Motorpool

Vehicle Pool FY08……looking ahead

Some of our customers may have noticed that you seem to get an Enterprise Auto vehicle a little more often than previously. Our seamless overflow agreement is working well with this provider and we have reduced the size of our daily rental fleet accordingly, even as demand continues to climb. This has allowed Motor Pool to shift some capital resources toward the purchase of and lease to other departments such as UNI Police, Physical Plant and other departments on campus. These are generally three and four year lease agreements allowing the operating units to turn variable costs into fixed costs and assure replacement of the vehicles at timely intervals. We hope to continue this pattern and assist other departments exploring similar arrangements.

Fuel prices continue to ratchet upwards in fits and starts….$0.10 upward/$0.05 downward….but the net effect is ever upward. Motor Pool has adjusted some of the mileage rates for the coming year and eliminated the fuel surcharge. We don’t anticipate a fuel surcharge in the coming year unless pump prices climb above $3.15/gal. Remember, if you need to purchase fuel while traveling, do your best to help hold down our cost by purchasing only the fuel necessary to arrive back in Cedar Falls safely. The price of fuel purchased on the road can be as much as 35% higher than the UNI pump price and our average cost determines whether or not we need to implement a fuel surcharge.

On site at the Physical Plant building, you will see two new above ground fuel storage tanks have been installed. Shortly we will begin removal of the last of the underground fuel storage tanks on the UNI campus. DNR regulations with regard to underground storage tanks grow more onerous each year and this change will eliminate our need to comply with new requirements. Look for a canopy to cover the tanks and the fueling stations at the end of the project. That should help keep our customers dryer in inclement weather.

The conversion of the fleet credit card from Voyager to Wright Express has gone well and fuel can now be purchased as necessary on the road, at more stations than ever before. The State of Iowa has passed legislation providing tax incentives to businesses to promote more E-85 fueling sites and our customers may soon be able to purchase E-85 fuel at multiple locations in many cities and towns. We’ll keep you updated as these sites come on-line.

Bill McKinley