Managing a distributed fleet of

vehicles can present a lot of

challenges for fleet

managers. Utilizing vehicles more

efficiently, quickly locating vehicles,

monitoring vehicle mileage and gas

consumption, and knowing when

vehicles are overdue for

maintenance are just a few.

The Southwest Region Fleet

Transportation (SWRFT)

organization of the U.S. Marine

Corps (USMC) investigated several

potential solutions for improving

fleet management and selected

Networkfleet, a wireless vehicle

management system sold by

Networkcar of San Diego.

Networkfleet provides both GPS

tracking and vehicle diagnostic

monitoring using simple-to-install

hardware and a Web-based

software. 

Networkfleet has positively

impacted SWRFT’s fleet operations

strategy, helping the organization

increase driver safety on the bases

and improve fleet vehicle utilization

and maintenance. SWRFT

accesses detailed vehicle

information ranging from vehicle

location to fuel efficiency trend data

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GSA Office of Governmentwide Policy

Issue 33 May 2006

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

Views

In This Issue

U.S. Marine Corps Increases Safety and

Vehicle Utilization on Bases with

Networkfleet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

FPI and Ready-Built Keep U.S. Postal

Service on the Move in America’s

Neighborhoods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2007 Federal Vehicle 

Standards Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Federal Fleet Policy Council . . . . . . . . . . 5

Federal Fleet Policy Council 

Subcommittees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

The Sixth National 

Federal Fleet Manager Workshop 

and Information Fair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Vehicle Policy Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Danger Signals: 

How Sleepy Are You? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Impaired Driving 

High-Visibility Enforcement. . . . . . . . . . 10

National Stop on Red Week. . . . . . . . . . 11

DoD to Restrict Cell Phone 

Use on Military Bases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

State Laws Governing 

Cell Phone Use While Driving . . . . . . . . 13

Biodiesel Finds Greater 

OEM Acceptance and High Approval

Rating with Fleets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

E85 Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Tire Retread Information Bureau’s

Top 10 List for Not Using Retreads. . . . 17

NETL Receives Pollution 

Prevention Award for 

Alternative Fuel Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Continued on page 2

U.S. Marine Corps Increases 

Safety and Vehicle Utilization on

Bases with Networkfleet
2

VehicleViews

via Networkfleet’s Web-based

interface. 

SWRFT uses Networkfleet at the

Miramar Air Station, Marine Corps

Base Camp Pendleton, San Diego

Recruit Depot and Twentynine Palms

Air Ground Combat Center.

Thousands of drivers use

Networkfleet in vehicles on and off

the bases in Southern California,

including Marines, Navy and Civil

Service employees and contractors.

In addition, Networkfleet is offered

by GSA Fleet to its Federal leasing

customers. It is currently installed in

over 15 percent of the entire USMC

domestic non-tactical fleet.

Vehicle Utilization

SWRFT assigns vehicles based on

monthly minimum mileage usage and

also makes vehicles available from a

vehicle pool via an automated checkout terminal for drivers that do not

meet minimum mileage requirements.

Using Networkfleet, SWRFT collects

daily mileage data to evaluate the

accuracy of reported mileage. With

this data, SWRFT has been able to

reduce the size of its assigned

vehicle fleet. Drivers who

underutilize their vehicles are

reassigned to the check-out pool.

“The number of man-hours it would

take to make this determination

previously would have outweighed

the purchase value of the vehicles we

would have cut. With Networkfleet,

we have this information at our

fingertips,” said Bill Martine, Camp

Pendleton Fleet Manager and

Regional Maintenance Coordinator.

With thousands of vehicles to

manage, locating missing vehicles is

another challenge for military fleet

managers. In the past, some vehicles

were never recovered and

replacement vehicles needed to be

purchased. In one example, a vehicle

was found covered in dust in the

same spot that it was left three years

earlier (and two years after SWRFT

was forced to replace the vehicle with

funds from a lean budget). In several

cases, Networkfleet-equipped

vehicles have been located and

recovered, both on- and off-base,

saving the government significant

replacement costs.

Safer Driving

Networkfleet monitors real vehicle

speed directly from the engine

computer to ensure accurate data

and reports that information every

two minutes of driving. Fleet

managers receive daily reports

showing if any vehicles exceed the

speed threshold set by the facility.

Since SWRFT has deployed the

Networkfleet solution, there has been

a cultural shift on bases toward safer

driving.

“If a vehicle is tracked and is

somewhere it shouldn’t be or is going

too fast, the driver’s supervisor will

receive a printed report for

disciplinary measures,” said Vince

Sablan, Motor Transport Fleet

Manager for Marine Corps Recruit

Depot San Diego. In the first three

months of installation, over-speed

incidents dropped by more than 30

percent.

With Networkfleet, Marine fleet

managers are able to monitor the

current and historical location of

vehicles as well as where the

vehicles stopped and for how long.

Vehicles are clearly marked that they

contain a vehicle location and

performance monitoring system in

order to help deter misuse.

Better Maintenance

Networkfleet notifies fleet managers

via email when vehicles are due for

maintenance based on mileage or on

the detection of a trouble code

present on the vehicle. This enables

fleet managers to bring their vehicles

in from the field on a timely basis for

maintenance and repairs.

“The system helps us improve

maintenance since we now have upto-the minute information on the

operating condition of each vehicle,”

Martine said.

By identifying any issues early,

Networkfleet allows fleet managers

to proactively fix vehicle problems

before they escalate into larger

issues. GSA Fleet, the Federal

organization that SWRFT leases

from, requires that accurate

odometer readings be collected and

reported back on a monthly basis,

which for their distributed fleet, has

been a manual, labor-intensive

process. Networkfleet automates this

process and eliminates reporting

inaccuracies. In addition, SWRFT

saves on the labor costs involved

with tracking down vehicles when a

reading is not reported or if the

reported information is incorrect.

“All you have to do is go to the

website and log in,” said Jim

Seaman, of Marine Corps Air Station

Miramar. “From this site, you can

check operating details of each

vehicle.” 

For example, between January and

March 2004, Networkfleet alerted

fleet managers of 35 Diagnostic

Trouble Codes (DTCs) for their

installed base of 250 vehicles.

Networkfleet translates the DTCs

received from a vehicle’s engine

computer into user friendly

descriptions that enable fleet

managers to better understand

potential vehicle problems. The codes

reflect problems as simple as a gas

cap being loose or as complex as

“Ignition Coil E Primary/Secondary

Circuit Malfunction,” meaning that

the engine’s electrical system may be

malfunctioning. This information can

then be passed along to a technician

allowing them to get a jumpstart on

repairing the problem while it’s still in

an early stage.

Networkfleet has helped the Marines

to achieve their goals of instilling a

safety-first mindset, optimizing the

way vehicles are distributed, and

improving the maintenance of their

fleet. The overall return on

MARINE CORPS from page 1
VehicleViews

3

Many months ago, Ready-Built

Inc., a major provider of rebuilt

engines and transmissions,

confronted the challenge of how to

handle business growth while

maintaining customer service and

keeping costs in line. Specifically, this

Montgomery, Ala., company was

looking for an innovative way to

expand its work with the U.S. Postal

Service (USPS), but not go through

the expense and difficulties

associated with new production and

warehouse facilities. 

Ready-Built found an outstanding

solution through a unique source—

Federal Prison Industries (FPI) and

its nationwide network of leadingedge production and distribution

facilities. FPI’s Fleet Management &

Vehicular Components Business

Group is the U.S. government’s

number-one remanufacturer of

vehicle and vehicular components. 

FPI Chosen for 

Long-Term Partnership

Early this year, Ready-Built entered

into a long-term partnership with FPI

to remanufacture (industry

terminology for “rebuild”) and

distribute transmissions and engines

for U.S. Postal Service Long-Life

Vehicles. These vehicles, or LLVs, are

the small white vans that have plied

America’s neighborhoods for

decades, picking up and delivering

mail.

In February, Ready-Built installed its

LLV transmission remanufacturing

line in FPI’s Beaumont, Texas, factory,

an ISO 9000:2001 production facility.

When running at full capacity, this

production line, and the highly

trained, dedicated inmate workers at

Beaumont, can turn out thousands of

rebuilt, like-new, transmissions a

month. Beginning in late spring,

Ready-Built will begin to transition its

engine remanufacting line to

Beaumont.

While labor-intense, remanufacturing

transmissions and engines is far

more cost-effective and

environmentally sound than buying

new vehicle components. All parts

are either retooled to original

manufacturer specifications or

replaced, and components are

completely reassembled and tested

to function as if they just rolled off the

production line.

Another FPI facility in Victorville,

Calif., is already distributing rebuilt

LLV components to USPS parts

depots in the western U.S. As the

year progresses, FPI facilities in

other areas of the country will

become distribution warehouses for

these remanufactured components.

A “Win-Win” Solution 

“This is a win-win solution all

around,” comments Robert Jones,

President of Ready-Built. Jones says

that through his company’s

partnership with FPI, Ready-Built can

greatly expand its business with the

USPS and other customers while

avoiding the cost and time

commitment of establishing a new

plant and warehouses. Very

importantly, all Ready-Built

employees who worked on LLV

engine and transmission lines have

been reassigned to new product lines.

FPI and Ready-Built Keep 

U.S. Postal Service on the Move

in America’s Neighborhoods

Continued on page 4

investment has justified the Marines’

deployment of more systems across

the remainder of the domestic nontactical fleet. According to Martine,

the continued rollout was an easy

decision based on the change in

behavior on the bases. Simply put,

“Networkfleet truly helps us manage

our fleet size more effectively and

most importantly, reduce costs.”

Government fleets interested in

learning more about Networkfleet

can visit www.networkcar.com, email

govsales@networkcar.com or call 1-

866-227-7323.

Networkcar is the leading provider of

services for remotely monitoring the

performance and location of fleet

vehicles. Networkcar’s wireless invehicle technology merges patented

remote diagnostic systems with

GPS-based Automatic Vehicle

Location technology. Networkcar’s

wireless fleet management solution,

Networkfleet, helps fleet operators

reduce operating costs and improve

productivity by providing remote

online access to detailed vehicle

information ranging from vehicle

location to fuel efficiency trend data.

The company recently received a

2004 Technology Leadership Award

from Frost and Sullivan for Remote

Vehicle Diagnostics and a 2005

Telematics Update Magazine Award

for Best Commercial Vehicle

Solution. Networkcar is

headquartered in San Diego,

California. ■
VehicleViews

4

Through FPI’s nationwide production

and distribution network, the USPS

receives the same high-quality rebuilt

engine components at the same cost,

but in 48 hours rather than the

previous 72. “From an output,

logistics and distribution point of

view, this partnership is making us a

more efficient company,” Jones adds.

The benefits for FPI and inmate

workers are equally important. FPI

can offer advanced skill-building and

productive employment to more

inmate workers, who are being

trained by Ready-Built in its

production, inspection and quality

assurance methods. With training

received through FPI and Ready-Built,

inmate workers are being ASE

(Automotive Service Excellence)

certified, making them highly

employable after completion of their

sentences.

Shared Focus on Quality, 

Cost, Service, Innovation

Due to a shared focus on quality,

cost, service and innovation, ReadyBuilt and FPI have highly compatible

business philosophies. With its highly

trained technicians, FPI is noted for

the quality and reliability of its work,

cost-effectiveness and surge capacity

to meet demanding production and

delivery schedules for its government

and private-sector customers.

Ready-Built is one of only three

certified suppliers of remanufactured

transmissions and engines for U.S.

Postal Service LLVs. The company

has forged a reputation for

innovation, developing methods to

rebuild engines that reduce fuel costs

and emissions, and transmissions

with much longer life spans. 

Jones says that his vehicle parts

contacts in the USPS have been

“gratified” to hear that Ready-Built’s

partnership with FPI is providing

more inmates with valuable work

experience, which will give them the

opportunity for productive futures on

leaving the federal prison system.

Through this innovative partnership

agreement, Ready-Built and FPI’s

Fleet Business Group are keeping

LLVs, the workhorses of the USPS,

on the move through America’s

neighborhoods.

Fleet Management & Vehicular

Components Business Group

“Your Partner 

in Mission Readiness”

FPI’s Fleet Management & Vehicular

Components Business Group also

has been providing the highest quality

service to the Department of

Defense, earning the trust of the

American defense establishment.

Today, American military tactical

vehicles and remanufactured

vehicular components are performing

missions around the world. FPI

remanufactured generator sets are on

air bases, and rebuilt forklifts are

loading weapons and equipment onto

our nation’s naval fleets. FPI also

rebuilds most common starters,

alternators, and regulators used on

military trucks, tanks and other

military vehicles. 

Highly trained technical specialists at

FPI’s nationwide facilities can take

vehicles and vehicular components,

engines, electrical equipment,

forklifts, complete vehicle platforms

or any other equipment that can be

rebuilt or remanufactured, and return

them in like-new condition at a

fraction of the replacement cost.

FPI operates facilities throughout the

country, comprising just under a

million square feet of factory and

warehouse space. The size of our

operations, combined with over 3,000

skilled workers means that no job is

too big or too small. 

FPI’s Fleet Management & Vehicular

Components Business Group has

developed the logistics to receive and

distribute equipment at sites around

the world, enabling military groups

and the Department of Defense to

drop off damaged vehicle

components and pick up like-new

items. Unserviceable equipment is

sent to FPI facilities for

remanufacture and returned to a

distribution pool at each site, creating

a steady stream of components ready

for immediate operation. FPI’s webbased tracking system enables

military groups to monitor equipment

status, including warranty dates and

claim information.

Most FPI facilities are ISO 9000:2001

certified, employing a workforce with

a large number of ASE certified

technicians and highly trained

mechanics. All work is fully

guaranteed and warranted and all

parts meet OEM standards. ■

FPI from page 3

Ready-Built Re-Manufacturing

Transmission Line at Beaumont, TX
VehicleViews

5

1. Federal Vehicle 

Registration Program

• James Vogelsinger

202-501-1764

james.vogelsinger@gsa.gov

Members:

• Lisset Ramirez – GSA Fleet

• Steve Sosson - DHS

• Dionne Chisolm - USDA

2. Unicor Newsletter/Website

• Jacquie Perry

202-501-3347

jacquie.perry@gsa.gov

Members:

• Chuck Welke - DHS

• Karl Wolfe - DOT

• Valencia Simms - DEA

3. Fleet Management 

Training Plan

• Edward Lawler

202-501-3354

edward.lawler@gsa.gov

Members:

• Betty (BJ) Morris - Energy 

• Helene Mattiello - Energy 

At the last quarterly FEDFLEET

Meeting in February 2006, it was

proposed that FEDFLEET establish a

subcommittee for discussing

Agency Shuttle Operations in the

Washington, DC metro area. If you

are interested in participating,

please contact Connie Aaron on 202-

208-7634 or e-mail

connie.aaron@gsa.gov. ■

Mark Your Calendar

and 

PLAN to ATTEND 

the 

2007 Federal

Vehicle

Standards

Workshop

For the second year GSA

Automotive is hosting its’ annual

Federal Vehicle Standards

Workshop in conjunction with the

FEDFLEET Conference to be held

at the Los Angeles Convention

Center in Los Angeles, California,

June 20-22, 2006.

The Automotive Engineering and

Commodity Management staff will

conduct the “Changes to the

Federal Vehicle Standards”

workshop, covering: Sedans, SUVs

and Pick-ups, Medium Trucks,

Heavy Trucks, and Buses that will

be offered for the 2007 fiscal year

contract renewal ordering season.

GSA Automotive will be offering

additional automotive related

workshops addressing; Vehicle

Acquisition, Doing Business with

the Federal Government, and

Leasing Schedules. For further

information on these workshops

and other conference topics,

please visit the FEDFLEET website

at www.fedfleet.org. ■

The Federal Fleet Policy Council (FEDFLEET) is composed of

representatives and alternates from Federal agencies or activities, at

the national level, that manage and operate Federal motor vehicle

fleets. Activities of the Council are directed by an elected steering

committee. For more information on FEDFLEET and to view a copy of our

charter, please visit www.gsa.gov/vehiclepolicy.

FEDFLEET Steering Committee Members:

Law Enforcement Fleets ....Steve Sosson, DHS

Department of Defense ......Jim Twining, DLA

Small Fleets ........................John Hughes, Chairperson, GSA

Large Fleets ........................John Jacobs, DOJ

Civilian Fleets......................Barry Shpil, State & Dionne Chisolm, USDA

Elections were held in February 2006 to fill the Civilian Fleet representative

and it was a tie! Congratulations to Barry and Dionne! ■

Federal Fleet Policy Council (FEDFLEET)

Subcommittees:
VehicleViews

6
VehicleViews

7
8

vehicle Policyupdate

This section is to advise you of the status of the projects the GSA , Vehicle Management Policy Team is working on for the

Federal fleet community. For further information, please contact the identified points of contact.

Contact: Ed Lawler at 202-501-3354 or

edward.lawler@gsa.gov

2005 FEDERAL FLEET REPORT 

NOW AVAILABLE

The Federal Fleet Report for fiscal year 2005 is now

available on the internet on the log-in page of the FAST

website, http://fastweb.inel.gov/. It was posted on

January 30, just four months after the end of the fiscal

year, and less than 6 weeks after the close of the data call. 

Overall fleet size grew by 2 percent to 632,688 vehicles in

2005. Miles traveled and fuel consumption was also up, by

commensurate amounts. Overall cost increased

dramatically, primarily due to the soaring cost of fuel.

Acquisitions were stable at about 64,000 new vehicles. 

Problems with data integrity continue, with some agencies

reporting questionable data. The Data Quality and

Consistency Report in FAST is invaluable in highlighting

data issues, and should be consulted before submitting

data from one reporting level to another. At the Fleet Data

tab, click on the icon containing the letter “Q” for

“Quality.”

There are no significant changes to the Fleet portion of

FAST planned for the 2006 data call. We hope that all

agencies will take advantage of the breather to

concentrate on collecting and entering the best quality

data possible.

Contact: Myles Schulberg at 202-208-7642 or

myles.schulberg@gsa.gov

EXCHANGE/SALE OF MOTOR VEHICLES

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. When replacing agency-owned

motor vehicles under the Exchange/Sale provisions of the

Federal Management Regulation, motor vehicle sale

proceeds are retainable for use toward the purchase of

replacement motor vehicles. 41CFR102-39 provides the

regulatory guidance. As a source of funding for

replacement motor vehicles additional to other fleet

program funding, the availability of sale proceeds

should not be overlooked. Each Federal agency’s fleet

and finance programs need to work together to establish a

specific account to collect and disburse sale proceeds.

Contact: Jim Vogelsinger at 202-501-1764 /

james.vogelsinger@gsa.gov

FEDERAL VEHICLE 

REGISTRATION PROGRAM

A Federal Fleet Policy Council (FEDFLEET)

subcommittee was established last November to examine

the feasibility and related issues of instituting a Federal

Vehicle Registration Program. This subcommittee, which

includes Steve Sosson from the Department of Homeland

Security, Lisset Ramirez from GSA Fleet Headquarters,

and Dionne Chisolm from the U.S. Department of

Agriculture, has met twice to date. They have been

refining a business case for the program, modeling the

current state of the license plate lifecycle, and

documenting options/requirements to define the goals and

functional requirements for this program. Progress

continues and the project developments will be previewed

to the national FEDFLEET gathering during the FedFleet

2006 workshop in Los Angeles in June. ■
9

the Safety zone

You can’t control your own sleep — ask anyone who’s ever had insomnia. If you’re tired you can fall asleep at any

time. If you’re about to fall asleep, you will experience some or all of the following: 

• You have trouble keeping your eyes open and focused 

• You nod and can’t keep your head up 

• You daydream or have wandering, disconnected thoughts 

• You yawn a lot or need to rub your eyes 

• You find yourself drifting out of your lane or tailgating 

• You miss road signs or drive past your turn 

• You feel irritable, restless, and impatient 

• On the Interstate, you drift off the road and hit the rumble strips 

If you have even one of these symptoms you could be sleepier than you think. 

Pull off the road and get some sleep. It’s dangerous to drive with your eyes closed. 

AAA Foundation research identified some of the risk factors implicated in drowsy

driving crashes. Ask yourself these questions: 

• Have you been awake for 20 hours or more? 

• Have you had six hours sleep or less in the last 24 hours? 

• Do you often drive between midnight and 6 a.m.? 

• Do you frequently feel drowsy while you’re driving? 

• Do you work the night shift? 

• Do you work more than one job? 

If you have any of these indicators you are at a much higher risk of having a drowsy-driving crash, even if you don’t

feel sleepy. Half the drivers who had drowsy-driving crashes said they felt “only slightly sleepy” or “not at all sleepy”

right before the crash.

Danger Signals: How Sleepy Are You?

Provided by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
VehicleViews

10

Impaired Driving 

High-Visibility Enforcement

Provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

NHTSA is planning to develop and test a new theme line to support the

impaired driving crackdown in FY’06. The actual launch of the new

campaign was to be in FY’07, but the timeline has been accelerated.

The new campaign theme will replace You Drink & Drive. You Lose. which

NHTSA and state and local partners across the nation have been using in

support of enforcement activities since 1999. There are two reasons why we

are making this change.

1. Congress has authorized almost $29 million for paid national advertising

during 2006 in support of state and local law enforcement activities. We

plan to spend approximately $10 million for paid advertising to support

Click It or Ticket and another $11 million during the annual Labor Day

national enforcement crackdown. That leaves approximately $8 million

available to buy national paid advertising in support of drunk driving

enforcement activities during the December ’06 holiday season.

Accelerating the development and deployment of the new theme line

helps us take full advantage of these new resources and jump-starts the

process of building a strong new national enforcement brand to help stop

impaired driving;

2. NHTSA is also accelerating the roll-out of the new theme line in response

to recent concerns raised by the Automobile Club of Southern California

over the continued use of “You Drink & Drive. You Lose.” Although

NHTSA has utilized You Drink & Drive. You Lose. since 1999, the

Automobile Club of Southern California first trademarked the phrase in

1997 and has recently notified NHTSA of the trademark. Working out an

agreement to continue the use ofYou Drink & Drive. You Lose proved

difficult. NHTSA will have a licensing agreement with the Auto Club of

Southern California that will allow states to continue to use their existing

stock of You Drink & Drive. You Lose materials. If states produce new

materials, attribution must be given to the Automobile Club of Southern

California. 

The new enforcement campaign theme line was unveiled in April 2006. We

will be happy to share information with you throughout the process. NHTSA

will continue to provide state technical assistance and will retag the national

television campaign for states upon request. 

This roll-out plan will put the new impaired driving prevention theme line

fully in place before the planned 2006 national impaired driving enforcement

crackdowns during the August/Labor Day period – and December/Holiday

season.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Sue Gorcowski at

(202) 366-2712 or susan.gorcowski@nhtsa.dot.gov. ■

Motorcycle Safety

Awareness Month

May 2006

Click It or Ticket Mobilization

May 22 - June 4, 2006
VehicleViews

11

National Stop on Red Week is a

week dedicated to educating

Americans about the dangers of

running red lights. Starting in 2006

National Stop on Red Week will be

moved to the first full week in August

(in 2006 the dates are August 6-12).

The success of this week depends

on local efforts around the country.

Following is a list of 10 activities

you can coordinate to help promote

National Stop on Red Week in your

community:

Ten Activities for National Stop

on Red Week

Press conference. Hold a press

conference to announce national and

statewide statistics gathered from

local law enforcement agencies and

the National Stop Red Light Running

(SRLR) program. 

Proclamations. Encourage the

governor and state legislators to

declare SRLR week and work with

them to enact stiffer penalties.*

Pledges. Motivate drivers to sign

a pledge to stop running red lights.

Deliver the pledges to the

statehouse lawn during a press

event.*

Radio and TV promotions.

Encourage radio and TV stations to

promote National Stop on Red week.

Radio stations can do live broadcasts

from high-crash intersections in town.

Stations can give away promotional

items in support of the week. TV

stations can air public service

announcements (PSAs).* 

Schools. Work with the local school

system to ask all children to wear red

during the week. 

Police ride-alongs. Encourage

journalists to ride along with police

officers as they make traffic stops.

SRLR posters. Hang posters at

schools, local businesses and other

high-visibility areas.* 

Movie theater slides. Work with a

local movie theater to include a SRLR

slide in the pre-film slide

presentation.* 

Paycheck reminders. Encourage

local employers to develop paycheck

reminders announcing the week and

providing safe driving tips.* 

Billboards. Seek donated advertising

space on billboards, buses, cabs and at

gas stations.* 

* Design layouts, PSAs and materials

are available through the Stop Red

Light Running Program. Contact

Louisa Ward at 202-366-2218 or

Louisa.Ward@fhwa.dot.gov. For

assistance with media relations,

please contact Christopher Galm at

the National Campaign to Stop Red

Light Running at: 202-828-9100,

cgalm@blakey-agnew.com,

http://www.stopredlightrunning.com ■

National Stop on Red Week

Provided by the Federal Highway Administration

BUCKLE

UP

AMERICA

WEEK

May 

22 - 24

2006
Defense Department installations have begun

implementing new cell phone restrictions for

drivers on military bases. 

The new regulation, published in the Federal Register in

April 2005, states that anyone driving a motor vehicle on a

DoD installation cannot use a cell phone unless the

vehicle is safely parked or the driver is using a hands-free

device. 

Many installations already have

implemented the new restrictions, and the

rest will implement the rules on their own

schedule, said John Seibert, assistant for

safety, health and fire protection for DoD.

There is no deadline for installations to

implement the restrictions, Seibert said, but

he expects most will do so this year. 

“We have not issued an implementation

schedule,” he said. “But it’s definitely

getting everyone’s attention.” 

The law enforcement policy offices for each

military department are putting together

policies and procedures for the

implementation and enforcement of the

restrictions, Seibert said. He explained that

this regulation is a minimum requirement,

and installation commanders still have the

authority to put stricter rules in place. Each

installation will determine the punishment

for violation of the rules, he said. 

As the installations implement the

restrictions, they have a responsibility to

notify the public by putting up signs or

putting notices in base newspapers, Seibert

said. Many installations are allowing a grace period in

which motorists in violation of the rule will be warned and

not ticketed. 

This regulation was developed based on information from

the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which

studied driving distractions as the cause of motor vehicle

accidents, Seibert said. The study found that cell phone

use is the fastest growing and most visible distraction

that leads to accidents, he said. 

The DoD regulation follows suit with many regulations

that states and cities have already imposed. Currently only

Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and the District of

Columbia ban hand-held cell phones for drivers, but many

cities have imposed their own rules, according to the

Governors Highway Safety Association. 

“We are in front of the majority, but we certainly are not

the first ones to do this,” Seibert said. 

This cell phone regulation will increase traffic safety on

installations, Seibert said, but more importantly, it will

encourage safe driving habits. 

“Our intent is that this will drive an increased attention to

the importance of safe driving and that we’ll see a change

in driving behavior, both on military installations and off,”

he said. ■

VehicleViews

12

DoD to 

Restrict Cell

Phone Use on

Military Bases

By Sgt. Sara Wood, USA

American Forces Press Service
VehicleViews

13
VehicleViews

14
15

on the Greenfront

Bruce Chesson of the Kennedy

Space Center says he has no

complaints when it comes to

biodiesel. The NASA location in

Florida has fueled its diesel-powered

vehicles with B20, a blend of 20

percent biodiesel and 80 percent

diesel, since 2003. 

“We try to go as green as we can,”

Chesson says of the transportation

center’s vehicle program. “Last year,

we displaced 73,000 gallons of

petroleum, and biodiesel helped us

do that with our diesel fleet. It’s the

easiest swap you can make. You

don’t have to change out any

components.” 

Chesson says the department would

like to buy some new buses and other

diesel equipment. He would like to

see more Original Equipment

Manufacturers (OEMs) get firmly

behind biodiesel. 

“When we buy new diesels, we’d go

with an OEM who specifically says

B20 is covered by the warranty.

That’s definitely important to us,” he

said. 

Chesson is not alone. A recent

survey performed for the National

Biodiesel Board (NBB) by ASG

Renaissance, a national marketing

and communications services firm,

found that biodiesel support by an

OEM/Engine Manufacturer continues

to be a factor in the next

vehicle/engine purchase. Sixty

percent of respondents indicated that

OEM support would “definitely” or

“most likely” influence their decision.

In February, DaimlerChrysler became

the first U.S. automaker to

specifically approve of B20 in a

warranty position statement. The

company approves the use of B20, a

blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80

percent regular diesel fuel, in its

Dodge Ram pickup trucks for

government, military and commercial

fleet customers. Use of B20 in fleets

is approved effective with the 2007

Model Year for Rams equipped with

Cummins diesel engines. 

Chrysler Group President and CEO

Tom LaSorda touted the benefits of

biodiesel at a recent Economic Club

of Detroit meeting. “Biofuels

represent a huge opportunity to

reduce fuel consumption and our

dependence on foreign oil, while also

offering a significant environmental

benefit,” said LaSorda. “Biodiesel is

proof that at least part of the solution

to these national challenges can be

homegrown.”

Chrysler Group also initiated a

factory fill of B5 (5 percent biodiesel)

in the Jeep® Liberty diesel model.

The company fuels every new vehicle

with B5 at the assembly plant in

Toledo, Ohio. 

“Chrysler Group continues to blaze

new trails in the industry by

supporting the use of biodiesel in

their diesel vehicle programs,” said

Joe Jobe, CEO of NBB. “These are

important steps in making clean,

renewable biodiesel an appealing

option for all diesel owners, and we

anticipate that other OEMs will

follow DaimlerChrysler’s lead.”

DaimlerChrysler is working with NBB

and others to develop a consistent,

universally applied American Society

for Testing and Materials (ASTM)

quality standard specifically for B20.

The company says having that

standard for finished B20 would allow

it to recommend B20 to all owners of

Dodge Ram diesels. In the

meantime, DaimlerChrysler requires

the biodiesel be produced to ASTM

D 6751 B100 specifications, to be

used in a blend. The blended B20

must also meet U.S. Military

specifications. That includes using

the B20 within six months.

NBB’s close work with

DaimlerChrysler and other original

equipment manufacturers (OEMs)

was instrumental to Chrysler Group’s

decision to support B20. NBB and

the diesel engine, fuel injection, and

vehicle companies have engaged in

extensive biodiesel research and

testing programs to develop an

informed, fact-based position on the

use of up to a 20 percent biodiesel

blend in the U.S. The results of this

testing have been based on actual

fleet experience with B20 in

controlled validation tests. 

Biodiesel Finds Greater OEM

Acceptance and High Approval

Rating with Fleets

By Jenna Higgins 

Continued on page 16
16

VehicleViews

In addition, NBB, DaimlerChrysler

and all the other major vehicle,

engine and fuel injection companies

are actively engaged in a research

program testing B20 and lower

blends in advanced diesel engine

platforms. The Environmental

Protection Agency has mandated

this clean engine technology

beginning with 2007 vehicles. 

“NBB’s goal is for B20 to be

approved in all major diesel engines

and vehicles with the new 2007 and

later model year engines,” said NBB

Technical Director Steve Howell.

“We are making significant progress

toward that goal.” 

Howell noted that the use of B20 may

not void the warranty of U.S. engine

manufacturers. However, the

DaimlerChrysler announcement

marks the first time an OEM has

specifically approved B20 use in a

warranty statement. 

The company’s B20 support should

put to a market test the extent to

which fleets will follow through on

their intentions to purchase vehicles

only from manufacturers that support

their choice to use B20.

“You would think biodiesel fleets like

ours would be a prime market for the

OEMs to go after,” NASA’s Chesson

said. 

The fleet survey found that 95% of

the fleet managers who said they are

using biodiesel view the fuel

favorably. Of the fleets using

biodiesel, 9 out of 10 would

recommend biodiesel to other fleets. 

Chesson is in the majority. 

“I recommend biodiesel for the ease

of changing over. It’s an easy way to

go green,” he said. 

More information on biodiesel can be

found at the National Biodiesel

Board’s Web site, Biodiesel.org. ■

Today the U.S. imports more

than half of its oil, and overall

consumption continues to

increase. How can we be more

independent? E85 and flexible-fuel

vehicles (FFVs) is the answer. 

The number of E85 stations and FFVs

continues to grow. There are

currently about six million E85

compatible vehicles on American

roads and 650 E85 fueling locations.

At this time last year there were

approximately 4.5 million FFVs and

300 E85 fueling facilities. The

increasing numbers along with auto

manufactures’ public awareness

campaigns have been a contributing

factor to a saturation of consumer

education. 

Advertising campaigns such as

General Motors’ Live Green Go

Yellow (www.livegreengoyellow.com)

continues to educate individuals on

FFVs and the fuel that can power

them. GM began this campaign

earlier this year with television

commercials during Super Bowl XL

and the XX Winter Olympics, print

advertisements in major newspapers

such as the USA Today and Wall

Street Journal, and website banners. 

Several major Chicago buildings

were illuminated in yellow lights

during the announcement of this

campaign at Chicago Auto Show in

early February symbolizing the corn

used in creating the ethanol in the

E85 fuel. Other outreach for this

campaign includes a major presence

in the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman

Truck Series and promotions with

2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup champion,

Tony Stewart. 

“E85 ethanol burns cleaner than

gasoline and is a renewable,

domestic fuel that can enhance the

nation’s economy and energy

security,” said Elizabeth Lowery, GM

Vice President of Environment and

Energy. 

GM now has nine 2006 models that

are compatible with E85: Chevy

Impala and Monte Carlo; Chevrolet

Silverado, Avalanche and GMC

Sierra; Chevrolet Tahoe; and GMC

Yukon, Yukon XL and Chevrolet

Suburban. The automaker plans to

add 400,000 of these vehicles to the

fleet in 2006.

Ford Motor Company is also planning

a large advertising campaign for the

Midwest market in months to come. 

For more information regarding E85

and FFVs, visit www.E85Fuel.com.

The National Ethanol Vehicle

Coalition is the nation’s primary

advocate of E85 as an alternative

transportation fuel.. ■

E85 Outreach BIODIESEL from page 15
VehicleViews

17

I

n the fashion of David Letterman and his top 10 lists, I

have come up with the Tire Retread Information Bureau’s

(TRIB) Top 10 Reasons Government Fleets Don’t Buy

Retreaded Tires:

10. The trucking and busing industries in North America

may have purchased more retreads than new

replacement tires last year, but why should I have to

play follow-the-leader just to be a cost-effective

government fleet operation?

9. Sure 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 public sector fleet I don’t

need to save as much money as they do. 

8. When I buy a really good apple, I throw it away after

only enjoying about one-third of it. Why shouldn’t I be

satisfied getting only a one-third return on my tire

investment?

7. The new tire manufacturing companies need money

more than taxpayers

6. My telephone psychic says I should only buy new tires.

5. Don’t confuse me with the facts.

4. My brother-in-law told me about his bad experiences

with “recaps” back in 1956.

3. Not all citizens want to see their tax dollars spent as

efficiently as possible or have government fleets be

more environmentally responsible.

2. I like spending more money than my fleet needs to for

tires.

1. And the number one reason why government fleets

don’t buy retreaded tires: I operate vehicles for a

hobby. Saving taxpayer dollars means nothing to me.

Sound ridiculous? It is! There is simply no good reason not

to use retreaded tires. Thousands of transportation fleets

already know this and they are reaping the benefits that

come from using retreads

The fact is the General Services Administration, the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency and the White House

(through Executive Order 13149) all strongly endorse

retreads as the tire of choice for government vehicles

Retreaded tires are performing flawlessly all over the world

in all types of weather and on all kinds of terrain for all

types of vehicles - from school and municipal buses to

emergency vehicles to trucks to commercial and military

aircraft. 

Retreaded tires provide the same safety, reliability,

performance and handling as tires that have never been

retreaded, and they do it at a tremendous savings over the

high cost of new tires - up to 50% less. Retreads deliver the

best possible return on tire investments.

Quality retreaders are producing a final product that can

often provide more miles than the original new tire, with an

adjustment rate as low or even lower than comparable new

tires. And retreaded tires keep getting better and better

with continuous improvements in quality, durability and

reliability.

Every major quality commercial truck and bus and off-theroad (OTR) tire manufacturer designs and engineers its

tires with robust casings for several retreading lives. So to

discard a worn tire without retreading is to lose much of the

tire’s value. It’s basically throwing money away.

Retreading not only is an economic positive, it is

environmentally responsible. For every retread produced,

one less new tire needs to be manufactured.

Since the manufacture of new tires consumes large

amounts of energy and materials that impact the

environment, retreading helps conserve valuable finite

natural resources.

In addition, with retreading, tires stay on the road longer so

fewer worn tires need to be discarded instead of many, and

this helps reduce scrap tire disposal problems.

Tire Retread Information Bureau is a non-profit, membersupported industry association dedicated to the recycling

of tires through retreading and repairing, and to promoting

proper tire maintenance for all tires.

For additional information, contact the Tire Retread

Information Bureau (TRIB) toll free from anywhere in North

America at (888) 473-8732 or by e-mail at info@retread.org.

TRIB’s web site - www.retread.org - contains a huge amount

of valuable information and resources about retreading, as

well as on tire maintenance and tire repairing. ■

Tire Retread Information Bureau’s

Top 10 List for Not Using Retreads

By Harvey Brodsky

Managing Director, Tire Retread Information Bureau (TRIB)
18

AFVsuccess stories

NETL Receives Pollution 

Prevention Award for Alternative Fuel Use

By Eileen Harvey

While Richard Price,

Organizational Property

Manager and part of the

Green Fleet Team is proud that the

National Energy Technology

Laboratory (NETL) received the

Department of Energy (DOE) 2005

Pollution Prevention (P2) Star Award

for Petroleum Fuel Reduction

through Alternative Fuels, he wants

to get the word out that alternative

fuels are the wave of the future, and

that future is now.

The Office of Environment, Safety

and Health (EH) is responsible for

DOE P2 policy development,

guidance, and reporting activities in

areas of pollution prevention, green

purchasing, recycling and waste

management, and environmentally

sustainable design. Awards

underscore DOE’s commitment to

pollution prevention in its operations,

by recognizing outstanding pollution

prevention achievements. New to the

program this year is P2 Star Award,

which recognizes exemplary pollution

prevention practices. Of the 50

nominations received, eight P2 Star

Awards were presented.

The 1992 Energy Policy Act (EPAct)

set minimum requirements for

petroleum and emissions reductions,

calling for an annual increase in the

use of non-petroleum alternative

fuels for its government fleets. By

2005, EPAct required that all federal

and state fleets must achieve a 20

percent reduction in petroleum fuel

use. Of their total fuel consumption

for 2004, the Green Team Fleet at

NETL, the National Renewable

Energy Laboratory, and the Savannah

River Site (SRS), alternative fuel

consumption was an average of 38

percent. 

NETL has long addressed the EPAct

targets by purchasing vehicles that

run on a combination of compressed

natural gas (CNG) and gasoline, or

more recently, ethanol (E85) and

gasoline. To date, 69 percent of

NETL’s fleet are alternative fuel

vehicles; in 2004, all of the newly

acquired light duty vehicles were

alternative fuel vehicles. This year

alone, NETL has increased its

alternative fuel use by 20 percent.

In conjunction with the P2 Star

Award, two GoldBelt Eagle

employees, Fred Arnold, Driver at the

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (PGH) site,

and Dick Hall, Fleet Operator at the

Morgantown, West Virginia (MGN)

site, were commended recently in

separate award ceremonies for their

efforts to maintain and refuel NETL’s

Green Team Fleet with CNG and E85.

The fleet includes about 15 travel

vehicles and the shuttles that run

daily from MGN and PGH. The

Chevy Cavaliers in the fleet run on

CNG and gasoline, which uses a

separate CNG tank first, and

achieves a similar miles per gallon

fuel efficiency. When the CNG tank is

empty, it automatically switches to

the secondary gasoline tank. Another

car in the fleet, the Dodge Stratus,
VehicleViews

19

runs on ethanol and gasoline. Ethanol

vehicles use an E85 blend (85%

ethanol and 15% gasoline). These

flexible fuel vehicles are smart: if you

can’t find a gas station that sells E85,

you can use regular unleaded

gasoline in the same tank. Their

engines can automatically detect the

type of fuel and change the air-to-fuel

ratio and ignition timing to

compensate for the different octane

levels of the fuel in the engine

cylinders. In addition to the travel

fleet, NETL maintenance crew, the

Pace Training and Evaluation Center

(PACE TEC), and the heating,

ventilation, and cooling (HVAC)

employees use alternative fuel

vehicles to perform their jobs onsite.

There are currently 3.5 million fuel

flexible vehicles on the roads in the

United States. The three major

American automobile

manufacturers—DaimlerChrysler,

Ford, and General Motors, have been

making alternative, bi-fuel, or fuel

flexible vehicles for use by federal

and state fleets since 1998. Ethanol

and CNG stations are popping up all

over the U.S., with 800 currently in

operation, including stations on or

near the NETL PGH and MGN sites.

With all the talk these days about

hybrids, these alternative fuel

vehicles and their proponents

deserve recognition for their part in

reducing emissions. 

For more information on the NETL

Green Fleet Team, or NETL’s fleet of

alternative fuel vehicles, contact

Richard Price at 412-386-6196. ■
20

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

http://www.gsa.gov

VehicleViews

20

Vehicle

Management

Policy

Contacts

The Office of

Governmentwide Policy,

Vehicle Management Policy

Program’s mission is to ensure the

effective and efficient use of the

Federal Government’s 640,000

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.

Director

Russ Pentz

(202) 208-0572

Connie Aaron

(202) 208-7634

Michael Hopkins

(202) 208-4421

Ed Lawler

(202) 501-3354

Mike Moses

(202) 501-2507

Jacquie Perry

(202) 501-3347

Myles Schulberg

(202) 208-7642

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 Design: Tom Pearlman

GSA Office of Citizen Services and Communications