Miscellaneous Management Systems
The City and County of Denver's Fleet Division Continues Decades of Fleet and Fuel Management Success
The successful implementation of fleet and fuel management in the Mile High City does not take place by accident. The City and County of Denver's Public Works Fleet Maintenance Division has accomplished their success through the use of advanced fleet and fuel technology, dedicated personnel, and an environmentally conscious roadmap. The Denver Fleet Division is responsible for the maintenance, repair, rental, and fueling of 1,900 vehicles. The Fleet Division also supplies fuel for the entire City fleet of 6,800 pieces of equipment and over 10,000 drivers.
To handle the fueling of the fleet's vehicles and equipment, the Agency utilizes 17 fueling sites in 7 physical locations. The fleet requires the accurate dispensing of approximately 3 million gallons of fuel annually. This includes unleaded, diesel, bio-diesel, E85, and propane, as well as anti-freeze, hydraulic oil, and motor oil fluids.
Back in 1989, the Fleet Maintenance agency selected Multiforce's FuelForce fuel management system package to assist the City and County with providing the secure authorization and tracking of fuel from their fuel dispensers. Over the next twenty years, the FuelForce system incorporated technological improvements to allow for the secure authorization from additional facility equipment, such as fluid hose reels, alternative fueling dispensers and the provision of access to a car wash.
During a recent discussion, Young-Hee Lewis, Fleet Maintenance IT Supervisor, explained some of the benefits that the City and County of Denver has obtained from the FuelForce system. Ms. Lewis was pleased with the overall tracking of the fuel system, the increased accountability at the automated sites, and the value of fuel reconciliation. The system matches fuel issues to delivery data obtained through the data integration with Veeder-Root TLS consoles. FuelForce enables a central view of all Veeder-Root TLS information which allows for more efficient deliveries as well as the ability to remotely monitor any potential leakage problems.
Technological advances have also provided fleet operators with a simple and secure user experience. For example, the FuelForce fuel controller's cross referencing internal security feature allows County and City personnel to authorize fueling through an alphanumeric keypad in a card-less mode. This has eliminated card costs as the agency no longer needs to produce cards. Other benefits include the data integration with the Agency's fleet management software, allowing for early detection of PM issues and the better control of preventative maintenance.
The Public Works Fleet Maintenance group takes advantage of the knowledge of their dedicated staff along with several software packages to provide the City and County of Denver with better fleet utilization and allows for extending the life cycle of this well cared for equipment. With accurate and useful data, the Denver Fleet Maintenance Division has been able to function like the private sector, getting funds from other agencies to accomplish City and Countywide goals.
To take responsibility for the fleet requirements covering 154 square miles of the City and County of Denver, it is helpful to have a good fuel management system partner. Ms. Lewis stated that "the Multiforce team always finds a way to resolve any situation in professional way without any additional fees. They understand the budgeting process and provide the City and County of Denver with options. Multiforce has never forced the City of Denver to purchase upgrades. We appreciate FuelForce's reliable software and the performance of the fuel controller hardware in extreme heat and cold."
Looking ahead, the Public Works Fleet Maintenance group is well prepared to provide excellent service to City and County. For the June 2009 Government Fleet Expo, the Denver Fleet Division will be providing a Facility Tour. Over the past few years they have been recognized for environmental and fuel cost-saving efforts, including a fuel lock program, alternative-fuel use, and hybrid vehicle acquisitions. Denver's diligent planning and execution of environmental initiatives have harvested sustainable results and some well deserved recognition for the State and Denver's Fleet Division.
The Denver Fleet Division is also in the process of closing one facility and replacing it with an updated facility. The Platte River facility will utilize some of the most efficient and environmentally friendly fleet equipment available. Fleet managers will be able to view real time fleet data with the network version of FuelForce's fuel management system to control access at the fuel island, car wash and 40 hose reels within the maintenance shop. Based upon the dedication of the Public Works Fleet Maintenance personnel and their use of the technological tools available today, we are looking forward to following the City and County's journey in the years ahead.
About Multiforce Systems Corporation. Multiforce, founded in 1981, has pioneered many concepts in automated fueling systems. They were the first to introduce a secure system that did not require cards, keys, or other input devices. They also introduced the first distributed database which permits fuel controllers to provide secure, accurate data even when not in contact with a central host computer. Multiforce designs, builds, and maintains its own FuelForce line of controllers and develops all software in-house. For additional information, please call (609) 683-4242 or visit Multiforce's website at www.FuelForce.com.
