Government fleet counts: Up, up, up

Governments continue to expand their fleets, according to the just-released “Highway Statistics 2007” report.

Governments own a total of 4.17 million motor vehicles, up from 4.10 million tallied in the previous year’s report – an increase of almost 2 percent. The actual increase in government fleet size from 2006 to 2007 was 64,027 vehicles.

The “Highway Statistics 2007” report is part of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Highway Statistics Series on the Web.

Total fleet sizes grew at all levels of government, including federal, state, county and municipal. State and local government departments and agencies had more of the following in their fleets when comparing 2007 with year-earlier totals:

Total government fleets of trailers and motorcycles also grew when comparing 2007 with 2006 data.

The government fleet data was compiled mainly from statistics gathered by state departments of motor vehicles (DMV), DMV-equivalent and similar authorities.“Some states give state-owned vehicles only; others exclude from registration certain classes, such as fire apparatus and police vehicles,” the report notes. “For the states not reporting state, county and municipal vehicles separately from private and commercial vehicles, and those reporting un-segregated totals only, classification by vehicle type has been approximated on the basis of other available data or estimated.”

Federal fleet data reported in the Highway Statistics Series covers civilian branches of the federal government; vehicles of the military services are not included.

Local governments, as defined in the Highway Statistics Series, include counties, townships and municipalities. Included with local governments are subordinate agencies, road districts, commissions and authorities, both toll and non-toll. Some special district forms of government, however, may not be included in the Highway Statistics Series government fleet counts.

“Given the attention that these data have been getting in the national press for the past 12 months, we think everyone is using these tables – both private and public sector,” FHWA spokesman Doug Hecox told GovPro.com. “The Highway Statistics Series is wildly popular. It’s something that is widely used by a lot of people, and they come from all walks of policy levels, government levels and financial levels.”

Data from the “Highway Statistics 2007” report is not fully posted on the FHWA Web site. The goal, Hecox said, is to have all the data and table hyperlinks working in the next month or so. A hard copy of the “Highway Statistics 2007” report should be available in April or May.

FHWA has been compiling the Highway Statistics Series since 1945. The series consists of annual reports and statistics on motor fuel, motor vehicles, driver licensing, highway-user taxation, state and local government highway finance, highway mileage and federal aid for highways.

For the table covering publicly owned vehicles, click here.