Federal Fleet Requirements Resource Center: General Services Administration Vehicle Allocation Methodology

ON THIS PAGE

GSA FMR Statutory Requirement for Implementing a Vehicle Allocation Methodology

The General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Management Regulation (FMR) Part 102-34.50 says:

"§102-34.50- What size motor vehicles may we obtain?

(a) You may only obtain the minimum size of motor vehicle necessary to fulfill your agency’s mission in accordance with the following considerations:

(1) You must obtain motor vehicles that achieve maximum fuel efficiency.

(2) Limit motor vehicle body size, engine size and optional equipment to what is essential to meet your agency's mission.

(3) With the exception of motor vehicles used by the President and Vice President and motor vehicles for security and highly essential needs, you must obtain midsize (class III) or smaller sedans.

(4) Obtain large (class IV) sedans only when such motor vehicles are essential to your agency's mission.

(b) Agencies must establish and document a structured vehicle allocation methodology to determine the appropriate size and number of motor vehicles." See FMR Bulletin B-9 for more information.

Note: FMR Bulletin B-9 has been superseded, first by FMR Bulletin B-30 in 2011, and then by FMR Bulletin B-43 in 2017. FMR Bulletin B-43 is currently in effect.

GSA FMR Applicability

Executive agencies should be aware that the requirement to conduct a VAM study contained in GSA’s FMR Part 102-34 applies to all Federal agency fleets (including foreign, LE, and emergency response fleets), even if the agency is not subject to the EPAct 1992 and EISA Section 141 fleet requirements.

FEMP Resources and Best Practices

Summary of Requirements

GSA's FMR § 102-34.50 requires agencies to implement a vehicle allocation methodology (VAM) to determine the optimum fleet profile with the appropriate size and number of motor vehicles in the fleet and identify opportunities to eliminate unnecessary vehicles, right-size vehicles for their mission, and deploy alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) effectively (i.e., optimize fleets to agency mission).

GSA's Office of Government-wide Policy recommends that agencies complete a VAM at least once every five years. Agencies are encouraged to conduct a VAM study more frequently if agency missions or resources change. Additionally, the VAM should help agencies identify opportunities to promote the cost-effective operation and maintenance of the fleet throughout the life cycle of fleet vehicles.

Overview of VAM Process

Agencies can use right-sizing to identify and eliminate inefficient vehicles and replace them, if necessary, with vehicles that use less petroleum per mile (i.e., more fuel efficient vehicles). Right-sizing enables agencies to determine the optimum fleet inventory at each fleet location that supports the overall fleet petroleum reduction strategy. Using this principle will help fleets identify opportunities to eliminate unnecessary vehicles, deploy more efficient vehicles, reduce fuel usage and miles driven, and promote the deployment and use of AFVs. Additionally, right-sizing should help agencies identify opportunities to promote the cost-effective operation and maintenance of the fleet throughout the life cycle of fleet vehicles.

A structured VAM process provides a framework for right-sizing an agency’s fleet. A VAM study will help your agency determine its optimum fleet profile and reduce agency vehicle fleet costs, ensuring fleets are correctly sized in terms of numbers and that the vehicles are of the appropriate type and size for accomplishing agency missions. It also assists your agency in developing a vehicle acquisition and management plan that supports petroleum reduction through the appropriate acquisition, placement, and use of higher efficiency and alternative fuel vehicles. This plan should include an optimal fleet inventory size projection (by vehicle class and fuel type), such that fleet size satisfies agency mission requirements. A VAM helps agencies determine the optimum fleet inventory to ensure that agency vehicle fleets are not over-costly, are correctly sized in terms of numbers, and are of the appropriate type for accomplishing agency missions.

GSA FMR Bulletin B-43 provides guidance to assist agencies in establishing and documenting a structured VAM. Development of a VAM provides agency fleet managers with a standard way to document the objective characteristics of a vehicle fleet for (1) a specific bureau or department and/or (2) a generic (where there are common characteristics) office/facility, program, occupational group, or other entity within an agency.

The VAM process consists of the following three components:

Conduct a VAM Study: Agencies should conduct a new VAM study at least once every five years, or more frequently if the agency's mission or resource requirements change. A VAM study is a critical element of fleet management. It will help your agency develop a vehicle acquisition and management strategy that supports petroleum reductions through the acquisition and appropriate deployment of more efficient vehicles as well as AFVs. The VAM study also helps to identify vehicles that lack a demonstrated mission need and therefore, are candidates for reassignment or disposal. The requirement to conduct a VAM study covers an agency's entire global fleet, encompassing all vehicle types, including LE and emergency response vehicles.
Determine the Optimum Fleet Profile: Based on the VAM study, each agency should produce a profile of its optimum fleet, which summarizes the numbers and most appropriate types of vehicles required to meet mission requirements, and produces optimum compliance with relevant mandates (petroleum reduction, alternative fuel use, AFV acquisition, low greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting vehicle acquisition, telematics, etc.). The optimum fleet profile is the agency's target fleet inventory, toward which progress is measured. Once identified, agencies should upload their optimal fleet profiles into FAST. Instructions and the optimal fleet profile template can be found in FAST through the "VAM Optimal Fleet Reporting" link under the "Admin Tools" tab.
Acquire and Dispose of Vehicles to Achieve the Optimum Fleet Inventory: Each agency should develop a vehicle acquisition and disposal strategy that establishes a path toward achieving the optimum fleet profile. This strategy should be continuously pursued and evaluated, with the agency focusing on eliminating unnecessary or nonessential vehicles, identifying new vehicle needs, and acquiring more fuel efficient vehicles that meet mission requirements, while ensuring compliance with AFV as well as low GHG emitting vehicle acquisition requirements.

Reporting

Actual inventories, as well as planned inventories for the coming year, are reported through annual FAST vehicle data reporting. Actual results and progress are compared to the agency's VAM optimal fleet profile. Discrepancies should be noted in the annual agency fleet management plan (FMP). The FMP provides each agency the opportunity to discuss inventory results that differ from the VAM optimal fleet profile. The FMP template is posted on the FAST website. Specific instructions on FAST submissions are communicated to agencies annually through FAST.