Fleet Management 2025

Fleet Management
By Bobby Bock
NAPS Southeast Area Vice President

The Postal Service operates one of the largest vehicle fleets in the country. It is supported by more than 300 Vehicle Maintenance Facilities (VMFs) across the nation. These VMFs service a wide range of vehicles—from tractors and law enforcement units to our long-serving LLVs.

The Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV) is gradually entering our fleet; Ford E-Transit vans also are being deployed. However, one of the biggest hurdles we face with the vans is establishing the electrical infrastructure needed to effectively support them.

From a realistic standpoint, the LLVs will be with us for a while longer. Today, many of our vehicles are equipped with telematics devices that monitor performance metrics such as speed, idling time, even coolant temperature. These systems also log a complete movement history of each vehicle.

To illustrate the benefit, recently, a telematics alert triggered a check engine light in one of our LLVs. After investigation, our fleet team identified the issue, made the repair and observed a one-mile-per-gallon improvement in fuel economy. Multiply that by the thousands of LLVs in our fleet and you are looking at millions of dollars in potential fuel savings.

Important reminder: Never tamper with these telematics devices. They are critical tools for safety, maintenance and cost efficiency.

Now that the commercial break is over, let’s talk about how you can help. Fleet management starts with safe, defensive driving. Unfortunately, we continue to spend far too much on body shop repairs due to avoidable accidents.

Another issue: If a vehicle begins to overheat, do not keep driving it. Doing so can result in catastrophic engine failure. Replacing an engine is extremely costly. If you or your team are unsure how to read the vehicle gauges, contact your local VMF—they are there to support you.

Finally, let’s address excessive idling. Some delivery vehicles idle for over three hours per day. This wastes fuel and speeds up wear and tear. Small changes in habits can make a big difference in our bottom line.

Until next month, drive safely, stay informed and remember: Your VMF is your friend.