A colorful mural on a wall at Vehicle Fleet Services that reads Clean Energy

Fleet Management Operations: The engine that keeps Raleigh running

Renewable propane trash truck.

Every day, hundreds of City vehicles hit the road to keep Raleigh running. From police vehicles and sewer flush trucks to refuse collectors and park maintenance vehicles, Fleet Management Operations ensures that every department in the City has the reliable transportation and equipment needed to serve Raleigh residents. This group is responsible for over 4,700 assets. Not just City vehicles but mowing machines and heavy equipment as well. 

Image of City of Raleigh Fuel pump, with Clean Energy design on it.

Behind the scenes, Fleet helps the City get more value out of every dollar spent. By purchasing more than two million gallons of fuel a year under state contract pricing,  Fleet saves $1 to $1.25 per gallon compared to commercial fuel sites. They also maintain seven fuel stations and five car washes, making it easy and convenient for City vehicles to fuel up and save money. 

The Fleet team works with departments across the City to reduce fuel use through initiatives like:

  • Anti-idling behaviors; 
  • Encouraging the use of alternative fuel options (both electric and renewable sources);  
  • Providing auxiliary power units that can keep the vehicle “working” when it’s not running; and
  • Telemetry like Geotab that can track assets, fuel consumption, and idling percentage.
     

The City has about 2,500 vehicles on the road, 28 percent of those are either hybrid or electric. Fleet is also leading the way in charging infrastructure by installing the first 200-kW Direct Current Fast Charger (DCFC), owned and operated by the City, at our Westinghouse Blvd fueling hub.  

Image showing the install of a renewable propane conversion kit

Recently, the NC Clean Energy Technology Center at North Carolina State University awarded the City of Raleigh a $57,909 Clean Fuel Advanced Technology grant.

Fleet Management Operations is using these funds, along with a required $35,400 match from the Parks and Cultural Resources Department (PRCR), to purchase renewable propane conversion kits for installation in about 10 PRCR pickup trucks. The converted trucks will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which is a critical part of the City’s climate action strategy.

Renewable propane is a plant-based fuel made from vegetable oils and fats, and compared to fossil fuels, it produces far less greenhouse gas emissions.
The 10 newly converted pickup trucks will join the ranks of other renewable propane-fueled City vehicles and machines throughout the City. Currently, the City has 94 assets that run on this fuel, including a PRCR garbage truck and six flatbed dump trucks. 

Using renewable propane in City vehicles significantly reduces our demand for conventional fossil fuels. One more way the City is working to reduce the community’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050.   
 

Contact

 

Rick D. Longobart 
Fleet Operations Manager
rick.longobart@raleighnc.gov

Lead Department:
Engineering ServicesParks, Recreation and Cultural Resources

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