Vegas, Nev.)

– 1 E85 or CNG project

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory

(Oak Ridge, Tenn.) – 1 B20 and 2

E85 projects

• Pantex Facility (Amarillo, Texas) –

1 E85 or 1 CNG project

• Richland Operations

Office/Hanford Site (Hanford,

Wash.) – 1 E85 project

• Sandia National Laboratory

(Albuquerque, N.M.) – 1 B20 and 1

CNG project

DOE targeted infrastructure

development projects that have the

greatest potential to help DOE fleets

comply with Executive Order 13149,

which requires a 20 percent reduction

in petroleum use.These projects

were also evaluated for their

potential to provide alternative fuel

to state and local government fleets,

commercial fleets and the public.

In addition to the above

infrastructure funding activities,

DOE, through its Field Operations

Testing Activity, tests and evaluates

advanced technology vehicles,

DOE Funds 24 Alternative Fuel

Vehicle Infrastructure Projects

including electric and hybrid

vehicles, and hydrogen, natural gas,

biodiesel and propane fueled

vehicles. DOE’s Federal Fleet AFV

Activity supports the expansion of

alternative fuel infrastructure by

encouraging the placement and use

of federally owned AFVs. 

By encouraging AFV use, these DOE

Activities help achieve energy

security and environmental quality

goals at both the national and local

levels. 

These DOE infrastructure projects,

and the Federal Fleet AFV and Field

Operations Testing Activities are

elements of the DOE programs that

are managed for the DOE Office of

FreedomCAR and Vehicle

Technologies by the DOE Idaho

Operations Office and the Idaho

National Engineering and

Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) in

Idaho Falls, Idaho. 

For more information, visit the AFV

USER Activity’s web page

http://www.ott.doe.gov/epact/afvuser.

shtml or the Field Operations Testing

Activity’s web page

http://ev.inel.gov/fop or contact 

Mike Anderson (DOE)

ANDERSMR@ID.DOE.GOV 

(208) 526-7418.

Media contacts:

Tim Jackson, DOE-ID (208) 526-8484,

JACKSOTB@ID.DOE.GOV, 

or Steve Zollinger, INEEL, 

(208) 526-9590, gaz@inel.gov

Visit the INEEL Web site at:

http://www.id.doe.gov/doeid/index.html



AFVsuccess stories
4

DOE Completes Testing on 

Three Hydrogen Fueled Vehicles

DOE News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct 31, 2002

The U.S. Department of

Energy, through its Advanced

Vehicle Testing Activity, has

finished testing three hydrogenfueled vehicles with internal

combustion engines. The primary

testing objective was to evaluate the

safety and reliability of operating

vehicles on hydrogen and blended

hydrogen fuels; secondary objectives

included quantifying vehicle

emissions, cost and performance. 

The three vehicles were operated

safely for 26,000 miles on 100 percent

hydrogen gas and blends of hydrogen

gas and compressed natural gas

(CNG).

The vehicles were fueled at the

Arizona Public Service (APS)

Alternative Fuel Pilot Plant in

Phoenix, Arizona. The hydrogen is

generated and compressed onsite by

operating a Proton Exchange

Membrane fuel cell in reverse, and

the CNG is compressed onsite from

low-pressure natural gas street

service. The hydrogen/CNG facility

was constructed and is operated by

APS and Electric Transportation

Applications, in cooperation with the

Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity.

The hydrogen and hydrogen/CNG

test vehicles, powered by internal

combustion engines, included a Ford

F-150 pickup running on up to 50

percent hydrogen, a second F-150

pickup running on up to 30 percent

hydrogen, and a Mercedes van

running on 100 percent hydrogen. The

emissions were extremely low

compared to a gasoline- fueled F-150

and to California emissions

standards. The testing also

suggested that it might be possible

to extend oil change intervals well

beyond the conventional 3,000 miles

with the use of hydrogen/CNG fuel.

For additional information on the

above vehicle testing visit the

Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity’s

Web pages at:

http://ev.inel.gov/fop/hydro.html 

DOE, through its Advanced Vehicle

Testing Activity, conducts Baseline

Performance, Accelerated Reliability

and Fleet testing on advanced

technology vehicles. (The Advanced

Vehicle Testing Activity is a

component of DOE’s FreedomCAR

and Vehicle Technologies Program).

These elements of the Advanced

Vehicle Testing Activity are managed

for the DOE Office of Energy

Efficiency and Renewable Energy

from the Idaho National Engineering

and Environmental Laboratory in

Idaho Falls, Idaho. For more

information on this Activity, and its

testing methods, visit the Advanced

Vehicle Testing Activity Web page

http://ev.inel.gov/fop or contact 

Jim Francfort at francfje@inel.gov

(208) 526-6787.

Media contact: Steve Zollinger, 

(208) 526-9590, gaz@inel.gov

Visit our Web site at

http://www.inel.gov 

VehicleViews

Free Electric Cars

What’s the Catch?

No catch. During the July 2002 National Federal Fleet conference held in

Kansas City, Mr. John Butze, Sales Manager for Global Electric Motorcars

(GEMS), a subsidiary of Daimler Chrysler, approached the DOD members

present and offered to give over 500 GEMs to DOD bases located in

California. After clearing some legal hurdles through the various DOD and

service general counsels, the gifts were accepted. Deliveries began in Oct

2nd. While DOD cannot claim EPACT credits for the GEMS, they do offer

another mode of transportation and advancing their fuel reduction

mandates in accordance with EO 13149. 
5

Air Force Alternate Fuels Program 

Takes Off at Tinker

*Reprinted from Air Force News Archive

by Tech. Sgt. Scott Elliott

Air Force Print News

fuels movement, and more bases are

coming on line.

“The beauty of biodiesel is that it

requires no vehicle modification,”

Keller said. “You can take the same

dump truck that’s burned diesel for

10 years and put biodiesel in it

without changing a thing, and we’re

getting alternate fuel vehicle credit

(from the Energy Policy Act of 1992).”

Another benefit is lower

maintenance, thanks to biodiesel

cleaning carbon out of engines and

allowing them to run more efficiently,

said Senior Master Sgt. Rex Curry,

chief of the vehicle maintenance

policy and procedures team.

“Biodiesel also has more lubricity

than basic diesel, so things don’t

wear out as quickly,” Curry said. “At

some point (in the future), industrywide, it is extremely likely that you

won’t be able to buy diesel without it

being blended with (at least 2

percent of) some bio-mass type fuel.

“It’s kind of like ethanol,” he said. “In

some places, like Colorado, you get

10 percent ethanol (blended into

gasoline) all the time.”

Reducing the amount of diesel fuel

consumption is just as much an

Logisticians at Tinker Air Force

Base, Okla., are the latest to

embrace the future with

renewable fuels by mixing a bit of

soybean oil into their diesel tanks.

Congress, through the Energy Policy

Act of 1992, tasked the Air Force,

along with all other federal agencies,

to take the lead in finding ways to

reduce the nation’s dependence on

petroleum and improve air quality. 

“Tinker’s delivery of ‘biodiesel’ is the

(latest) piece of the Air Force’s

alternative fuels program,” said Col.

Thomas Keller, chief of the

infrastructure and vehicles division

within the Air Force’s installations

and logistics directorate. 

Biodiesel is a product made through

a chemical reaction of alcohol with

vegetable oils, fats, or greases. The

Air Force currently uses B-20, a

blend of 80 percent diesel and 20

percent soybean-derived biodiesel.

Although a vehicle may burn as

much B-20 as it did standard diesel,

actual petroleum consumption is

reduced.

Tinker joins Peterson AFB, Colo.,

Vandenberg AFB, Calif., Patrick AFB,

Fla., and Scott AFB, Ill., as the

service’s leaders in the alternative

ethical issue as it is a Congressional

mandate, Keller said. 

“It’s been proven that diesel

(exhaust) is a carcinogen,” he said.

“We have school buses full of

children (driving) around, and we’re

(exposing them) to cancer.”

“There’s a study that offers proof

that buses burning (standard) diesel

fuel (are) 46 times higher in

carcinogens than a bus burning

biodiesel,” Curry said. “We can,

literally, save children’s lives by

using biodiesel.” 

Besides eliminating carcinogens

from exhaust, the fumes have a

pleasant side effect. 

“It smells like whatever the 20

percent (additive) was,” Curry said.

“If it’s soy, it smells like soy; if it’s

chicken fat, it smells like Kentucky

Fried Chicken going down the road.

(According to) one article, the

biodiesel smelled like popcorn.”

By joining the biodiesel revolution,

Tinker is helping ensure the Air

Force will meet one of the act’s

tougher mandates: that 75 percent of

new vehicle acquisitions be

alternative fuel-capable by 1999. The

Energy Policy Act of 1992 was

amended in 1998 to give agencies

one alternative fuel vehicle

acquisition credit for every 2,250

gallons of B-20 used.

“We’re going to get very close (to

meeting our goal) this year,” said Lt.

Col.William Fisher, chief of the

vehicle policy team. “With increased

use of these biodiesel fuels, I predict,

we’ll exceed them next year.” 

VehicleViews
6

VehicleViews

E85 Scores Big 

in DOE Grants

Program

Secretary of the U.S.

Department of Energy (DOE)

Spencer Abraham recently

announced that the DOE had issued

grants to assist in the establishment of

an additional twenty public and private

E85 fueling stations across the nation. 

A total of $807,403 has been awarded

to specifically support the

establishment of E85 fueling sites.

Phil Lampert, Executive Director of

the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition

(NEVC) stated, “This is the largest

single award that has ever been made

by a federal agency to advance the

establishment of E85 fueling sites.

These funds are part of the monies

that the Congress appropriated for

use by E85 advocates during fiscal

year 2002.”

NEVC spokesperson Michelle Saab

also noted that almost 50% of the E85

funds would be used “outside the

generalized farm belt” of the Midwest.

“We are seeing a nationwide interest

in the use of E85 as a form of

alternative fuel, and while the majority

of the fueling sites are certainly

located in the Midwest, we expect the

major advances in infrastructure

development will take place on the

east and west coasts.”

Projects receiving funding include:

• Dover, Delaware: 1 new E85 fueling

station;

• Twin Cities of Minnesota: 8 new E85

fueling stations;

• Buffalo, NY: 3 new E85 fueling

stations;

• Southeast Wisconsin: 3 new E85

fueling stations;

• Titusville/Kennedy Space Center: 3

new E85 fueling stations;

• Cleveland, Ohio: 1 new E85 fueling

station;

• Fargo, North Dakota: 1 new E85

fueling station.

For additional information regarding

NEVC, visit their web site at

www.E85Fuel.com.

Contact: 

Michelle Saab

(573) 635-8445 

McChord Air

Force Base to

Open E85 Pump

McChord Air Force Base in

Washington state celebrated

the opening of their

Alternative Fuels Service Station on

November 15, 2002. The station will

carry the alternative fuels biodiesel

and E85.

We were using CNG, but we had to

drive five miles to Pierce County

Transit to fill up,” said SMSgt Michael

A. Holgate, Fuels Manager at the

base. “By the time you drove there and

back, you only had half a tank left!” It

was an easy decision to install the E85

pump.

“The fleet manager came to me and

asked about the possibility of getting

E85,” said Holgate. “At about the same

time, headquarters was pumping

information out about alternative fuels

and asked who wanted to be a test

base. We volunteered immediately.”

The cost to modify the existing

refueling station with both E85 and

biodiesel was about $68,000. A 12,000

fiberglass tank was converted to store

the clean, alternative fuel – E85. This

domestically grown fuel contains 85%

ethanol and 15% gasoline. 

Over two million vehicles on the road

today can run on the renewable fuel.

McChord has twenty-one E85

compatible vehicles on base with a

projected acquisition of 85 more. For a

complete listing of flexible fuel

vehicles available today, visit

www.E85Fuel.com. 

“The only difficult part right now is the

logistics of getting E85 here. It has to

be trucked from Idaho which takes a

couple days. This also makes small

delivery quantities hard to negotiate.

Most vendors will not make a trip like

that for 1,000 gallons,” commented

Holgate.

The E85 pump is already in use and

hooked up to the base’s key activated

dispensing system. “That means well

over 50% of the fleet is running on

alternative fuels at McChord!”

exclaimed Holgate.

The November 15 Grand Opening

Event’s attendees were GSA

representatives, the local E85

Commission and McChord base

officials.

Contact person: Michelle Saab 

(573) 635-8445

msaab@e85fuel.com 
7

Continued on page 8

EPA Releases Comprehensive

Study on Biodiesel Emissions

Dramatic Reductions in Particulate Matter,

Unburned Hydrocarbons, and Carbon Monoxide

tractors to over the road semi trucks,

and hundreds of fuel distributors are

now carrying biodiesel blends

nationally. 

“This EPA evaluation provides

independent confirmation of the

emissions benefits of biodiesel,

which is important for air planners

and customers who are evaluating

the switch to biodiesel,” said Joe

Jobe, executive director of the

National Biodiesel Board (NBB).

“We are pleased that the EPA

numbers are actually a little higher

than our own analysis, and that they

show benefits can be obtained at any

biodiesel concentration in a mostly

linear fashion, as we have been

advising. We are planning to adopt

the EPA analysis so NBB and EPA

will be giving out the same set of

numbers.”

During the last few years, biodiesel

has enjoyed commercial success as

one of the most thoroughly tested

fuels in the country. “The fact that

biodiesel is so well tested actually

led to some uncertainty as to which

set of emissions data was most

accurate,” said Steve Howell,

technical director for the National

Biodiesel Board and chairman of the

American Society of Testing and

Materials (ASTM) Biodiesel

Standards Taskforce. 

“The EPA analysis takes any

uncertainty out of the equation, and

even shows more incremental

emissions benefits at the B20 level

than for B100. To be conservative, we

have been using a straight line

relationship with blend

concentration. While it remains true

that maximum emissions reduction

per vehicle can be obtained with

B100, for fleets with many vehicles

the EPA analysis shows a better

value at concentrations lower than

B100. Using B20 in 100 vehicles will

actually reduce more pollution

overall than using B100 in 20

vehicles.”

To provide the comprehensive

assessment, EPA analyzed 80

prominent biodiesel emissions

studies, including research

performed by the U.S. Department of

Energy, the U.S. Department of

Agriculture, Lovelace Respiratory

Research Institute and Southwest

Research Institute. Thirty nine out of

the 80 were used for the actual

correlation. The current NBB

correlation used 8 studies. The

majority of the 39 studies were

performed on heavy-duty engines.

EPA then developed a set of

emissions curves based on the

concentration of biodiesel. After

peer review and a planned public

workshop “...to assure that our

correlations represent the best

current scientific understanding of

the emissions impacts on biodiesel,”

the correlations will likely become

the industry standard for biodiesel.

Due to the sheer volume of studies

used by EPA, changes suggested in

the peer review and workshop are

expected to be minor, if any.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The

Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) has released a new

comprehensive technical report of

biodiesel emissions data that shows

biodiesel use can reduce emissions

of particulate matter by 47 percent

when compared to petroleum diesel

in unmodified diesel engines. The

report also verified a 67 percent

reduction in unburned hydrocarbons

and a 48 percent reduction in carbon

monoxide with pure biodiesel (B100).

While the technical report, which is a

compilation of 39 separate scientific

studies, is not an official rulemaking,

the release of the report by EPA

provides a government-validated

reference for federal, state and local

pollution strategies to reduce

emissions that are harmful to human

health and the environment.

EPA prepared the report because of

increasing interest in biodiesel, a

domestically produced alternative

fuel that can be made from any fat or

vegetable oil. Biodiesel works in any

diesel engine with few or no

modifications and has achieved a full

national standard (ASTM D 6751).

More than 250 vehicle fleets use B20,

a mixture of 20 percent biodiesel with

80 percent petrodiesel, commercially

nationwide. Lower level biodiesel

blends, such as B2 or B5, are used in

countless pieces of equipment from

on the GREENfront
8

BIODIESEL from page 7

VehicleViews

California Fuel Cell Partnership

Opens 1st Satellite

Hydrogen Fueling Station

The California Fuel Cell

Partnership (CaFCP) today

commissioned its first

“satellite” hydrogen fueling station

in the San Francisco Bay Area,

providing clean fuel for fuel cell

electric vehicles. The station - an

electrolyzer system using electricity

and plain water to make hydrogen -

represents another step forward for

demonstrating alternatives for a

hydrogen fuel cell vehicle

infrastructure.

The fueling station is located at the

AC Transit bus facility in Richmond,

California. The equipment is

manufactured and installed by Stuart

Energy of Ontario, Canada. Both AC

Transit and Stuart Energy are

members of the CaFCP. The

partnership also contributed

resources and expertise to the

project. The primary purpose of the

fueling station is to serve automotive

companies affiliated with the CaFCP,

who operate their fuel cell vehicles

at the CaFCP headquarters in West

Sacramento. The two locations are

about 70 miles apart. The station is

an important part of the

partnership's continuing effort to

understand and develop

technologies needed to bring the

vehicles to market. “This is a key

achievement for the partnership this

year - to be able to extend the testdrive range of our fuel cell vehicles

beyond the Sacramento area, and to

learn about potential fueling

infrastructure technologies through

real-world experience,” said Don

Huberts, CaFCP Chairman and CEO,

Shell Hydrogen.

Jon Slangerup, President and CEO

of Stuart Energy said, “This station

is important for us and for the future

of hydrogen fuel. Lack of a hydrogen

fueling infrastructure is commonly

cited as a challenge to the

introduction of fuel cell vehicles.

Stations such as this are directly

addressing this challenge. Stuart

Energy’s hydrogen fueling products

are cost-effective, clean, convenient

and available today. This station is a

critical first step that could

ultimately form the foundation of a

hydrogen-fueling infrastructure for

emission-free hydrogen-powered

vehicles.”

AC Transit General Manager Rick

Fernandez said, “AC Transit begins

an exciting new chapter in its 42-year

history with the opening of this

hydrogen fueling station at our

Richmond Operating Division. We

are proud to be members of the

California Fuel Cell Partnership and

to join cooperatively with Stuart

Energy and other members of the

Partnership in a determined effort to

prove to the world the value of

hydrogen and fuel cells.”

CaFCP News

The hydrogen station, with a storage

Continued on page 9

EPA concluded that when compared

to petroleum diesel, biodiesel has

the following average effect on these

regulated emissions:

B100 B20

Total Unburned Hydrocarbons -67% -20%

Carbon Monoxide -47% -12%

Particulate Matter -48% -12%

NOx +10% +2%

“When you combine these emissions

benefits with reductions in other air

toxics and potential cancer causing

compounds, the 78% carbon dioxide

reductions from the full life cycle

analysis performed by DOE and

USDA, and the fact biodiesel is

already a less than 15 parts per

million sulfur fuel—it is very positive

for biodiesel,” Howell said. 

New diesel after-treatment

technology—technology that is

enabled by fuels with less than 15

ppm sulfur like biodiesel—will very

soon be capable of reducing NOx by

more than 90%. This will serve to

round out the biodiesel emissions

profile for NOx. “We are working with

some of the leading edge OEM's on

this technology right now,” Howell

said. “The future for biodiesel looks

brighter than ever.”

The EPA study can be viewed at

www.epa.gov/otaq/models/biodsl.htm. 

Readers can learn more about

biodiesel by visiting

www.biodiesel.org. 

The National Biodiesel Board is

funded in part by the United Soybean

Board and state soybean board

checkoff programs. 
9

capacity of 47 kilograms of hydrogen,

is capable of supplying the daily

fueling needs of a small fleet of

vehicles at a fueling rate of one to

two minutes per vehicle. Additional

satellite stations for fuel cell

vehicles are planned in the next few

years throughout California.

Ceremonies featured a

demonstration of quick and easy

fueling of four fuel cell cars

manufactured by DaimlerChrysler,

Ford, Hyundai, and Toyota, before a

crowd of several hundred people

from the Richmond community,

public officials and CaFCP.

The California Fuel Cell Partnership

is a voluntary effort to advance a new

vehicle technology that could move

the world toward practical and

affordable environmental solutions.

The Partnership will demonstrate

fuel cell-powered electric vehicles

under real day-to-day driving

conditions; will demonstrate the

viability of an alternative fuel

infrastructure technology; explore

the path to commercialization; and

increase public awareness of fuel

cell electric vehicles. The

Partnership expects to place about

60 fuel cell passenger cars and fuel

cell buses on the road by 2003. For

more information, visit

http://www.fuelcellpartnership.org.

For more information, please contact

the California Fuel Cell Partnership

at: (916) 371-2870 or by email:

info@cafcp.org 

Kim Burmahln

South Bay Clean Cities Assistant

Coordinator

City of San Jose - Environmental

Services Dept.

777 N. First Street, Suite 300

San Jose, CA 95112

(408) 277-4312

(408) 277-3606 - fax

kim.burmahln@ci.sj.ca.us

Article provided by:

Joe Irvin

(916) 371-2899

cell: (916) 600-2564

jirvin@cafcp.org

www.cafcp.org 

5 Reasons 

Not To Use Retreads

And over 24 Million Reasons Why You Should

The information and opinions expressed in this article are strictly the author’s and

do not reflect any endorsement on behalf of the Federal Vehicle Policy Division or

GSA.

1. I drive a truck for a hobby. I’m not

in it for the money. Everybody

knows you can’t make money in

trucking.

2. Not being poor scares me. Makes

me break out in hives.

3. My father-in-law told me about his

bad experiences with recaps back

in1956.

4. Hey, when I buy a really good

apple I throw it away after only

enjoying about 1/3 of it. Why

shouldn’t I be satisfied getting

only 1/3 return on my tire

investment?

5. I know the really successful fleets

with good tire programs run as

many as two and three retreads for

every new tire, but I’m just a little

guy and I don’t want to make as

much money as they do. The taxes

would kill me.

Sound ridiculous? That’s because it

is. There is simply no good reason

not to use retreaded tires on your

truck. Thousands of trucking fleets

and owner-operators already know

this. That’s why more than 24 million

retreaded tires were sold last year in

North America.

Retreaded tires are better than ever,

thanks to advances in inspection

procedures and rubber technology.

Retreads are safely used by most

major trucking companies, school

and municipal buses, fire engines,

commercial airlines and military

fighter planes, small package

delivery services including the U.S.

Postal Service and many other types

of vehicles.

For more information contact the Tire

Retread Information Bureau, toll free

(888) 473-8732 or info@retread.org.

Contact person: Harvey Brodsky at

(831) 372-1917 

FUEL CELL from page 8

VehicleViews
10

Fleet Management Reviews- Status Update!

VehicleViews

vehicle.policy@gsa.gov

E-mail the Experts in the Federal Vehicle Policy Division

Question:

Where can I find information on

setting up a fleet maintenance

program?

Answer:

You can find a lot of information

about vehicle maintenance programs

at: manageyourfleet.gov. The study

module for maintenance program

information can be found at:

http://www.knownet.hhs.gov/log/flee

tDR/LAI/Module2/Phase3/maintena1.

htm 

Also, there are many training

opportunities for learning about

maintenance programs. Most

manufacturer’s offer training; you

can contact your local dealerships

for more information. In addition, the

Office of Governmentwide Policy

publishes an online training catalog.

You can find it at:

http://www.gsa.gov/attachments/GS

A_PUBLICATIONS/extpub/Training20

00text.pdf. 

The maintenance courses start on

page 189 in the catalog. 

Another good source for fleet

maintenance program information is

the National Association of Fleet

Administrators (NAFA). They offer

several publications on maintenance

programs.Their internet website is

http://www.nafa.org. 

EPACT Award Reminder

Nominations for the Annual Alternative Fuels, Conservation, and

Awareness Award (EPACT Award) are due by January 30, 2003. Please

include the nominee’s address and telephone number in the package!

Nomination criteria and instructions can be seen at our website at

http://www.gsa.gov/vehiclepolicy. If you have any questions, please contact

Jacquie C. Perry at jacquie.perry@gsa.gov or by phone at 202-501-3347. 

The Fleet Management

Review Template was

finalized in late September

and made available to FEDFLEET

members. Federal Agencies were

asked to review their fleet

management programs and submit

a completed fleet management

review by October 24, 2002. Thank

you to all the agencies that

submitted their fleet reviews. At

press time, the Office of

Governmentwide Policy (OGP) and

a team of experienced fleet

professionals from the federal fleet

community were reviewing the

packages submitted by the various

federal agencies. OGP will submit a

written report of their findings to

the Office Management and Budget

(OMB) by the end of the year (2002).

Again, thank you for your

participation in this initiative.

Federal Fleet Management has

never been more exciting- stay

tuned for more exciting times to

come! Please contact Connie Aaron

on 202-208-7634 or e-mail

connie.aaron@gsa.gov if you need

any further information. You can

access the fleet management

review template at

www.gsa.gov/vehiclepolicy or

www.manageyourfleet.gov. 
11

American Society of Safety Engineers 

Urge Drivers to Avoid Distractions

Transportation Incidents Are The Number One Cause of On-The-Job-Deaths

Transportation incidents

continue to be the number

one cause of on-the-job

deaths in the U.S. and account for

nearly 43 percent of last year’s

workplace fatalities. In an effort to

help reduce the incidents of traffic

crashes, the Des Plaines, IL-based

American Society of Safety

Engineers (ASSE) urges drivers to

avoid distractions and drive safely,

and for employers to review their

vehicle operation policies.

Distracted driving is a contributing

factor between 25 and 50 percent of

traffic crashes, about 4,000 to 8,000

crashes daily, according to Network

of Employers for Traffic Safety.

Annually, on-the-job traffic crashes

result in over 2500 deaths, close to

330,000 injuries and cost employers

over $43 billion, according to the U.S.

National Highway Transportation

Safety Administration, and can

reduce employee productivity by 40

percent. To break it down further, onthe-job traffic crashes annually cost

employers about $3.5 billion in

property damage, $7.9 million in

medical care and emergency service

taxes, $17.5 billion for wage

premiums, $4.9 billion for workplace

disruption (to hire and train either

new or temporary employees) and

$8.5 billion in disability and life

insurance costs, not to mention the

unimaginable emotional toll. 

“While drivers cannot control

weather or road conditions,” ASSE’s

President Mark Hansen, P.E., CSP,

said. “They can control their driving

habits and should take responsibility

for utilizing safe techniques.

Tragedies can be prevented by

avoiding driver distractions, such as

the inappropriate use of electronic

devices while driving.” 

In its ‘The Use of Electronic Devices

in Motor Vehicles and Safe Driving

Practices’ policy paper (available at

www.asse.org), ASSE recommends

businesses take more responsibility

for promoting safe driving

techniques which include - 1)

increasing public outreach to

reinforce the fact that a driver's first

responsibility is the safe operation of

a vehicle --this includes school

based driver education, which has

been drastically reduced the past

few years; 2) evaluation of

employers' current vehicle operation

practices and the creation and

enforcement of written guidelines

addressing employee use of

electronic devices while driving; 3)

proactive training of employees

about appropriate operation of

electronic devices; 4) increased

research by the automotive industry

and the manufacturers of electronic

and other devices that are routinely

used in vehicles to improve designs

and functions to eliminate driver

distractions; and, 5) improved driver

education -- a significant component

in securing safety on the roadways

and in addressing the hazards of

using cell phones while driving.

Driver education should include

training about eliminating or at least

minimizing driver distractions and to

show the extreme negative impact a

slight distraction can have when an

accident occurs, such as death or

sustaining a lifelong injury and/or

brain damage. 

Founded in 1911, the non-profit ASSE

is the largest and oldest professional

safety organization and is committed

to protecting people, property and

the environment. Its 30,000 members

manage, supervise, research and

consult on safety, health,

transportation and environmental

issues in all industries, government

and education. For more information

check ASSE’s web site at

www.asse.org.

Diane Hurns

ASSE PR.

1800 East Oakton Street

Des Plaines, IL 60018

(847) 699-2929

www.asse.org 

the SAFETYzone

GSA has a better way!
VehicleViews

12

“Let Sleep Work for You”

is the National Sleep Foundation’s 

Message and Theme for 

National Sleep Awareness Week®

March 31 – April 6

2003 “Sleep in America” poll 

looks at impact of sleep and aging

Drowsy driving causes 100,000

motor vehicle crashes a year,

resulting in 1,500 deaths and

40,000 injuries.

“Let Sleep Work For You!” is the

theme for National Sleep Awareness

Week® 2003, the nationwide series of

activities and events designed to

raise awareness about the

importance of regular sleep and the

need to address sleep disorders.

Sponsored by the National Sleep

Foundation (NSF), the annual health

awareness and promotion week

takes place March 31 – April 6,

leading up to the return of Daylight

Saving Time and ending the Sunday

when clocks “spring forward” at 2:00

a.m. and people throughout the

country “lose” an hour of their day;

too often what is lost is an hour of

sleep. 

The cornerstone of the Week is the

release of NSF’s annual Sleep in

America poll. The focus of the 2003

poll will be the impact of sleep on

aging; it will be released on Tuesday,

April 1. 

A potpourri of events, from health

fairs to consultations with sleep

experts, take place in communities

throughout the country during

National Sleep Awareness Week®,

involving NSF’s various partners.

These include:

• Community Sleep Awareness

Partners® (CSAPs) – Hundreds

of sleep centers join this program

and plan sleep-related events in

their communities during NSAW. 

• Cooperative Co-Sponsors include

an estimated 100 federal agencies,

unions, associations and

organizations helping to increase

awareness of sleep issues through

their own local and organizational

initiatives. 

• Retail Sleep Awareness Partners.

Many business and retail partners

prepare educational materials for

their customers and join other

partners in organizing events. 

• Members of Congress also help

educate Americans on the

importance of sleep by writing oped pieces for their local

newspapers and delivering official

statements for the Congressional

Record.

In addition to the poll release, other

national highlights of the Week,

scheduled for Washington, DC

include:

• Leadership Congress on Sleep,

Health and Aging, a meeting of

invited experts from various

disciplines including

cardiovascular, endocrine,

psychiatry, and sleep medicine,

who will discuss how to identify

and promote the role of sleep in

the diagnosis and treatment of

major diseases of older persons.

(Sunday/Monday, March 30 – 31).

Contact: Pat Britz x203.

• The Third Annual “Night of a

Thousand Dreams” gala provides

the setting for NSF to present its

“Sleep Leadership Awards” and

the opportunity to raise funds for

its education, research, and policy

programs. (Monday evening,

March 31, Ritz Carleton Hotel,

Washington, DC). Contact: Inne

Kim, (202) 338-6100, x104.

• NSF’s Public Policy and Sleep

Leadership Forum trains

volunteers how to advocate for

sleep issues. Participants will

also meet with their congressional

members the next day. (Date TBA)

Contact: Scott Phillips, x204.

National Sleep Awareness Week® is a

registered trademark of the National

Sleep Foundation. NSF will provide

regular updates and information

about National Sleep Awareness

Week® activities on its Web site,

www.sleepfoundation.org. 

The National Sleep Foundation is a

nonprofit organization dedicated to

improving public health and safety by

achieving greater understanding of

sleep and sleep disorders, and by

supporting education, sleep-related

research, and advocacy.

For more information contact: 

Marcia Stein, (202) 347-3471, x205 or 

Linda Hasman, (202) 347-3471, x217 
VehicleViews

13

NETS Drive Safely Work Week Campaign 

Targets Risky Driving Behaviors on the 

“Roads More Traveled”

Drive focused, stay safe...and keep America's workforce safe on the road.

With hectic schedules and

long delays in jam-packed

traffic and at blocked

intersections, it seems people do

everything in their cars except drive.

Our nation's roadways have become

more congested in recent years and

drivers are experiencing anxiety,

stress, fatigue, and numerous

personal and work-related

distractions while sitting in their

vehicles. More time on the “roads

more traveled” results in less time at

home or the office, causing drivers to

feel the pressure to multi-task just to

keep up with their responsibilities.

It's a certainty that with more people,

driving more vehicles, more miles

each year, compounded by fewer

roads being built, and fewer people

carpooling, driving conditions aren’t

going to improve any time soon. 

So, it’s become increasingly

important for the American business

community to make traffic safety a

priority. One of the best ways to keep

employees safe on the road is to

educate them about safety and

promote safe driving practices.

Although more roads and more

transit are part of the long-term

solution to improving travel

conditions, educating employees

about their travel options and

heightening safety awareness offers

immediate benefits.

Liberty Mutual Group, Nationwide

Insurance, United Parcel Service,

General Motors and Chubb Group of

Insurance Companies joined the

Network of Employers for Traffic

Safety (NETS) in Washington on

October 7th to launch the 6th annual

Drive Safely Work Week (DSWW)

campaign. The workplace safety

campaign urges all employers to

focus on the risky driving behaviors

associated with the “roads more

traveled” and seat belt use—the

single most effective action one can

take against risky driving on

America’s roadways.

These days it’s more important than

ever to drive with a clear head and a

sharp focus. Being well rested, alert,

and attentive keeps drivers safe on

the road and in a much better

position to defend themselves from

the drivers who do not make that

choice. Driving safely on our

overcrowded roadways is a

demanding task that requires

constant attention with little time to

attend to other nondriving-related

work and personal tasks. 

As part of this year’s campaign

strategy, NETS conducted a “Roads

More Traveled” telephone survey

asking employees about their driving

behavior when commuting to and

from work and when driving for workrelated purposes. Sixty-eight percent

of respondents indicated that they

frequently or occasionally engaged in

distracted driving, 30 percent

admitted to driving aggressively or

taking chances to get to work on

time, and 30 percent admitted to

being drowsy or sleepy while driving.

When NETS online poll respondents

were asked what frustrated them

during their commute or while

driving for work, respondents

reported great frustration with other

drivers who were driving

aggressively (88 percent) or

distracted (38 percent) or who were

not obeying traffic laws (84 percent).

Eighty-three percent expressed

overall frustration with traffic

congestion and delays and 43

percent felt that their frustration

while driving negatively affected

their own driving performance. 

When NETS asked employees what

their employers could do to make

them feel safer on the road. 

• 56% said employers should set

policies and provide information

that encourages safe driving

practices. 

• 53% said employers should

provide information about local

road and travel conditions. 

Continued on page 14
VehicleViews

14

• 52% said employers should permit

flexible scheduling to allow

commuting during off-peak hours

• 49% said employers should allow

flexible scheduling during the

workday to provide more time to

drive to off-site locations.

During the DSWW press event, Mike

Heembrock, Vice President of Loss

Control for Chubb Group of

Insurance Companies and the NETS

Board Chair, issued a call to action

for all employers “to implement

these strategies to create a safe

work environment.” 

To help educate employees about the

risky driving behaviors on the “roads

more traveled” and combat the

human and economic costs of traffic

crashes, the Network of Employers

for Traffic Safety (NETS), a

public/private partnership, has made

drive focused stay safe ... and keep

America’s workforce safe on the

road, the theme for the sixth annual

Drive Safely Work Week (DSWW)

campaign, which took place October

7-11, 2002. 

NETS makes available a DSWW

campaign tool kit with safety

messages, activities and cameraready artwork to make it easy for

employers to improve the driving

safety of their employees. In doing

so, employers provide a service to

their employees, their families and

the communities in which they live

and work, by reducing preventable

traffic crashes. Last year, Drive

Safely Work Week reached millions

of employees across the country with

its safe-driving messages. For more

information on DSWW or to

purchase the $30 tool kit, call 1-888-

221-0045 or visit

www.netsnational.org. 

Founded in 1989, NETS is an

employer-led public/private

partnership dedicated to improving

the safety and health of employees,

their family members and members

of the communities in which they

work and live, by reducing the number

of traffic crashes that occur on and

off the job. To accomplish this, NETS

provides employers of all sizes with

effective programs, policies, best

practices and employer-led activities

related to traffic safety, thereby

helping companies to improve

employee relations while reducing

the cost of doing business. 

USDOT, Landstar 

to Promote Seat Belt Use

In support of safety, the Bush administration’s highest transportation priority,

the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety

Administration (FMCSA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

(NHTSA) joined industry to work on a joint seat belt safety initiative.

On Thursday, Nov. 21, the two federal agencies announced a new partnership

with Landstar System, Inc., one of the largest truckload motor carriers in the

nation. Landstar has agreed to place “Click It Or Ticket” decals on the back of

at least 2,000 of its tractor-trailers to encourage all drivers to buckle up.

For more information, contact Dave Longo at: (202) 366-0456 

NETS from page 13

GSA plays it safe!
15

North American Fleet, Lease,

Remarketing Operations

Ford Motor Company

Regent Court, Drop 6N-2A

16800 Executive Plaza Dr.

Dearborn, Michigan 48126

October 1, 2002

Mr. Mel Globerman

Director

GSA Automotive Division

1941 Jefferson Davis Highway

Room 604

Arlington, VA 22202

Subject: Crown Victoria Police

Interceptor (CVPI) Update

Ford Motor Company held a press

conference on Friday, September 27,

2002 to announce a series of actions

designed to make police work safer.

This included an upgrade kit,

optional trunk package and trunk

template to help reduce the potential

of fuel tank punctures in high-speed

rear-end accidents by shielding key

components. 

Upgrade Kit (no cost)

• Axle-mounted shields that cover

the sway bar bracket, shock

bracket and parking brake bolt

(depending on model year).

• Fuel tank strap shields that cover

a key stress area.

• A differential shield that covers

differential bolts along the bottom

of the differential.

Optional Trunk Package (available at

a cost)

• An optional trunk package

designed to help police officers

carry sharp-edged, heavy

equipment more safely,

horizontally rather than

longitudinally. This trunk package

also will include a layer of

puncture-resistant material and

will be available to police by the

end of the year.

Trunk Template

• A trunk template – or pattern –

that can be placed in the trunk to

show law enforcement agencies

where equipment should or should

not be mounted in the trunk.

Eligible Vehicles

• 1992 – 2003 model year Crown

Victoria Police Interceptors

(police duty).

Crown Victoria Police Interceptor

(CVPI) Update (Continued)

Civilian Consumers

• Ford does not recommend that

non-police duty vehicles have the

upgrades performed. Non-police

customers do not use their cars in

the same unusual, high-risk

situations that police do. Police

vehicles are involved in four times

more accidents than non-police.

Moreover, the exposure rate for

police vehicles stopped along a

highway is at least 1,000 times

greater than civilian vehicles.

Technical Service Bulletin (TSB)

Modifications

• The upgrade options being

offered as of September 27

supersede the TSB (#01-21-14)

modifications previously issued.

Also, all 2003 model year CVPI

vehicles ordered after September

27 will have the upgrades already

installed. 

• Agencies who paid for repairs

under TSB # 01-21-14 will receive

refunds. Agencies must provide

payment documentation.

Instructions will be provided in a

TSB issued later.

Parts for Installation

• Parts are not available until

estimated 3rd week of October

(10/21/02) and November. Police

agencies will be able to register

for the Service Kit for their

vehicles and the Ford Dealership

where they should be installed.

Please see topic "Police Fleet

users only – Register for the

Service Kit" in the website

www.cvpi.com.

In summary, the Upgrade Kits and

installation by Ford dealers will

provided at no charge to customers,

however, there will be a cost

(information provided later) for the

Optional Trunk Package. 

Please contact me at: (313) 390-1262,

fax (313) 337-8037 or email at:

dthomp10@ford.com if you have

questions or require additional

information.

Dorothy Thompson

Dorothy Thompson

Federal Government Account

Manager 

VehicleViews
VehicleViews

16

CDL Final Rule 

Toughens Penalties Against 

Unsatisfactory Drivers

Continuing its efforts to improve

the safety of trucks and buses,

the U.S. Department of

Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier

Safety Administration (FMCSA)

issued a final rule that significantly

strengthens the licensing and

sanctioning requirements of the

commercial driver’s license (CDL)

program for truck and bus drivers

required to hold a CDL. The rule was

effective Sept. 30, 2002. 

This final rule, which implements

provisions of the Motor Carrier Safety

Improvement Act of 1999, combines

two CDL rulemakings proposed in

2001.

“These comprehensive requirements

for those who want to drive trucks and

buses will help ensure that our

highways are safer,” U.S.

Transportation Secretary Norman Y.

Mineta said. “Only safe drivers should

operate trucks and buses, and this rule

will help make that happen.” 

With this final rule, FMCSA intends to

make the CDL program more effective

in preventing dangerous truck and bus

drivers from continuing to drive. It

strives to improve safety by improving

the performance of drivers and

removing unsafe drivers from the road.

Within three years after the rule’s

effective date, FMCSA will penalize

states not in substantial compliance

with licensing and sanctioning

requirements of the CDL program by

withholding Motor Carrier Safety

Assistance Program (MCSAP)

money. MCSAP funds provide

financial assistance to states through

federal grants. 

The new rule allows FMCSA to

prohibit states that do not comply with

this rule from issuing, renewing,

transferring, or upgrading CDLs and

from issuing hardship licenses to truck

and bus drivers who lose their driving

privileges. States that comply with

FMCSA CDL requirements will be

permitted to issue non-resident CDLs

to drivers living in states that have lost

that privilege.

As a result of this final rule, FMCSA

may now disqualify commercial motor

vehicle (CMV) drivers who have been

convicted of traffic violations while

operating a passenger vehicle that

result in their license being canceled,

revoked or suspended, or of

committing drug and alcohol-related

offenses while driving a passenger

vehicle. It also adds the following two

new disqualifying offenses: driving a

CMV after a CDL was revoked,

suspended or canceled for operating a

CMV; and causing a fatality through

the negligent or criminal operation of a

CMV.

The regulation expands the list of

serious traffic violations to include

drivers who fail to obtain a CDL,

driving a CMV without a CDL in the

driver’s possession, and operating a

CMV without proper class of CMV

being driven or type of cargo being

transported. The regulation authorizes

FMCSA’s Chief Safety Officer to

disqualify, on an emergency basis,

CDL drivers who pose an imminent

hazard, a condition that presents a

likelihood of death, serious personal

injury or substantial danger to the

public.

The final rule requires that applicants

obtaining, transferring, or renewing a

CDL tell their state driver-licensing

agency where they previously held

motor vehicle licenses. This enables

the issuing agency to obtain a

candidate’s complete driving record.

A new requirement in the rule creates

a new endorsement. Applicants

wanting to operate a school bus must

pass knowledge and skills tests before

receiving a CDL for that purpose.

States with school bus licensing

programs that currently meet or

exceed FMCSA requirements may

continue to test and license school bus

drivers.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Act

(CMVSA) of 1986 established the CDL

program and the Commercial Driver’s

License Information System (CDLIS)

to serve as a clearinghouse and

repository of CDL information and

traffic-conviction data. The CMVSA

also requires state personnel to

ensure that drivers convicted of

certain serious traffic violations are

prohibited from operating a CMV.

The final rule is on the Internet and

can be viewed by searching for docket

numbers FMCSA-2001-9709 and

FMCSA-00-7382 at http://dms.dot.gov/.

For more information, contact 

Suzy Bohnert at: (202) 493-0189 
VehicleViews

17

Fourth Annual

Work Zone Awareness Kickoff Event to Promote

Highway Construction Safety April 6-12, 2003

By Kerry Perrillo, Federal Highway Administration, Eastern Resource Center

Last year, the National Work

Zone Memorial was unveiled

during the National Work Zone

Awareness Week event. This mobile

memorial contains the names of

persons killed in work zones and will

be displayed at future highway safety

events throughout the country. The

kick-off event took place in a work

zone where construction is taking

place at an interchange along the

Capital Beltway near Washington, DC.

Background: 

Over recent years, the number of

people killed in motor vehicle

crashes in work zones has increased

from 789 in 1995 to an all-time high of

1,093 in 2000. Each year, more than 80

percent of all fatalities in work zone

crashes are motor vehicle occupants.

In addition, more than 40,000 injuries

occur in work zones each year.

Education to the driving public is

crucial to create awareness of the

importance of obeying work zone

signs and markings for both the

safety of the drivers, passengers,

and the workers. 

"Lives will be saved immediately if

motorists would simply slow down to

posted limits in work zones, pay

attention and follow these few basic

safety tips," said Kathi Holst,

president of the American Traffic

Safety Services Association. "What

most motorists do not realize is the

majority of those killed in work zones

are motorists - not the workers

themselves." 

The Federal Highway Administration

asks motorists to observe the orange

signs along roads that indicate work

zones. The following are "Safety Tips

to Live By":

• Stay alert and give full attention

to the roadway. 

• Pay close attention to signs and

work zone flaggers. 

• Turn on headlights so workers and

other drivers can see your vehicle. 

• Do not tailgate. 

• Do not speed. Slow down to the

posted speed limits. 

• Keep up with the traffic flow. 

• Do not change lanes in work

zones. 

• Minimize distractions in vehicles.

Avoid changing radio stations and

using mobile phones in work

zones. 

• Expect the unexpected. Keep an

eye on workers and their

equipment. 

• Be patient. Remember work zones

are necessary to improve roads

and make them safer. 

Bright Lights Bother You?

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has a new free brochure. It is titled

“How to Handle Glare for Safer Driving at Night.” It can be downloaded at

www.aaafoundation.org. Search for the title. Or you can order up to 100 free

copies by filling out the form online.
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18

BARB (Buses All Ready To Buy)

2003 Federal Vehicle Standards

GSA Automotives’ 2003 Federal

Vehicle Standards are now available.

If you have not already received your

copy, you can contact GSA’s

Centralized Mail List Service

(CMLS) on (817) 334-5215 and

request code: AUTO-0001. 

The Federal Vehicle Standards will

also be available on CD ROM upon

request from GSA Automotive on

(703) 308-CARS or you can download

it from our web site at:

fss.gsa.gov/vehicles/buying.

The 2003 edition of the Federal

Vehicle Standards will be in a 3 –

hole punched, loose-leaf format in

lieu of a bound booklet. Therefore,

once you receive your copy, you will

need a 2 1/2 inch binder to place it in

for convenience and easy access. 

Federal Vehicle Standards 122 and

307 have been enhanced and

expanded to show side by side

comparisons of what each

manufacturer is offering based on

GSA’s minimum requirements. For

all optional equipment, each

manufacturer has identified whether

the option is available, not available

or standard on the vehicle. 

Questions regarding this publication

or any of our vehicle programs can be

directed to Customer CARE at: 

(703) 308-CARS. 

The General Services

Administration’s (GSA) Automotive

Division has just produced a new

“How 2 Select Buses” brochure. 

The brochure includes information

on things that you should consider

when determining the right bus for

your application. It lists the various

types of buses available, along with

the advantages and disadvantages of

each type. The BARB brochure

provides detailed charts that give the

seating configurations and

specifications for each type of bus.

There is also a glossary that lists

commonly used terms as they relate

to the BARB program.

If you would like to have copies of the

BARB brochure, or if you would like

information on any of our other

vehicle programs, please contact our

Customer CARE line on (703) 308-

CARS or visit our website at

fss.gsa.gov/vehicles/buying for

additional information. 
VehicleViews

19

Use of Global Positioning System (GPS) 

and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Vehicles

Helps the U.S. Navy Postal Operations Division in

Washington D.C. Keep the Mail Moving

The Fleet and Industrial

Supply Center, Norfolk’s

Navy Postal Operations

Division in Washington, D.C. is

reducing cost by using state-of-theart technology. Like many fields

today, mail operations has leveraged

technology to speed up the

processes of addressing mail,

distribution, safety, and efficiency.

Adding a Global Positioning System

(GPS) Computerized Vehicle

Tracking System (GPS-CVTS) was a

natural next step in mail delivery

technology. It has become an

essential link to mail delivery and

pickup efficiency. Management can

accurately determine, in real time,

the location of each of its 14

government one-ton vehicles

anywhere within the mobile radio

range. This capability is made

possible by placing a GPS receiver

in each of the delivery vehicles. The

GPS units receive signals from three

or more GPS satellites to establish

location. The information is then

transmitted to the management

command center by standard mobile

radio communications, through

cellular communications or by

cellemeitry data communication. The

data is then analyzed and displayed

on a computer which has GPS

mapping software installed. The

information on the location of a

vehicle can be printed out for

documentation and can also be

networked to other PC workstations

inside a LAN system. 

Another technology breakthrough is

currently used in nine of the 14 GSA

leased vehicles. That technology is

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), an

alternative fuel system to gasoline

that reduces ozone harmful

emissions. 

Today’s use of available technology

has provided increased efficiency at

the Postal Operations Division.

Increased security through vehicle

tracking and lower cost using an

alternative fuel have help the Navy’s

Postal Operations Division provide

greater value to its customers and

live up to the Naval Supply Systems

Command’s motto: 

Ready - Resourceful - Responsive. 

IMEAC 2003

June 24-26, 2003

Portland, Oregon

The Changing World of Fleet Management

Questions?

Call the IMEAC helpline at 800-315-4333 or email help@imeac.org

Visit the website at http://www.imeac.org
U.S. General Services Administration

GSA Office of Governmentwide Policy

Federal Vehicle Policy Division (MTV)

Washington, DC 20405

______________________________________

Official Business

Penalty For Private Use $300

First Class Mail

Postage and Fees Paid

GSA

Permit No. G-30

Bill Rivers

Director

(202) 208-7631

Connie Aaron

(202) 208-7634

John (Q) Adams

Team Leader

(202) 501-0758

Ed Lawler

(202) 501-3354

Jacquie Perry 

(202) 501-3347

Stewart Randall

(202) 501-4469

Nate Reed

(510) 637-4640

Mike Moses

Team Leader 

(202) 501-2507

Laurie Feld

(202) 208-4721

Jim Vogelsinger 

(202) 501-1764

Please address your

questions or comments

concerning Vehicle Views

to the editor: 

Jacquie C. Perry 

(202) 501-3347

or by e-mail to

Jacquie.Perry@gsa.gov

Graphic Designer:

Tom Pearlman

GSA Communications

Federal Vehicle Policy Division (MTV)

The Federal Vehicle Policy Division’s mission is to ensure the effective and efficient use of the Federal

Government’s 590,000 motor vehicles and the expenditure of close to $2 billion annually on fleet operations

through innovative policies, adoption of best practices, effective communication, and leading edge

technologies.

http://www.gsa.gov

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