As the owner of the largest

non-military vehicle fleet in

the world, the United States

Postal Service (USPS) has been a

pioneer and a leader among all

Federal agencies in adopting

alternative fuel initiatives,

continuing to work in cooperation

with the vehicle industry to develop

new ways to reduce fuel

consumption and air pollution.

In December 2003, General Motors

(GM) approached the USPS with

the idea of testing and evaluating a

fuel cell vehicle in a mail and

package delivery environment. In

June 2004, GM and USPS signed an

agreement for a two-year evaluation

of a fuel cell minivan to take place

in the Washington, DC area. The

vehicle began to deliver mail and

packages out of the Fort Belvoir,

Virginia post office in early

September 2004. In September

2005, after one year of successful

operation, the vehicle was relocated

to Springfield, Virginia for additional

evaluation in a different delivery

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GSA Office of Governmentwide Policy

Issue 34 September 2006

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

Views

In This Issue

Test and Evaluation of Fuel Cell Vehicle

Technology In the United States Postal

Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Achieving Energy Independence Through

Electric Drive: Industry and Government,

Working Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

FedFleet 2006 Is A Hugh Success!. . . . . . 4

Gary Lind Retiresl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Federal Prison Indutries, 

Estill, SC, Remanufacturing . . . . . . . . . . 5

A “Table of Allowance” 

Can Help Control Fleet Size . . . . . . . . . . 7

Congratulations Tina! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Going Hi-Tech in the Swamp . . . . . . . . . 9

Exchange/Sale of Motor Vehicles. . . . . 10

GSA Vehicle Management Policy

Program Will Miss Myles . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

If Retreads Are So Good, 

How Come More Government Fleets

Don’t Use Them?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

NHTSA, Virginia TechTransportation

Institute Release Findings of

Breakthrough Research on Real-World

Driver Behavior, Distraction 

and Crash Factors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Sleep Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Safety Tips for Work Zones . . . . . . . . . . 15

Driving Fuel Quality: 

The National Biodiesel Board Leads

Charge to Bolster Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . 16

The White House Closing the Circle

Awards 2007. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

E-85 fuel $.30 Cheaper 

than Regular Gasoline! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Greening the Department of Defense . 19

Continued on page 2

Test and Evaluation of Fuel Cell

Vehicle Technology In the United

States Postal Service

Han T. Dinh, Program Director, Engineering

United States Postal Service

Figure 1 - HydroGen3 Fuel Cell Vehicle
2

VehicleViews

The USPS vehicle fleet of over 30,000

alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) is

the largest in the world and it is

growing. This AFV fleet consists of

compressed natural gas (CNG)

vehicles, flexible fuel vehicles

(FFVs), propane, electric, and hybridelectric vehicles.

Every alternative fuel technology

used by the USPS, including hybrid

electric and E-85 (85% ethanol and

15% of gasoline), is dependent on

fossil fuel such as natural gas. Many

experts agree that hydrogen fuel cell

vehicles present the greatest longterm potential to radically reduce

many problems inherent with fossil

fuels.

GM’s fuel cell vehicle, the HydroGen

3 (Figure 1), is based on the Zafira, a

popular five-passenger vehicle from

its Opel division in Germany. The

Zafira’s internal combustion engine

has been replaced with a fuel cell

propulsion system and its gasoline

tank has been replaced by a hydrogen

storage tank. All HydroGen3’s

steering, acceleration, braking and

transmission controls have been

modified to work in a vehicle that

uses an electric propulsion system. 

The HydroGen3 was the first

hydrogen fuel cell vehicle certified by

the Japanese government for

operation on regular roads.

The GM engineering team designed

and fabricated a special encased flat

cargo area for mail storage and the

vehicle was put into service in

September, 2004.

Either a compressed- or liquidhydrogen HydroGen3 is fueled and

brought to the USPS three days a

week for operation. At the end of

each delivery day, the vehicle is

returned to a GM facility at Fort

Belvoir for data acquisition retrieval,

system maintenance, refueling, etc.

The results obtained during the yearlong operation at Fort Belvoir are as

follows:

• 135 days of operation

• 9083 total stops to deliver 284,570

pieces of mail

• 1894 km/1174 mi driven, 734 hours

total route time, 469 hours of fuel

cell operation

• Average route time of 5:26 hours,

fuel cell propulsions system

running average 3:28 hours per day

• Weather conditions: 100 dry days,

32 rainy days, 3 snowy days with

temperatures ranging from low

20°’s to high 100°’s (F) 

The vehicle operated with extremely

high reliability (99%) with only one

half-day out of service due to a minor

component failure. The GM vehicle

team and USPS have gained

important knowledge about fuel cell

vehicle usage requirements for postal

delivery, enabling GM to incorporate

these lessons into the design of its

next generation fuel cell vehicle

On May 25, 2005, President Bush

stopped by the very first retail fuel

station in the nation to sell both

gasoline and hydrogen—the Shell

USPS from page 1

Specifications

Vehicle: Opel Zafira minivan with hydrogen fuel cell 

propulsion system

Seating capacity: 5

Fuel storage system: The liquid tank can store 4.6 kg of hydrogen 

(-423 degrees F/-253 degrees C). The compressed 

tank (10,000 psi) can store 3.1 kg of hydrogen

Range: 249 miles/400 km (liquid storage); 

68 miles (270 km (compressed)

Top speed: 99 mph/160 km

Figure 2 - President Bush at Shell Hydrogen Station - GM-USPS Vehicle in Background

Continued on page 3
VehicleViews

3

Volatile oil prices and world

events are creating

unprecedented pressure in

Washington to identify ways to

address the nation’s oil consumption.

The Electric Drive Transportation

Association (EDTA ) Conference &

Exposition 2006 offers solutions in

the form of policy outreach and

technology advancements toward the

goal of clean and efficient

transportation. The EDTA

Conference brings all of the players

together to examine Federal policy

options to accelerate the adoption of

electric drive. The conference is the

perfect place to:

• identify Federal policy trends

• seek out funding opportunities

• pursue key markets for electric

drive

The program agenda includes forums

led by government and industry

experts addressing hybrids, fuel cells,

plug-in hybrids, heavy and medium

duty vehicles, fleet issues, and a

technology discussion. This year’s

conference also offers exceptional

learning opportunities and

networking, including a reception at

the Library of Congress. The sold-out

exposition offers the latest in electric

drive technology, and the signature

Ride ‘n’ Drive puts you behind the

wheel of the latest battery, hybrid and

fuel cell vehicles. 

The conference will be held at the

Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill from

November 28-30. For more

information and to register for the

conference, visit

www.edtaconference.com or call 202-

408-0774. ■

Achieving Energy Independence

Through Electric Drive: 

Industry and Government,

Working Together

Hydrogen station in Washington,

DC—to discuss hydrogen fuel cell

technology (Figure 2). 

The USPS has been working with

the White House’s Office of Science

and Technology to develop a website

at http://www.usps.com/-

environment/fuelcell.htm which is

the USPS central source of

information on R&D activities

related to hydrogen and fuel cells.

This web site is part of

www.hydrogen.gov which was

developed to further the goals of the

President's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative

and encourage greater collaboration

and sharing of information on

hydrogen technology development

activities among government

departments and agencies;

commercial entities; state, regional,

and international organizations; and

the general public. 

For several decades, the USPS has

been a pioneer at the forefront of

many alternative fuel initiatives and

has set examples for many other

Federal agencies. The USPS is one

of a handful of Federal agencies to

comply with the Energy Policy Act of

1992 and 2005 in terms of its

alternative fuel vehicle requirements.

The USPS currently has the largest

AFV fleet in the nation and

continues to acquire more EPACTcompliant vehicles. In addition,

research is underway to explore

other avenues, such as biodiesel,

hybrid-electric for the short term and

hydrogen fuel cells for the long term.

At the present time, fuel cells hold

the most promising technology to

meet the future needs for

transportation. However, several

major obstacles such as cost,

durability, fuel infrastructure and

hydrogen storage need to be

overcome before this technology

becomes commercially available for

the public and the USPS. ■

USPS from page 2
VehicleViews

4

FedFleet 2006, the Sixth National

Federal Fleet Manager

Workshop and Information Fair

was deemed an overwhelming

success by both its planners and

participants.

Sponsored by the Federal Fleet

Policy Council, GSA’s Office of

Governmentwide Policy (OGP), and

GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service’s

(FAS) Fleet Program, this year’s

event brought together 1,373

participants and vendors to share

best practices, critical program

updates, and new technologies. This

year’s Workshop was held in Los

Angeles, California at the Westin

Bonaventure Hotel and the Los

Angeles Convention Center on June

19-22, 2006. The Workshop boosted 62

separate education sessions and five

general sessions. For the first time,

this year’s event also included

aviation fleet management agenda

topics in addition to usual the motor

vehicle topics. In the exposition hall,

there were 430 vendor booths (almost

20% over historical averages) that

presented a vast array of fleet

products and services where

participants gained valuable insights

to new technologies and innovated

practices.

Pre-Workshop events included an allday Basic Fleet Management class

on Sunday that was attended by over

200 Fleet Managers. The class

featured extensive training on the

ABCs of fleet management and was

a platform for answering any and all

participant questions. There were

also the usual agency meetings

during Monday where agency Fleet

Managers met to discuss strategic

plans and to discuss specific issues

of interest. The meeting space for

these meetings is always free, and

holding these meetings in connection

with the FedFleet Workshop helps

conserve scarce agency travel funds.

The Thursday Awards Ceremony

celebrated this year’s winners of

GSA/OGP’s Fleet Managers of the

Year Awards. Mr. Angantyr

Agnarsson, Transportation Director

of the Naval Air Station Keflavik,

Iceland, was recognized as the

winner for small fleets. MSgt Scotty

Browning, Vehicle Management

Superintendent for U.S. Air Force

Europe, was recognized as the winner

for large fleets. Congratulations to

both Mr. Agnarsson and MSgt

Browning!

During the closing ceremony, it was

announced that FedFleet 2007 will be

held in sunny Orlando, Florida during

July 23-27, 2007. Our host hotel will

be the new Rosen Shingle Creek

Resort. This is an all-inclusive

facility which means that the entire

event will be held under one roof

(Yea; no buses). We will be

highlighting FedFleet 2007 in future

issues of Vehicle Views, but please

visit the FedFleet website at

www.fedfleet.org for additional

details in the meantime.

Contact Mike Moses at (202) 501-2507

for additional information. ■

FedFleet 2006 Is A Hugh Success!

Gary Lind Retires!

Gary Lind, Fleet Manager for

the U.S. Navy and long time

member of FedFleet, retired

on August 1, 2006 after 40 years of

Federal Service. Gary had been the

Navy’s Fleet Manager for the last 20

years. Prior to his Fleet Manager

assignment he worked at

Chesapeake Division Naval

Facilities Engineering Command,

Washington DC from 1981 to 1986,

at Naval Construction Battalion

Center, Port Hueneme, CA from

1969 to 1981, at Army Munitions

Command Picatinny Arsennal, NJ

from 1968 to 1969, and at Army

Logistics Intern Center Red River

Army Depot, Texarkana, TX from

1966 to 1968. Gary was very active

in FedFleet from the time it was

established in 1996. He was a

member of the planning committee

for every FedFleet Workshop and

Information Fair, beginning in 1998

through the most recent event held

this year in Los Angeles, CA. He

was also active in FedFleet at the

national level as a charter member

of the Executive Steering

Committee, member of many

FedFleet sub committees, and

attendance at quarterly meetings. 

His retirement plans include

moving to Phoenix, AZ where he

and his wife are building a

retirement home, playing golf,

taking more vacations, and working

on his family genealogy. ■
VehicleViews

5

FPI Returns Army Trailers to

Like-New Condition for

Redeployment to Iraq

The U.S. Army’s First Cavalry

Division, based at Ft. Hood, Texas.,

recently searched for a vendor to

refurbish cargo trailers that

experienced hard duty in Iraq. Only

one vendor was able to meet the

Army’s accelerated turnaround time,

price and required quality standards.

That vendor was Federal Prison

Industries (FPI).

With its surge capacity and ability to

run multiple production lines

simultaneously, FPI’s Fleet

Management and Vehicular

Components Business Group

accepted this challenging

assignment, completing it in a

phased approach over a period of six

months, meeting the First Cavalry

Division’s tight deadlines.

By June 30, FPI’s state-of-the-art

remanufacturing factory in Estill,

S.C., had returned more than 200

trailers to like-new condition for

redeployment to Iraq. 

“The most challenging aspect of this

project was parts sourcing,” said Jeff

Bowe, Superintendent of Industries

at FPI’s Estill facility. Mr. Bowe

added, “Few providers were able to

source the parts and perform the

remanufacturing portion of the

project within the customer’s short

time frame.”

New Lease on Life

Once FPI obtained the necessary

parts, the chassis of the single-axle

and tracked trailers were completely

disassembled and new wheels,

bushings and bearings were

installed, returning the vehicles to

nearly “zero mileage” condition. 

After sandblasting and a militarystandard CARC (Chemical Agent

Resistant Coating) repainting and

enameling process, the trailers are

shipped to Ft. Hood. From there, the

refurbished trailers are returned to

the Middle East, where they again

perform the vital tasks of hauling

tactical equipment and drinking water

for Army troops.

Total Government Solutions

Because of its immediate production

capacity, skilled workforce and focus

on providing “total government

solutions,” FPI was able to respond

rapidly to the First Cavalry Division’s

remanufacturing needs. As the

Federal government’s largest supplier

of remanufactured vehicles and

vehicular components, FPI has

extensive experience in providing

remanufacturing services to the

Department of Defense (DoD) and

other Federal agencies.

Leading-Edge Facilities

Through its Fleet Management and

Vehicular Components Business

Group, FPI has a nationwide network

of leading-edge manufacturing

facilities, maintains a large network

of parts suppliers, and develops

distribution networks – both

nationwide and overseas – tailored to

individual customer needs.

FPI’s Fleet Management factories are

equipped with computer-aided

design, leading-edge machine and

metal fabrication shops, and CARC

sandblasting and paint booths. Most

of FPI’s Fleet Management facilities

have ISO 9001:2000 certifications,

placing them at the industry’s

forefront for meeting or exceeding

quality standards. 

FPI employs a sophisticated

production tracking system to direct

each vehicle and component through

Federal Prison Indutries, 

Estill, SC, Remanufacturing

Continued on page 6
VehicleViews

6

numerous remanufacturing

milestones, from disassembly to

component retooling to repainting.

Highly Skilled Staff

FPI’s Fleet Management facilities are

staffed with highly skilled inmate

technicians who are trained to

reverse-engineer, custom-fabricate,

and machine-tool parts that are in

limited supply or no longer available.

This capability is a tremendous asset

for DoD vehicles with long service

lives.

In order to remain responsive to

customer needs, FPI’s inmate

technicians receive continuous

vocational training. For example,

many of the inmate technicians at

Estill soon will receive training

toward J100 certifications for

soldering small equipment to DoD

standards.

Turnkey Process

FPI’s turnkey process – which

handles the remanufacturing process

from contract administration to final

delivery – has saved DoD and other

Federal agencies valuable time and

effort. Through its complete range of

remanufacturing services, FPI

provides “one-stop shopping” for

vehicle and vehicular component

refurbishing that is made to order for

each customer’s needs.

All FPI remanufacturing services and

parts come with a 100% warranty and

guarantee – at prices less than those

for many similar items just off the

assembly line. 

Flexible Manufacturing

In addition to its surge capacity, FPI’s

Fleet Management Business Group

has the key advantage of

simultaneously running multiple

production lines, a rarity among

commercial vendors. This capability

allows FPI to take on new projects

while continuing to press ahead on

work already in progress.

For instance, FPI’s factory at Estill

recently tackled its large trailer

project without skipping a beat on

multiple other projects, including

refurbishing small battery-operated

lifts and flight-line gear, repainting

100 trailers and Humvees; and

remanufacturing hydraulic test

equipment for helicopters.

Customers for the FPI Fleet

Management Business Group include

DoD, the Department of Homeland

Security, and vendors selling to the

Federal government. The FPI Fleet

Management group’s newest

assignment comes from FPI’s parent

agency, the Bureau of Prisons, which

has contracted with FPI’s Estill

factory for forklift remanufacturing

services.

Saving Money and the

Environment

Remanufacturing is a proven method

of reducing acquisition costs and

making safety and technology

upgrades while getting the most for

Federal budgets and taxpayer dollars.

The environmental advantages are

also significant. Far fewer resources

are used to remanufacture vehicles

and components than to build new

ones.

Responsive, Quality Service

For government customers with

remanufacturing needs, FPI’s Fleet

Management group is a significant

source of quality, cost-effective

services, combined with rapid

turnaround, customized solutions and

ease of doing business.

The Fleet Management Business

Group is one of FPI’s seven

sophisticated product and service

groups. FPI is a completely selfsustaining program which provides

job skills training and work

experience to inmates in Federal

prison. Research has shown that

inmates in the FPI are 24 percent less

likely to recidivate (return to crime)

than similar inmates without FPI

program experience.. ■

FPI from page 5
VehicleViews

7

Most branches of the military

use aTable of Allowance, or

TOA, to help them control

fleet size. A TOA is basically a listing

of the number of vehicles and

equipment by vehicle type authorized

for a given installation or base. After

a TOA is established, increases in the

fleet size at a location require a fairly

high level of approval and

modification of the TOA. This

approach to monitoring and

controlling fleet size helps prevent

what is known as “Fleet Creep,” which

is a gradual increase in the size of a

fleet that usually goes unnoticed

unless a tool like a TOA is in place.

The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) uses

a TOA to monitor and control the size

of its non-tactical fleet located at

USMC bases throughout the world.

According to Ed Wilkins, Deputy Fleet

Manager at USMC Headquarters, “the

TOA has been a very effective tool for

the Marine Corps to manage the

number of vehicles in the fleet and

thereby control costs. Annually, the

TOA is reviewed by both the Fleet

Managers and the HQMC

procurement staff during the

procurement cycle. The purpose of

this review is to ensure equipment

being procured is the type rated at the

requesting location and that the

procurement will not exceed the

authorized allowance.”

The U.S. Navy uses two approaches

to fleet right sizing. Lisa Bernier,

Product Line Manager for Base

Support Vehicles and Equipment

(BSVE), Naval Facilities Engineering

Command (NAVFAC), Atlantic,

states that “a Table of Allowance

refers to a system by which vehicles

and equipment are assigned based on

mission - for the most part applied to

Special Operating Units and Naval

Construction Forces. The Table of

Allowance is very stringent and there

really is no room or opportunity for

adjustment unless you go through a

very controlled process that allows for

changes only due to mission,

operational procedure, or

requirements changes.” 

Lisa also describes a mechanism

used for documenting fleet

requirements in the shore installation

community called the Inventory

Objective. “The shore activities (the

naval installations supported by the

NAVFAC BSVE community) are a mix

of weapons stations, supply centers,

air fields, shipyards, naval stations,

etc – all with a variety of missions, and

the personnel and support equipment

requirements not as clearly defined as

an active forces organization. The

geography, the environment

(industrial-confined spaces vs. lots of

acreage), primary functions, and

available options are too numerous at

each site to apply a TOA approach.

The function of my office is to

document and validate vehicle and

equipment requirements at the naval

shore installations. We do this by

defining requirements as “Inventory

A “Table of Allowance” 

Can Help Control Fleet Size

Type and Location Washington DC Denver Seattle Miami

Sedans 12 3 4 4

SUVs 2 4 2 1

Mini Vans - Passenger 2 1 1 1

Full Size Vans - Passenger 2 1 1 1

Mini Vans - Cargo 1 0 0 0

Full Size Vans- Cargo 2 1 1 1

LD 4x2 Trucks 3 1 1 1

LD 4x4 Trucks 0 3 1 1

MD Trucks 2 1 1 1

HD Trucks 0 0 0 0

Buses 1 0 0 1

Motorized Off Road Equipment 1 2 1 1

Trailers 1 3 2 2

TOTAL 29 20 15 15

Continued on page 8
VehicleViews

8

Objectives” – a validated requirement

that also drives funding for

maintenance and operations similar

to a TOA.

The Air Force and the Army also use

TOA’s. In fact, the Air Force has

implemented a “Zero Growth Policy”

that requires major commands not to

exceed their authorized ceilings

without Air Force headquarters

approval. As stated in the Air Force

instructions: “requests to exceed

ceilings must be supported by a

verifiable mission change.” 

A TOA is actually quite simple, as the

made-up example on the previous

page shows.

Executive Agencies may want to adopt

some form of the TOA process to help

control fleet size and reduce costs in

response to increasing pressure from

the Office of Management and Budget

to improve fleet management and

support budget requests. To

implement a TOA in your organization,

take these steps:

1. Establish and publish a Policy that

defines the use of a TOA in your

organization.

2. Assign responsibility for

monitoring and maintaining the

TOA.

3. Create the TOA based on existing

fleet size, or better yet, perform a

fleet “rightsizing” study and create

the TOA after the fleet size has

been adjusted according to predetermined allocation, utilization,

and/or justification standards.

4. Require fleet users to maintain

zero growth unless a change can

be supported by a justifiable

mission change.

5. Annually verify that fleet size and

composition does not exceed the

TOA.

For further information or assistance,

contact Gary Hatfield or Dr. Adlore

Chaudier of Mercury Associates, a

consulting firm specializing in fleet

management improvement studies for

government agencies and businesses.

Call 941-751-5299 or email

ghatfield@mercury-assoc.com. ■

TABLE from page 7

Ms. Christina Hastings, or as most people know her,

Tina was recently selected to replace Mr. Gary Lind

as the Business Line Manager for Vehicles and

Equipment at Naval Facilities Engineering Command

(NAVFAC). Tina reported to her new position at NAVFAC

on September 5, 2006. She returned to the Navy

Transportation family after being with the Department of

Justice for the last seven years. Most recently Tina was the

National Fleet Manager for the Drug Enforcement

Administration (DEA), where she and her staff were

responsible for program oversight, policy, fleet training,

acquisition, disposal, leasing, and the Fleet credit card

program for DEA worldwide. 

Tina started her fleet career with the Navy at the Southern

Division NAVFAC Transportation Equipment Management

Center (TEMC) in Pensacola, Florida as a

Secretary/Inventory Specialist. During her tenure there she

was responsible for the acquisition and inventory

management of several thousand vehicles. She also

assisted in writing a Dbase program to track vehicle

inventory, maintenance, and fuel costs as well as

conversion of vehicles data to the system. In 1991, Tina

transferred to the Pacific Division TEMC in Pearl Harbor, HI

as an Automotive Transportation Specialist and rose to the

position of Supervisory Automotive Transportation

Specialist and the Manager of the Acquisitions and

Inventory Management Branch. During her fleet career with

the Navy, Tina was involved in several aspects of the fleet

management program including, budget preparation and

execution, analysis of

fleet operations at

various Navy field

locations, and she was

an instructor for the

Navy’s Fleet

Management Course.

She is a graduate of

NAVFAC’s Leadership

Development Program

and is a Meritorious

Civilian Service Award

recipient. 

While at the

Immigration and

Naturalization Service (INS) Tina’s primary duties were the

Fleet Program Manager for the Border Patrol and the

Project Manger for the implementation of a new fleet

management system. As the Border Patrol’s fleet

representative, Tina was instrumental in initiating the

Border Patrol Vehicle Group, the Terrain Based Vehicle

Program which matches the vehicle and driver to the type

of terrain being operated in, and the development of the

specialty vehicles to be used in the program. She worked

with the Vehicle Group to develop retrofit packages and to

develop new ordering procedures with the field locations.

As the Project Manager for INS’s new fleet management

program she coordinated the implementation of the pilot,

data determination and collection, and instructed field

locations on the use of the system.

Tina is currently living in Virginia, but is originally from the

Metro Detroit area. She has two children, Jeremy and

Rachel and a granddaughter, Victoria. ■

Congratulations Tina!
VehicleViews

9

Nearly five years ago, Manuel

Garcia of the U.S Fish &

Wildlife Service’s Arthur R.

Marshall Loxahatchee National

Wildlife Refuge faced a challenge

shared by many fleet maintenance

professionals: how can I accurately

schedule, track and report on my

organizations’ maintenance efforts?

For Manuel the solution was to take

advantage of the growing trend of

using technology to manage the

various activities his job demands.

After researching his options, Manuel

decided to implement a fleet

information management system

(FIMS) called Auto-Do-It. He found

the program easy to use yet capable

of meeting his needs at the time. 

The use of a software program to

manage maintenance schedules, work

orders and produce reports gave

Manuel a level of control and

accountability that were not possible

before. With much of the routine

paperwork for the refuge’s over 100

pieces of equipment now done

electronically, the staff was able to

spend more time on actual

maintenance tasks. The ability to

focus on “turning wrenches” rather

than tracking down parts, equipment

or work orders is typically one of the

first benefits many organizations find

after they implement a FIMS. As his

needs changed, Manuel looked to

collectiveData, a GSA Schedule 70

contract holder, for a more robust

program that would not only handle

routine maintenance scheduling and

reporting, but also provided advanced

inventory management, motor pool

management and additional tasks. 

The upgrade to the collectiveFleet Pro

MP 5.1 software provided Manuel and

the rest of the maintenance staff with

a powerful, easy to use set of software

tools. With the addition of motor pool

functionality, the staff can now

perform all the reservation,

cancellation, check out, check in and

common motor pool functions from

the same program that maintains

those same vehicles. Now, at a

glance, Manuel and the staff can know

the availability status for a vehicle or

piece of equipment. With the addition

of the advanced inventory

management tools, the staff has the

ability to run a “just-in-time” inventory

system, which allows for tighter

budget control without impeding

mission critical maintenance. The

system notifies users when part

counts fall below required levels,

prompting them to generate a

purchase order for the correct vendor.

With this inventory system in place,

the amount of time spent, on ordering

and reporting is reduced allowing the

staff to focus on other tasks. 

Another aspect of the system that

facilitates the staff’s commitment to

service excellence is the integration

of work orders and inventory. This

integration allows users to allocate

parts to pending work orders. This

seemly simple concept plays a major

role in boosting overall fleet uptime.

Once the system notifies the staff that

an inspection or preventive

maintenance (PM) Service is coming

due, the staff can schedule the

services and create a work order

pertaining to the pending work. At

this time parts and labor are allocated

to the work order tasks, if a part

required for the task is not on hand,

the user is notified so an alternate

part can be allocated, or the original

part ordered. With this system, down

time due to short parts is virtually

eliminated. 

By implementing and fully utilizing

fleet information management

software, Manuel and the rest of the

maintenance staff at the refuge have

been able to improve overall

operational efficiency, cut costs, meet

reporting requirements and better

manage the refuge’s pool of motorized

equipment. As Manuel said recently

“The program does everything I need

it to do.”

For further information contact Bill

Wessels, Director of Marketing,

collectiveData, at 319-665-4890, or

email bwessels@collectivedata.com

Going Hi-Tech in the Swamp
VehicleViews

10

Exchange/Sale is an authority

provided by Section 503 of Title

40, United States Code, under

which executive agencies, when

acquiring replacement property, may

exchange or sell similar items,

applying the exchange allowance or

proceeds of sale in whole or in part

toward the property acquired.

41CFR102-39 of the Federal

Management Regulation (FMR)

provides the regulatory guidance. 

When replacing agency-owned motor

vehicles under the Exchange/Sale

provisions of the FMR, motor vehicle

sale proceeds can be retained and

applied toward the purchase of

replacement motor vehicles. As a

source of funding for replacement

motor vehicles additional to other

fleet program funding, the

availability of sale proceeds should

not be overlooked. The alternative of

not using the exchange/sale provision

and instead separately acquiring and

disposing of vehicles will not generate

funds to apply toward acquisition cost.

This is because the disposal may be

by other than sale, or where the

disposed vehicles are sold, the sales

proceeds are deposited to the United

States Treasury as miscellaneous

receipts and not available to the

disposing agency. 

Each Federal agency’s fleet and

finance programs need to work

together to establish a specific

account to collect and disburse

exchange/sale proceeds. Sale

proceeds may be applied to similar

replacement property during the fiscal

year in which the property is sold and

for one fiscal year thereafter.

Contact: Jacquie Perry at 202-501-3347

or jacquie.perry@gsa.gov. ■

Exchange/-

Sale of Motor

Vehicles

Myles Schulberg, Program

Analyst in the General

Service Administration

(GSA) Office of Governmentwide

Policy, Office of Travel,

Transportation and Asset

Management (MT) since March 2004,

is moving onto a second line

supervisory position at the

Department of Transportation's

Federal Motor Carrier Safety

Administration over an array of

adminstrative programs. 

In a 35-year Federal career, Myles'

stint at GSA included work in the

motor vehicle management and

personal property management

programs, and he more recently was

involved in establishing a program

scheduled to start within FY 2007 to

evaluate compliance by Federal

agencies with policy mandates and

adoption of best practices in the

programs for which GSA MT

prescribes Federalwide policy -

travel/relocation management, mail

management, transportation

management, personal property

management, motor vehicle

management, and aircraft

management.

Previous positions Myles has held

include manager/supervisor at the

Headquarters of both the Bureau of

Immigration and Customs

Enforcement (formerly Immigration

and Naturalization Service), and U.S.

Mint, with policy/procedural and

operational responsibility for various

administrative programs. Earlier in

his career, Myles was a management

analyst at the Headquarters of the

U.S Customs Service (USCS) and

prior to that worked operationally at

the USCS New York field office.

Myles’ undergraduate and graduate

studies were at Lehman College and

Pace University Graduate School.

He is an National Property

Management Association (NPMA)

Certified Professional Property

Manager (CPPM). ■

GSA Vehicle Management 

Policy Program Will Miss Myles!
11

the Safety zone

Good question. In fact, it’s a

question I ask myself every

day. But before we go any

further I want to state that I walk the

talk and drive on retreads on my own

personal car, and have been doing so

for more than 30 years. Now back to

the question.

Retreaded tires can and do save

truckers and fleets millions of dollars

every year in countries all over the

world. The safety, performance and

handling of retreads have been

proven beyond a shadow of a doubt in

countless studies. Yet, there are still

too many government fleet managers

who are convinced that retreads are

responsible for tire failures and all

the rubber we see on our highways.

But the facts are very different from

the perceptions held by many. 

FACT: Much of the rubber on the

road we all see comes from tires that

have never been inside a retread

plant.

FACT:Tires fail and come apart due

to improper, or too often, nonexistent tire maintenance. Tires that

are improperly maintained WILL fail,

given enough time. And when they

do, another road alligator will join the

jungle out there on our highways.

FACT: It doesn’t matter if the tire is

a retread or one that has never been

retreaded. If the tire isn’t maintained

properly, trouble will happen – more

often than not at 3:00 AM in the

middle of nowhere on a rainy night.

To blame a retreaded tire for the tire

debris (rubber on the road, road

alligators, or whatever else you want

to call it) on our highways is the

same as blaming a vehicle for an

accident caused by a drunk driver.

The blame is simply misplaced.

The main causes of tire failure are

underinflation, overloading (which by

definition can cause a tire carrying

the normal amount of air to be

considered underinflated),

mismatching of tires on dual wheel

positions, misaligned vehicles or

tires worn below the legal limit in the

tread area.

Today’s retreaded tires produced by

top quality retread plants will

perform and deliver mileage

comparable – and often times greater

than – the best new tires. All at a unit

cost averaging as much as 50% lower

than the comparable new tire. In

addition, the adjustment rate due to

manufacturing defects is often

LOWER with a high quality retread

than with a comparable new tire. 

I’ve been emphasizing the term “top

quality” when mentioning retreads

and retread plants, because it is

vitally important that a prospective

user of retreads shop carefully and

only deal with retreaders who are

using the newest, state of the art

non-destructive testing equipment. I

am the first to state (although I wish I

didn’t have to) that we have bums in

our industry, just as there are bums in

any industry. 

There are ways that a buyer can

insure he or she is dealing with the

best and nothing less than the best.

Here is what we suggest:

• Visit the retreader’s plant and

insist on reviewing his adjustment

records.

• Be prepared to accept his decision

about what can and cannot be

retreaded. A top quality retreader

will REJECT any casing that is

questionable. He is really doing

you a favor by refusing to retread

anything less than a top candidate

casing for another life.

• Insist on a list of satisfied

customers and absolutely contact

them to learn if they have anything

negative to say about the retreader

you are considering.

• DO YOUR PART. Furnish the

retreader with well cared for

casings.

In summary, the reason more

government fleets aren’t using

retreads is simply because they

haven’t done their homework and

learned the facts about how good

today’s retreads perform. But it needs

to be remembered that they are

spending taxpayers’ money and if

they choose to waste it by not

retreading tires that have been

designed for multiple lives, they may

consider that to be their right. Even

though we know they are wrong.

For more information, including

assistance in arranging for a retread

plant tour in your area, or a free

Retread Tire Information Packet and

DVD, contact us toll free at 888-473-

8732 or by email at: info@retread.org.

We will also be happy to conduct a

tire maintenance/retreading

workshop for your drivers and fleet

people at our own expense. Our

workshops are always noncommercial. Contact us for more

information and available dates. ■

If Retreads Are So Good, 

How Come More Government

Fleets Don’t Use Them?

By Harvey Brodsky, Managing Director

Tire Retread Information Bureau
VehicleViews

12

Driver inattention is the leading

factor in most crashes and

near-crashes, according to a

landmark research report released by

the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration (NHTSA) and the

Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

(VTTI).

Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65

percent of near-crashes involved

some form of driver inattention

within three seconds before the

event. Primary causes of driver

inattention are distracting activities,

such as cell phone use, and

drowsiness.

“This important research illustrates

the potentially dire consequences

that can occur while driving

distracted or drowsy. It’s crucial that

drivers always be alert when on the

road,” said Jacqueline Glassman,

acting administrator of NHTSA. Her

remarks were made during a news

conference at VTTI in Blacksburg,

VA.

The 100-Car Naturalistic Driving

Study tracked the behavior of the

drivers of 100 vehicles equipped with

video and sensor devices for more

than one year. During that time, the

vehicles were driven nearly 2,000,000

miles, yielding 42,300 hours of data.

The 241 drivers of the vehicles were

involved in 82 crashes, 761 near

crashes, and 8,295 critical incidents.

“The huge database developed

through this breakthrough study is

enormously valuable in helping us to

understand—and prevent—motor

vehicle crashes,” said Dr. Tom

Dingus, director of VTTI.

In addition, a follow-on analysis to

the 100-Car Study has also been

released. Focused on the types of

driver inattention and their

associated risk, key findings include:

• Drowsiness is a significant problem

that increases a driver’s risk of a

crash or near-crash by at least a

factor of four. But drowsy driving

may be significantly under-reported

in police crash investigations.

• The most common distraction for

drivers is the use of cell phones.

However, the number of crashes and

near-crashes attributable to dialing is

nearly identical to the number

associated with talking or listening.

Dialing is more dangerous but occurs

less often than talking or listening.

• Reaching for a moving object

increased the risk of a crash or nearcrash by 9 times; looking at an

external object by 3.7 times; reading

by 3 times; applying makeup by 3

times; dialing a hand-held device

(typically a cell phone) by almost 3

times; and talking or listening on a

hand-held device by 1.3 times. 

• Drivers who engage frequently in

distracting activities are more likely

to be involved in an inattentionrelated crash or near-crash.

However, drivers are often unable to

predict when it is safe to look away

from the road to multi-task because

the situation can change abruptly

leaving the driver no time to react

even when looking away from the

forward roadway for only a brief time.

The 100-Car Study and its follow-on

analysis were co-sponsored by

NHTSA, the Virginia Transportation

Research Council (the research

division of the Virginia Department of

Transportation) and Virginia Tech.

The background and results of both

studies are available on NHTSA’s

website under Research and

Development at http://wwwnrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/departments/nrd-13

/newDriverDistraction.html

For more information contact Sherri

Box, VTTI, at (540) 231-1549, or, Elly

Martin, NHTSA, at (202) 366-9550. ■

NHTSA, Virginia TechTransportation Institute Release

Findings of Breakthrough Research on Real-World Driver

Behavior, Distraction and Crash Factors

Provided by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Safe Driving is YOUR Responsibility

Make the Committment

October 2-6, 2006
VehicleViews

13

Look for the Warning Signs 

of Fatigue While Driving

Many people cannot tell if or when they are going to fall

asleep. When they become drowsy, they say to

themselves, “I can handle this,” because they want to

drive. Yet they put themselves and others in danger when,

what they really need, is a nap or a good night’s sleep.

Watch for these signs that may tell you that you need to

stop and rest: 

• Rolling down the window or turning up the radio

• Difficulty focusing or keeping your eyes open

• Yawning repeatedly 

• Wandering, disconnected thoughts or daydreaming

• Feeling restless and irritable 

• Trouble remembering the last few miles driven

• Drifting from your lane or hitting a shoulder rumble

strip 

• Tailgating 

• Missing traffic signs or exits 

Drowsy Driving 

Don’t Cross That Line

When you drive, you take responsibility for your safety and

the safety of others on the road. According to recent

surveys, more than half of American drivers have driven

while drowsy and 20-30% have fallen asleep at the wheel.

Many also report that when drowsy, they drive faster, lose

patience and become stressed. The National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conservatively

estimates that 100,000 crashes each year are caused by

sleepy drivers, resulting in more than 1,550 deaths and

71,000 injuries. 

Sleepiness Impairs Performance 

Like Alcohol and Drugs 

Studies reveal that many people do not know how sleepy

they are. Driving requires a set of skills that are

significantly reduced when you are sleep deprived.

Studies show that being awake 18 hours is as great a risk

as driving drunk. This reduced ability to drive can make the

difference — in whether you avoid or cause a crash.

Drowsiness can cause: 

• Slower reaction time 

• Impaired judgment and vision 

• Decline in attention to important signs, road changes

and the actions of other vehicles 

• Decreased alertness, preventing you from seeing an

obstacle and avoiding a crash, especially when driving

in the dark or for a long period of time 

• Increased moodiness and aggressive behavior 

• Driving while drowsy puts ALL of us at risk. 
Are You at Risk?

Before you drive, check to see if you are:

• Sleep-deprived or suffering from poor quality sleep: six

hours of sleep or less triples your risk,

• Driving long distances without proper rest breaks,

• Driving at night, between midnight and 6 am when you

are normally asleep and during the mid-afternoon when

there is a natural tendency to sleep,

• Driving alone or on a long, rural, dark or boring road,

• Taking medication that may cause sleepiness such as

cold tablets, antihistamines or antidepressants, and

• Drinking even small amounts of alcohol.

Persons at Risk: 

• Young adults, especially males aged 16-29 years of age;

peak age occurrence for drowsy driving crashes is at 20

years of age. 

• Shift workers: This is particularly true if you work the

night shift, as your risk is nearly six times greater, or if

you have a rotating shift or work more than one job. 

• Commercial drivers: Those who drive a high number of

miles and drive during the night are at higher risk for

fall-asleep crashes. 

• Persons with untreated sleep problems or disorders

(e.g. insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy,); people with

sleep apnea have up to seven times greater risk. 

• Business travelers who spend many hours driving or

may be experiencing jet lag. 

• Persons who work more than 60 hours a week increase

their risk by 40%. 

Sleeping is the most effective way 

to prevent and decrease sleepiness

Prepare for a Trip

Here’s what you can do to be more alert and prevent

drowsy driving before a trip: 

• Get a good night’s sleep, preferably eight hours,

especially before a long trip. 

• Travel with a companion to help watch for signs of

fatigue. 

• Schedule regular stops every 100 miles or 2 hours and

find a safe place for a nap or break, if needed. 

• Avoid alcohol and sedating medications as they impair

performance and interact with fatigue. 

• Alcohol interacts with sleepiness to increase

drowsiness and impairment. 

Preventing a Fall-Asleep Crash

If you become drowsy while driving, recognize that you are

in danger of falling asleep at the wheel and pull over. 

DO NOT

• Depend on the radio, an open window, a change in the

temperature in your vehicle or other “tricks” to keep

awake. These do not work. 

DO

• Stop driving. 

• Find a safe place to stop for a break or for the night. 

• Pull off into a safe, well-lighted area away from traffic

and take a brief nap: 15-20 minutes is best. 

• Drink coffee or other type of caffeine drink to promote

short-term alertness if needed. (It takes about 30

minutes for caffeine to enter the bloodstream).

Caffeine is also available in soft drinks, chewing gum

and tablets. Caffeine and a nap together offer shortterm benefits. 

• Get off the road if you hit shoulder rumble strips. These

are deep grooves that are placed on high-speed roads

to alert you when you are leaving the road. 

If you are experiencing frequent daytime sleepiness, have

difficulty sleeping at night or suspect you have a sleeping

disorder, consult your physician. 

For more information contact the National Sleep

Foundation, 1522 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005.

www.sleepfoundation.org, or, www.DrowsyDriving.org ■

VehicleViews

14
Trucks have more accidents in

highway work zones than other

vehicles. Work zones can be

very dangerous for all vehicles

especially when travelling on the

highway. It is important to be alert

and prepared to slow down or stop in

a work zone. Slowing down and

allowing others to merge, will ensure

a safe passage through work zones.

Here are a few tips on work zone

safety.

Stay Alert - Highway Work

Zones Are Unsafe

Work zones are busy places where

construction workers and vehicles

are always moving. Stay alert and

stay on the safe path that is

designated throughout the work zone.

Avoid work zones altogether by using

alternate routes when possible. If

you can’t avoid work zones, allow for

more time to travel, slow down, and

consider sharing a ride with someone

to reduce congestion.

Take Your Cues From Trucks

Work zones often pop up suddenly. If

you are not paying attention to the

signs, you could find yourself in a

serious accident. Trucks can be great

indicators of trouble or slow downs

ahead. Trucks have a height

advantage and their operators can

see ahead of traffic. Paying attention

to a truck’s brake lights is a good

indicator of a slow down or work zone

ahead. Truck drivers know the

stopping limitations of their trucks,

and pay close attention to traffic.

Take your cues from trucks and you’ll

be prepared.

Merge Gently

Aggressive drivers can be extremely

dangerous in work zones. Work

zones require time and courtesy. For

a smooth passage through work

zones, allow others to merge in front

of you. Be especially considerate to

trucks. They require more space to

merge and are the least

maneuverable vehicles on the road.

Remember, trucks have large blind

spots, making it difficult to see cars

squeezing in close to the front and

sides of their truck. ■

VehicleViews

15

Safety Tips for Work Zones 

Provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation
16

on the Greenfront

Fleet managers know how disastrous poor fuel quality

can be to their operations. They know if they use any

type of fuel that does not meet its quality

specifications, they could have engine performance

problems or equipment damage. We want fleet managers

to know that those of us representing the biodiesel

industry are keenly aware that fuel quality may be the

single most important issue we face as an industry. 

At a recent National Biodiesel Board (NBB) meeting in

Washington, D.C., members voted to adopt a

comprehensive fuel quality policy. It includes strict

adherence to the American Society of Testing and

Materials (ASTM) specifications by NBB members and

encouragement of participation in the BQ-9000 quality

control program. It directs NBB to encourage all state and

Federal regulatory agencies to ensure adoption and

enforcement of D 6751. 

NBB believes that strict adherence to D 6751, the ASTM

standard for biodiesel, is not optional. In order to

maintain the integrity of the nation’s fuel supply, and to

protect the good reputation of biodiesel, we will pursue

enforcement. We will also encourage biodiesel producers

and marketers to become accredited or certified under the

BQ-9000 program. 

Endorsed by both NBB and the Canadian Renewable

Fuels Association, BQ-9000 is a voluntary quality control

program. It helps ensure that biodiesel producers have

sound quality management practices. The process of

becoming an accredited producer includes the

development of a quality control manual, as well as

independent audits of the supplier to ensure the company

follows the good practices. Fleet managers should look

for this “seal of approval.” 

Petroleum distributors, too, can become Certified

Marketers under the program. This is equally critical.

Handling the fuel poorly, even if it meets spec when it

leaves the plant, can lead to trouble. That’s why NBB

encourages all consumers to seek out Certified Marketers. 

Sale of off-spec fuel is not just bad for the consumer. It is

a violation of Federal and state law. In the case of

biodiesel, the Federal tax code is specific about the need

for the product to meet ASTM D6751 in order to be eligible

for the Federal tax incentive. Those taking the tax credit

on off-spec fuel are guilty of tax fraud and are subject to

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) penalties. 

I am proud of the fuel quality policy developed by our

members. It shows that they favor transparency and

integrity. They will do whatever it takes to keep biodiesel’s

good name.

Gary Haer is vice president of sales and marketing for

Renewable Energy Group, Inc. based in Ralston, Iowa. He

is also an officer of NBB. For more on BQ-9000, visit

www.bq-9000.org. To learn more about REG Inc., go to

www.soypower.net. ■

Driving Fuel Quality: 

The National Biodiesel Board

Leads Charge to Bolster Quality

By Gary Haer 
VehicleViews

17

The White House Closing the Circle Awards 2007

The White House Closing the

Circle (CTC) Awards

recognizes outstanding

achievements of Federal employees

and their facilities for efforts which

resulted in significant contributions to

or have made a significant impact on

promoting environmental stewardship.

The award categories for 2007 will

include:

• Waste/pollution prevention

• Recycling

• Green purchasing

• Environmental Management

Systems

• Sustainable design/green buildings

• Alternative fuels and fuel

conservation

Nominations will be accepted for

programs involving either hazardous

or non-hazardous waste. Nominations

can be from either an individual

Federal employee or teams/groups of

Federal employees (including teams

of Federal and contract employees).

Partnerships between Federal

facilities or Federal employees and

non-Federal entities, such as

surrounding local communities or

non-profit organizations, are

encouraged and will be considered for

award.

Please visit the Office of the Federal

Environmental Executive (OFFE) web

site www.ofee.gov during the early fall

for details when the period for

nominations will begin, or contact

Juan Lopez, by e-mail at

lopez.juan@ofee.gov or by telephone

at 202-343-9481. ■

BBI Biofuels Workshop 

& Trade Show Series

“Building a Biofuels Industry”

Eastern Region

October 30-November 1, 2006

Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center

Nashville, Tennessee

Western Region

November 27-30, 2006

Grand Manchester Hyatt

San Diego, California

Held for the third year, BBI’s Biofuels Workshop &

Trade Show Series focuses on near-term

development of commercial-scale ethanol, biodiesel

production, biomass utilization and emerging technologies

on a regional grassroots-level outside of the Midwest.

Targeting a wide array of stakeholders, the program

provides valuable information and expertise that

specifically targets regional challenges and opportunities

thereby aiding the development of biofuels in rapidly

emerging markets.

Two new features this year include an in-depth full-day

Project Development and Lenders Seminar exploring the

start-to-finish development of a biofuels project and a

featured workshop on biomass utilization.

For registration, sponsorship or exhibit opportunities, call

(719) 539-0300 or visit

http://www.biofuelsworkshop.com .
With rising gas prices,

Central Texas drivers are

trying to find ways to save

money at the gas pump. Consumers

are looking at gas efficient vehicles,

hybrids, and using lower grades of

gas to save those few extra cents.

However, starting Aug 16th

consumers now have the choice to

use an alternative fuel, Ethanol-85

(E85) at Killeen’s Here Everything’s

Better Store (HEB) and save $.30 a

gallon!

For the last year and a half Robert

Kennedy, Fort Hood’s Directorate of

Public Works Air Program Manager

and the installation’s Alternative

Fuels Committee have been working

with Curtis Donaldson, Chairman of

the National Ethanol Vehicle

Coalition; Sally Jo Hahn,

Environmental Specialist for

Alternative Fuel Infrastructure, US

Army Installation Management

Agency; and Stacy Neef, Coordinator

of the Central Texas Clean Cities

program to bring E-85 fuel to the

Killeen/Fort Hood area.

E-85 fuel is a blend of 85% ethanol

and 15% gasoline with an octane of

105. Starch is removed from corn and

other grained products to produce

ethanol and then blended with

gasoline. “It is a much cleaner

burning and domestically produced

product,” Donaldson said. 

“It started with Fort Hood’s overall

air sustainability goal to reduce the

impact on regional air quality from all

sources, including mobile sources,”

Kennedy said. “For this area the

primary source of pollution are our

vehicles, so if we can do anything to

reduce our emissions from mobile

sources, that will help meet our

overall goal.”

“Fort Hood has just over 200 flex-fuel

fleet vehicles,” Kennedy said.

“However, there may be more flex

vehicles out there that we are not

aware of.”

Fort Hood fleet vehicles will be

required to use this alternative fuel

because of mandates by the U.S.

Energy Policy Act of 1992, the

Executive Order 13149, and the

Energy Policy Act of 2005. These

mandates require the purchase of

flex-fuel vehicles and reducing the

consumption of petroleum by using

alternative fuels for those vehicles,

Kennedy said. 

In the U.S., there are approximately 6

million E-85 flex-fuel vehicles on the

road today.

Flex-fuel vehicles are manufactured

by GM, Ford, Isuzu, Mazda, Mercedes,

Mercury, Nissan, and Chrysler. Flexfuel vehicles give consumers the

choice to use regular gasoline or E-85

fuel for their vehicles. 

CleanFuel USA manufactures E-85

dispensers and helps gas stations to

transition to putting in new

alternative fuel pumps. “Clean Fuel

USA has been working with HEB to

help them integrate alternative fuel

solutions,” Donaldson said. 

Currently there are five E-85 fuel

sites, with four along the I-35 corridor

from San Antonio to Waco. 

“Certainly one of our targeted

locations was this one here in the

Killeen/Fort Hood area because of its

proximity to the post,” Donaldson

said. “There are GSA vehicles but

more importantly it’s domestically

produced fuel that lessens our

dependency on foreign oil.”

New tanks and an E-85 dispenser will

be put in so that consumers are not

confused about what product they are

putting into their vehicles. 

The cleaner gasoline that has 39-46%

fewer harmful emissions will be sold

at $.30 less per gallon than regular

gasoline, said James Aulds, HEB’s

Vice President of Petroleum

Marketing.

“There are more than 450,000 flex-fuel

vehicles on the roads of Texas today,”

Aulds said. “It’s the number one

state in terms of flex fuel vehicles.”

“E-85 not only benefits Fort Hood but

it benefits Central Texas as a whole,”

Auld said.

Contact: Christine Luciano, DPW

Outreach Coordinator, at 254-286-

6664. ■

18

E-85 fuel $.30 Cheaper 

than Regular Gasoline!

By Christine Luciano

AFVsuccess stories
VehicleViews

19

The Fort Leonard Wood

Directorate of LogisticsTransportation Division is

making large strides to support the

use of alternative fuels in the

Department of Defense. The

installation was the first Army

installation to utilize both biodiesel

and ethanol fuels. Of the 1140 total

fleet vehicles fueled at the

Transportation Motor Pool (TMP),

801 vehicles use alternative fuel or 70

percent of the fleet. The TMP uses

the alternative fuels in all of the

diesel fuel vehicles and Flexible Fuel

Vehicles leased from the U.S.

General Services Administration

(GSA). Since opening biodiesel

(B20) and ethanol (E85) fueling

stations in March 2003, Fort Leonard

Wood has issued over 552,000 gallons

of B20 and 206,000 gallons of E85. 

Fort Leonard Wood pushed the

envelope in 2003 and received the

permission to test the use of

biodiesel in the pool of 312 nondeployable, school-house tactical

vehicles. The test plan monitored

and evaluated the operational

feasibility of utilizing B20 in the light

High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled

Vehicle (HMMWV). The

Maintenance Division mechanics

closely monitored 70 HMMWVs

documenting a variety of operational,

environmental and mechanical

performance indicators. It should be

noted, that even during extreme cold

temperatures the test HMMWVs

started and operated equal to and

sometimes better than HMMWVs

operating on regular diesel fuel. Due

to sporadic B20 deliveries, the

vehicles were switched back and

forth between regular diesel and B20.

Vehicle operation and maintenance

requirements were not affected by

this action. Switching back and forth

between the two fuel types was

transparent. We now use B20 in 469

diesel burning tactical vehicles that

are used in the Military Police and

Chemical Schools Consolidated

Equipment Pool. These vehicles

range in size from a light HMMWV to

5-ton trucks. In over 3 years of use

there have not been any B20 related

maintenance issues. 

The switch to alternative fuels was

initiated to comply with the Energy

Policy Act (EPAct) of 1992 and

Executive Order 13149 of 21 April 2000.

They require Federal activity fleets to

use alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs)

and reduce fossil-fuel consumption.

The EPAct requires Federal activities

to have a percentage of AFVs in

operation, in their fleet. The EO 13149

requires Federal agencies to reduce

petroleum usage by 20% by 2005. The

executive order reinforces EPAct.

Biodiesel is a domestic,

biodegradable fuel derived primarily

from soybeans. A 20 percent blend of

biodiesel and 80 percent diesel

creates a fuel called B-20, which is an

approved alternative fuel. Army use

of B-20 will assist in meeting the

Executive Order goal. 

E85 is composed of 85 percent ethyl

alcohol (ethanol) and just 15 percent

petroleum. E85 is designed for use in

flexible fuel vehicles, referred to as

“FFVs”. Using E85 reduces

petroleum consumption by replacing

it with a renewable-based fuel

produced (grown) in the United

States and reduces dependence on

foreign oil.

Contact information: 573-596-0814,

keith.bax@us.army.mil ■

Greening the 

Department of Defense

By Mr. Keith Bax, Motor Transport Officer, Directorate of Logistics.
20

U.S. General Services Administration

GSA Office of Governmentwide Policy

Federal Vehicle Policy Program (MT)

Washington, DC 20405

______________________________________

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VehicleViews

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Vehicle

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Connie Aaron

(202) 208-7634

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