DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

LAND AND MARITIME

P.O. BOX 3990

COLUMBUS, OHIO 43218-3990

MEMORANDUM FOR DISTRIBUTION

SUBJECT: Installation Personal and Non-Tactical Vehicle/Equipment Idling Policy

1. PURPOSE: Per the references, this document establishes an anti-idling policy to reduce air 

and noise pollution, promote energy (fossil fuel) conservation, decrease wasteful fuel 

consumption, and reduce non-tactical vehicle/equipment (NTV/E) engine wear and maintenance 

costs.

2. APPLICABILITY: This policy applies to all installation military service members, federal

civilians, government contractors, and tenants utilizing privately owned vehicles (POVs)/nontactical vehicles. 

3. DEFINITIONS: 

a. “Idling” means operating the engine of the POV or NTV/E while stationary. 

b. “Non-Tactical Vehicle” means any government-owned or leased, self-propelled, 

commercial vehicle item that is required to be registered and have license plates.

c. “Non-Tactical Equipment” means any government-owned or leased selfpropelled/person-operated, commercial equipment item used in support of installation or 

activity operations and services.

d. “Privately Owned Vehicle” means any vehicle such as an automobile operated by an 

individual that is not owned or leased by a government agency and is not commercially 

leased or rented by an employee under a government rental agreement for use in connection 

with official government business.

4. SCOPE: This policy establishes operating guidelines for non-tactical vehicles, non-tactical 

equipment, delivery vehicles, freight carriers, and non-tactical emergency response units to 

follow while operating on Defense Supply Center Columbus (DSCC) property.

This policy is being implemented to: 

a. Reduce unnecessary vehicle idling;

b. Protect the health of our workforce and visitors from harmful emissions;

c. Improve air quality;

d. Reduce wasted fuel;

e. Reduce excess engine wear.

5. BACKGROUND: 
a. Department of Defense Instruction 4500.36 (DoDI 4500.36), dated 31 DEC 2019, 

provides: “NTV programs must, to the maximum extent practicable, achieve maximum fuel 

efficiency and ensure the acquisition of alternative fueled vehicles, and the use of alternative 

fuels...”

b. Excessive or unnecessary idling of NTV/E is wasteful of scarce resources (fuel and 

funding), causes unnecessary wear to the NTV/E engines, increases maintenance costs, and 

contributes to air and noise pollution. 

c. Excessive idling is considered NTV/E misuse and as such, many Department of Defense 

(DoD) installations have anti-idling policies in place.

d. One hour of idling consumes approximately one gallon of fuel. The engine wear 

associated with one hour of idling is the equivalent of approximately 33 miles of engine 

operation. Idling further causes unnecessary and premature engine wear due to the minimal 

oil pressure/lubrication generated. Diesel engines power a variety of NTV/E on the 

installation and can actually cool down during periods of cold weather idling. This cooling 

leads to inefficiency and heat loss within the passenger cabin of the NTV/E, if so equipped.

e. Although Franklin County currently meets the Federal standards for atmospheric 

particulate matter (PM 2.5), it has failed to meet this standard as recently as 2012. In 

addition, Franklin County has not met the Federal standards for atmospheric ozone (8-hour) 

since 2011. Unnecessary idling contributes to increases in these targeted air pollution values. 

Cumulative increases in these values over time could result in future cost-mandated controls; 

thereby increasing DSCC operational costs. 

f. Exhaust fumes from idling vehicles pose an unnecessary health risk to our employees, 

drivers, and the community at large. Drivers are exposed to elevated levels of exhaust while a 

vehicle is idling due to the lack of air circulation that typically occurs while the vehicle is in 

motion. 

g. Studies have shown that the most efficient way to warm up a vehicle is to drive it. 

Modern vehicles equipped with electronic fuel injection need no more than 30 seconds of 

idling on winter days before driving. The catalytic converter, an emissions control device that 

converts toxic pollutants in exhaust gas to fewer toxic pollutants, does not operate efficiently 

when it is cold. This causes untreated engine emissions to pass through the exhaust system. 

Driving a vehicle warms the catalytic converter more rapidly than idling and reduces the 

amount air pollution emitted into the atmosphere.

6. POLICY: 

a. It is the policy of this installation that each driver will be responsible for ensuring their 

vehicle does not idle unnecessarily. Vehicles must be turned off when parked and should 

not be restarted until loading or unloading is complete, and the vehicle is ready to depart.

b. Vehicles shall not be left unattended and idling.

c. Operators of vehicles including, but not limited to: cargo and passenger vehicles, shuttle 

buses, material handling equipment, engineering equipment; shall not idle internal 

combustion engines for longer than one (1) minute.