Fleet director: new shop boosts efficiency; fleet replacement value about $85 million, fueling patterns change
Summary
Fleet Director Heidi Veil Howard reported Sept. 22 that a new shop has improved technician throughput, the fleet’s replacement value is approximately $85 million, the county dispensed about 800,000 gallons of fuel (683,000 internal), and equipment purchases average about $1.5 million per year.
Heidi Veil Howard, director of Larimer County Fleet Services, told commissioners on Sept. 22 that moving into a new shop nearly a year ago increased efficiencies by providing proper lifts and workspace for technicians, reducing repair times. Howard said technicians are spending most of their time on preventive maintenance, which the shop move helped enable.
Howard provided several fleet metrics: the reported fleet replacement value is roughly $85 million, the county acquires about 20 new pieces of equipment per year (roughly $1.5 million annually), and the fleet uses 12 active fuel sites. Fleet dispensed nearly 800,000 gallons of fuel in the prior year; about 683,000 gallons were for internal county departments and about 112,000 gallons were dispensed at the landfill site.
Howard also noted that some equipment is tracked by hours (loaders, dozers) and others by miles (trucks, sedans), and that ATVs were removed from certain tracking due to inconsistent meter entries. Commissioners asked about fueling needs for landfill changes and possible additional fueling trailers; Howard said staff are evaluating mobile fueling trailers and internal fueling options at Waverly for over‑the‑road trucks.
Why it matters: fleet condition, fueling infrastructure and preventive maintenance influence county operating costs, vehicle availability and capital replacement planning.
No board action was taken; commissioners praised the safety and operational improvements in the new shop.
