Enterprise Fleet Management tells Tooele school board district vehicles cost less per mile than IRS reimbursement, recommends telematics and targeted turnover

Enterprise Fleet Management told the Tooele Board of Education during a work session that the district’s fleet strategy has lowered operating costs per mile and improved vehicle safety, while raising questions about vehicle utilization and whether telematics should be added.

Bobby Westfall, area manager for Enterprise Fleet Management in Utah, said the company manages fleet life cycles “cradle to grave” — from acquisition through resale — and looks to replace vehicles before maintenance and fuel costs spike. He said the program the company runs for the district, begun after an RFP in 2017, is effectively an ownership model (an “equity lease”) with no mileage penalties and no wear‑and‑tear fees common to retail leases. “On these vehicles, your total cash outlay or your cents per mile on that vehicle was 11¢ a mile,” Westfall said, noting the IRS standard mileage rate at the time of the presentation was 70¢ per mile.

Blake, Enterprise’s head strategy manager, presented year‑over‑year district data. He said the district’s fleet grew about 36% since 2017, average vehicle age has dropped (from vehicles with high miles to a 2022 model average), annual maintenance costs have decreased, and fuel spending has fallen as the district shifted to more fuel‑efficient vehicles. Blake said Enterprise has sold Tooele‑district vehicles roughly 15% above wholesale market values and funnelled incentives to the district estimated at about $1.1 million since the partnership began.

Board members and staff pressed Enterprise on operational details. Mark (district staff) and others asked whether the timing of vehicle turnover, fleet size and utilization reports show the district carries any underused vehicles. Blake said Enterprise flags vehicles with under 2,000 miles per year as “underutilized” and recommended the district consider rentals for occasional use, or telematics to measure when and how vehicles are used. Blake said telematics (Geotab) subscriptions run about $24 per vehicle per month at commercial rates and can be activated in‑vehicle; the state contract price is lower.

Board member Todd asked whether raising or reducing fleet size could materially help the district’s budget. Blake said that, for smaller sedans the district runs, the net three‑year ownership cash cost can be low (he cited about $1,200 for one sedan example) and that cutting a small number of sedans would not materially move districtwide budgets but could reduce employee access to shared vehicles. Several board members said availability concerns remain: some departments say vehicles must be scheduled weeks in advance, while other departments report heavy daily usage.

The board also asked whether telematics saves money. Enterprise said telematics can reveal idle time, harsh driving, seat‑belt usage and geofence breaches; the data supports behavior coaching and can reduce fuel and insurance costs, but it requires staff time to analyze and act on reports. Enterprise recommended annual reviews of utilization to adjust vehicle types and replacement timing; it also suggested targeted telematics rollouts rather than district‑wide automatic monitoring.

No motions or votes were taken during the presentation. Board members asked district staff to return later with any implementation plans, cost estimates for telematics under the state contract and further portfolio reviews.

Why it matters: The fleet program affects district operating costs, employee access to vehicles used for school business and student safety. Board members said they view the fleet decision as both financial stewardship and risk management for student transport.