UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — To strengthen oversight of Penn State-owned vehicles and improve operational efficiency, a new University-wide initiative, the Fleet Management Organization (FMO) project, is now underway.
The FMO will help departments by establishing standardized, cost-effective policies and procedures for vehicle management, provide expert guidance on life-cycle decisions such as purchasing, leasing, maintenance and disposal, as well as support informed travel-policy decisions.
“By consolidating vehicle data and streamlining operations, we will be giving departments improved tools to help as they make important financial decisions,” said Amber Quimby, associate director of Transportation Services and project lead.
Currently, many departments face challenges in tracking vehicle inventory, usage and maintenance. Without coordinated oversight, vehicles risk being underutilized, falling out of compliance or becoming unaccounted for. To address these issues, Penn State will implement a new Fleet Management Information System (FMIS) that will unify vehicle data into one system, enabling better decision-making and alignment with institutional goals.
Upcoming project milestones include:
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Updating the University-wide vehicle inventory, beginning in fall 2025.
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Selecting a vendor for the FMIS, with implementation targeted for completion by the end of 2026.
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Transitioning to a vehicle leasing model for vehicles purchased by Transportation Services to reduce long-term costs and improve flexibility.
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Introducing a travel cost comparison tool to help departments evaluate options such as University-leased vehicles, rentals or mileage reimbursement.
The initial phase will focus on integrating the largest fleets — Transportation Services and the Office of Physical Plant — followed by the College of Agricultural Sciences, Intercollegiate Athletics, and eventually all colleges and campuses.
The project is led by Quimby, with project managers Leah Carraway-Justice from the Office of Enterprise Change and Transformation, and Jason Thomas from Transportation Services. Collaborating units include Transportation Services, the Office of Physical Plant, Risk Management, Penn State Information Technology, Finance Optimized Service Team, Intercollegiate Athletics, the College of Agricultural Sciences and the Office of the Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses.
Opportunities to learn more:
Penn State employees who manage vehicles for their work units will be invited to attend a January webinar to learn more about the FMO initiative and ask questions. Any employees who manage vehicles who don’t receive an invitation but wish to attend can email FMOProject@psu.edu.
Updates on the Fleet Management Organization project will be shared via the Transportation Services email listserv, Penn State News, and posted at the FMO Project website. Questions and comments can be directed to FMOProject@psu.edu.