PHOENIX - Maricopa County, Ariz., will be upgrading 1,900 of its fleet vehicles and 11 fueling sites with the AIM2 fuel monitoring system from FuelMaster. The fuel control upgrade was approved by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors after a successful pilot program. The county expects the upgrade to be completed within the next six months, according to John Cantu, department director, Equipment Services.

The AIM2 fuel monitoring system will help the county control fuel use and prevent fuel pilfering through an automatic dispenser that ensures the correct vehicle is being fueled and records the transaction. The county anticipates a significant improvement in the restriction and accountability of fuel for its more than three million gallons of fuel dispensed annually, according to Cantu.

In addition, the system downloads data from the vehicles' on-board computers (mileage, idling time, engine information), identifying equipment that requires premature repairs or service. "The information on engine idling will be critical in establishing a baseline of measurement of excessive idling of vehicles and identifying operators in violation of Maricopa County anti-idling policy," Cantu stated in an e-mail.

The county operates a fleet of 2,500 vehicles and equipment. The fuel management upgrade will replace the FuelMaster ProKee access control device, used by the county to control fuel use for more than 13 years.