U.S. General Services Administration
Equipping R1 GSA Fleet with Telematics
As part of its ongoing effort to deliver increased value to our clients, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Fleet is rolling out a new initiative this year, the installation of telematics in all new and eligible leased vehicles.
Utilizing Geotab, Inc., a company that specializes in providing analytics for fleet management, GSA Fleet’s telematics program will assist in streamlining federal fleet operations in order to save taxpayer dollars and increase value to our clients.
Much like the black box in an airplane, a telematic system can capture important information such as location, speed, fuel consumption, maintenance, and real-time collision notification, among other things.
“Telematic devices deliver data that enable clients to efficiently and effectively manage their fleets,” said GSA Fleet Zone 1 Branch Chief Nick Capaldi.
It’s been 14 years since the mileage report has been improved and now thanks to telematics any margin of error will be removed and the true engine-based mileage right from the engine will be captured. This automated mileage reporting will also save clients from having to manually enter the information into Mileage Express or any other available reporting methodology.
Basic telematic service which captures odometer readings and vehicle maintenance requirements are included in the GSA Fleet monthly rate at no additional cost. Agencies may access additional data and geolocation (GPS) services, which are not available to GSA Fleet, by purchasing an add-on service subscription. With this data, clients can use the findings to tailor professional services and fleet buying decisions to each agency.
Starting this summer, clients can view all the information, including the odometer reading and which vehicles are eligible, on the GSA Fleet Drive-Thru portal.
For FY21, GSA will ship devices to specific centralized locations for installation. Doing this will help minimize customer impact while allowing GSA to adopt this initiative.
Additionally, GSA is expanding telematics installations into GSA-directed retrofits at high volume sites such as military bases, Department of Energy labs, Veteran Affairs hospitals, and other centralized defense facilities. Participating agencies with 50 or more eligible vehicles at a given location can take advantage of this current offering.
While there is no established timeline for installing telematics into vehicles already at different agency locations, as new vehicles are being received, telematics units will be installed before customers pick them up. Additionally, clients may contact GSA with a list of G-tags and the identified vehicles to have installations performed.