The 15-vehicle motor pool at Charles County, Md., Department of Social Services (DSS) is utilized at maximum capacity on most days, often reaching 100%, as a result of implementing the web-based fleet management information system, FleetCommander. The announcement was made by FleetCommander creator Agile Access Control, Inc. (Agile).

In 2013, the Charles County’s DSS (which serves the needs of low income and vulnerable individuals through service, referrals, and community collaboration) recognized a need for more efficient use and management of their vehicles. Since taking action to put fleet and motor pool technologies in place, 120 county employees and fleet managers have logged into the FleetCommander system more than 16,000 times to reserve vehicles or manage all aspects of the fleet. FleetCommander technologies have enabled Charles County DSS fleet managers to:

• Use the web-based reservation system to handle the nearly 7,000 vehicle reservations made since implementing FleetCommander

• Offer employees access to motor pool vehicles before, during, and after normal business hours via a self-service automated motor pool kiosk and secure key box, a crucial capability for DSS case workers who are serving an at-risk population

• Instantly run reports to see whether or not they are meeting their monthly minimum mileage and other county requirements

• Manage vehicles efficiently so that use of personal vehicles (and associated expense to the county) is reduced

• Automatically collect fleet metrics and generate fleet reports that offer accurate data regarding fleet usage

• Track citations for county vehicles back to individual drivers

• Communicate and enforce fleet policies automatically during the reservation process

• Spread utilization of vehicles evenly across the fleet

• Use the system to track vehicle aging and to plan vehicle replacement cost-effectively

• Manage preventative maintenance tasks via the automated system

“We have completely streamlined how we manage our vehicles by implementing FleetCommander,” said Maurice Butler, assistant director for administration for the Charles County DSS. “Our vehicles support workers who serve a vulnerable segment of our community, so we are proud to be able to efficiently offer them the resources they need to accomplish their mission. It's a good feeling."

Ed Smith, president of Agile, said the county’s efficiencies reach the taxpaying community as well: “Charles County DSS is a great steward of the county’s fleet resources.  Rarely do you see a fleet team with such a great understanding of how their vehicles are being used.  They truly leverage the utilization metrics, mileage reports, aging reports, and other information in a way that has great benefits for the taxpayers.”