Fleet Maintenance
Overview
Fleet Maintenance Services include activities related to properly maintaining vehicles in your fleet. Examples of these activities are checking your oil regularly, making sure vehicle tires are at the correct pressure at all times, and measuring the environmental impact of your current fleet maintenance program by collecting data. Opting to green your fleet maintenance contracts will reduce your agency’s negative environmental impacts. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve vehicle mileage by as much as 40 percent. The Federal Government has a responsibility to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants and make sustainable choices. Below are some green products and practices to help you get started. This type of service typically falls under NAICS codes 811111, 811118, 811191, and Product Service Codes (PSC) J023, N025, J026, J025, J029, H323 and K023.
Downloadable Resources
Selected Past Solicitations If you have past Fleet Maintenance green solicitations that would be informative to the green procurement community, please submit them to sftool@gsa.gov.
Required Green Products
In accordance with FAR Subpart 23.1
, federal contracts for fleet maintenance services must require contractors to use or supply products covered by the following environmental programs:
Download a suggested list of related products covered by these federal environmental programs.
Note that the above products mandated by statute are also required for GSA leases. Refer to GSA's Sustainability Policies for Leased Buildings (under "Required Green Lease/RLP Provisions") for more information on both required and recommended provisions.
FAR clause 52.223-2, Affirmative Procurement of Biobased Products Under Service and Construction Contracts, requires service and construction contractors to report their purchases of biobased products to the new reporting portal within the System for Award Management (SAM).
In addition, for contractor performance at Federal facilities, require that the contractor provide the information needed by the Federal facility to comply with the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), and Pollution Prevention Act.
Optional Green Practices
There are many other commercial practices that will result in a more sustainable and environmentally preferable service. Consider these when defining performance requirements and developing evaluation criteria.
- Require regular preventative maintenance on all vehicles.
- Ensure that vehicle engines are properly tuned in accordance with the vehicle owner’s manual and internal agency procedures.
- Keep tires properly inflated to the recommended tire pressure. Under-inflated tires increase rolling resistance, reduce fuel economy, and cause tires to wear more rapidly.
- Check and replace air filters regularly. Replacing a clogged air filter protects the engine and may increase your fuel economy.
- Require the use of reclaimed engine coolants and re-refined oils when cost effective and when it will not void manufacturer’s warranty.
- Use the recommended grade of motor oil for your vehicle to increase fuel economy. Also, look for motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the American Petroleum Institute (API) performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.
- Consider requiring contractors to implement recycling of used oil, spent engine coolant, spent solvent, and tires.
- Consider requiring contractors that provide green fleet maintenance products to submit regular reports identifying the quantity and type of green products used or delivered during contract performance.
Evaluation Factors
There are many opportunities to consider environmental criteria in your evaluation of offers. A Pass/Fail approach may be appropriate for establishing basic green product requirements or when market research shows that other sustainable practices are common in the commercial marketplace. For example, you might require that contractors recycle used oil, spent engine coolant, spent solvent, and tires – an offeror can either meet this requirement (pass) or it cannot (fail).
In some cases, it may be appropriate to consider environmental aspects through a Best Value Tradeoff approach in lieu of, or in addition to, pass/fail criteria. By incorporating environmental criteria into your evaluation factors, you can weigh a vendor’s ability to offer desirable sustainable practices above and beyond minimum contract requirements in relation to other factors, such as price. Several potential opportunities for incorporating environmental considerations into your evaluation factors are listed below:
- Technical Approach & Staffing Plan – Require contractors to address sustainable practices, including the use of green products that will maximize sustainability objectives. Require contractors to describe any technician training their staff has received for maintaining alternative fuel vehicles, including hybrid and electric vehicles.
- Past Performance – Evaluate how well the contractor performed previous projects where they have successfully implemented green fleet maintenance practices, including the maintenance of alternative fuel vehicles and the use of green products.
- Previous Experience – Require contractors to demonstrate their experience and capability to provide green fleet maintenance services similar in size, scope, and complexity to the required work.
Where to Buy
Federal agencies may purchase fleet maintenance support services under GSA's Multiple Award Schedule Category 561210FS. While these contracts include basic terms and conditions, the ordering agency is responsible for inserting the appropriate green requirements and language into the solicitation. More information on ordering through GSA Multiple Award Schedules can be found here.
References