	Background

Although commonly used, the term “federal fleet” is a misnomer because  there is no single entity that is responsible for all of the almost 660,000  civilian, Postal Service, and non-tactical military vehicles (about 449,000  excluding Postal Service vehicles) owned and leased by federal  agencies. In addition, GSA and the Department of Energy co-sponsor a  Web-based data- reporting portal, in which agencies annually report  information about the size and composition of vehicles, fuel consumption,  and vehicle mileage. Federal laws, executive orders, and policy decisions have affected  agency fleet size and composition. The Number of Federal Vehicles Has Increased since 2005 with Fleet Changes Varying by Agency

Since fiscal year 2005, the number of federal non-postal, non-tactical  vehicles has increased about 7 percent, from 420,382 to 449,444  vehicles. In fiscal year 2011, the fleets of 8 federal agencies made  up almost 80 percent of total federal vehicles, while 35 agencies made up  the remaining 21 percent (fig. Overall, federal agencies increased the proportion of  their fleets made up of alternative fuel vehicles (i.e., vehicles that operate  using an ethanol blended fuel, compressed natural gas, and batteries,  among others) as opposed to conventional fuel vehicles (i.e., vehicles  that operate on gasoline and diesel fuel) from about 14 percent to 33  percent from fiscal years 2005 to 2011. Although the number of federal vehicles increased from fiscal years 2005  to 2011, not all agencies’ fleets increased—some agencies experienced a  decrease in the number of vehicles, while others changed very little. Specifically, 8 of the 24 agencies with the largest numbers of vehicles  decreased their fleets by at least 2 percent over the period. USDA’s fleet  grew about 5 percent and VA’s fleet grew about 49 percent from fiscal  years 2005 to 2011. In contrast, the Air Force and Interior both decreased the size  of their fleets from fiscal years 2005 to 2011. Officials Identified Multiple Factors That Influenced Fleet Size at Selected Agencies

The fleet managers at the four agencies we selected told us that various  factors have influenced changes in fleet size. According to  officials, USDA and VA increased the size of their fleets from fiscal years  2005 to 2011 to accommodate expanded programs and services, among  other factors, while the Air Force and Interior reportedly decreased their  fleet size in part by implementing measures to improve fleet  management. For example, VA  recently acquired more vehicles to provide transportation to and from VA  health care facilities—including medical centers and community-based  outpatient clinics—for veterans who require health care services but are  not able to drive themselves. Interior’s U.S. While  the National Park Service’s fleet increased, these additional vehicles did  not change the direction of Interior’s overall fleet size changes. Agency Comments

We provided copies of a draft of this report to GSA, Air Force, USDA,  Interior, and VA for their review and comment. GSA’s Associate Administrator and VA’s  Chief of Staff agreed with our findings and provided written technical  comments that were incorporated as appropriate. We are sending copies of this report to interested congressional  committees, the Administrator of the General Services Administration,  and the Secretaries of Agriculture, Air Force, Defense, the Interior, and  Veterans Affairs.
Why GAO Did This Study

The federal fleets consist of about 449,000 civilian and non-tactical military (i.e., non-combat) cars, trucks, and other vehicles, excluding postal vehicles. Various legislation and policies have been aimed at reducing the size and changing the composition of federal fleets as a means of improving U.S. energy efficiency. Most recently, in May 2011, the President issued a memorandum calling for federal agencies to reduce oil imports by determining the optimal size of their fleets and eliminating non-essential vehicles.
GAO was asked to provide information about any change in the size and composition of federal fleets and the reasons agencies fleets increased or decreased over time. GAO analyzed agency fleet data compiled by the General Services Administration (GSA) to identify changes in fleet size and vehicle type from fiscal years 2005 to 2011. GAO selected four agenciesUSDA, Interior, VA, and the U.S. Air Forceto discuss with officials the reasons for changes in fleet size. GAO based its selection on factors such as agency mission, fleet size, and changes in the number of vehicles. GAO did not include U.S. Postal Service in its analysis because of GAOs recent report on Postal Services delivery fleet.
GAO is not making recommendations in this report. Although Air Force, USDA, and Interior did not comment on a draft of this report, GSA and VA generally agreed with GAOs findings and provided technical comments that were incorporated as appropriate.

What GAO Found

Since fiscal year 2005, the number of federal non-postal civilian and non-tactical military vehicles has increased about 7 percent, from about 420,000 to 449,000 vehicles. However, from fiscal year 2005 to 2011, some agencies decreased their fleets, and the change in fleet size from agency to agency varied considerably. For example, one-third of the agencies (8 of 24) with the largest number of vehicles decreased their fleets by at least 2 percent during this period. Of the 4 agencies GAO selected for review, the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Veterans Affairs (VA) increased their fleets 5 and 49 percent, respectively since fiscal year 2005; the U.S. Air Force and Department of the Interior (Interior) decreased their fleets 7 and 9 percent, respectively. Overall, federal agencies increased the portion of their fleets made up of alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., vehicles that operate using ethanol or batteries) from about 14 percent to 33 percent from fiscal years 2005 to 2011. In addition, GAO found that 8 agencies accounted for almost 80 percent of total federal vehicles in fiscal year 2011, while 35 other agencies held the remaining vehicles.
Fleet managers at the four selected agencies stated that various factors can influence changes in fleet size. USDA and VA reportedly acquired more vehicles from fiscal years 2005 to 2011 to accommodate expanded programs and services, among other factors. For example, VA acquired 5,367 additional vehicles in part to provide transportation to and from VA health care facilities for veterans who require health care services but are not able to drive themselves. In contrast, the Air Force and Interior reportedly decreased the number of vehicles in part through efforts targeted at reducing their fleets and costs. For example, through efforts to identify under-utilized vehicles, Interior eliminated 451 vehicles.