Government
BY CODY THORN
Fort Worth saves money on vehicle repairs with fleet services
Fort Worth is saving millions by fixing its own vehicles instead of relying on outside vendors. During the City Council work session Sept. 9, council members had a chance to review the presentation from Property Management Director Marilyn Marvin, who oversees the Fleet Services Division. Put in perspective According to the report, the fleet maintenance performed internally is saving the city money compared to going to contracted vendors. The city did have to contract out some work, but according to data, the city staff is doing about 94% of the work that is needed. The city does leverage the use of outside vendors for heavy or specialized work and surge capacity for low-frequency, high-complexity repairs, which is the industry standard, according to city documents.
The backstory During the past three full fiscal years, the city has had more than 31,000 work orders for mainte- nance and repair work. Fort Worth can keep the in-house work cost lower due to a partnership with NAPA Auto Parts and lower hourly labor rates. The labor rate charged to city departments by Fleet Division Technicians is $116 per hour. That cost is a savings over the six outside vendors the city has used in FY 2024-25. The range is $195 per hour to $240 per hour, according to city documents. The city has a contract with NAPA as a parts ven- dor, with the most ordered parts being batteries, reflective safety tape, brakes, tires, wiper blades, filters, wheel nuts and headlight lamps. The discount provided, compared to the retail price, is nearly 50%. City documents show the city price for batteries is $100.52, compared to the
During the past three full fiscal years and an estimated fiscal year, the outsourcing of work has been:
2021-22: 4.17% 2022-23: 4.95% 2023-24: 5.61% 2024-25: 6% —estimated total
SOURCE: CITY OF FORT WORTH/COMMUNITY IMPACT
retail price of $199.99. Brake pads, rotors and other brake parts retail price is $118.23, while the city spends $46.35. The breakdown In terms of labor and parts, the city can save more than $1,000 on a number of major projects. The in-house work can save the city between $352 on brakes and more than $2,000 for transmis- sion work.
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