A new telecommunication system was activated in all Citizens-owned vehicles at the beginning of 2021. The project is expected to improve the company’s fleet-maintenance program.
Each vehicle is equipped with technology that obtains real-time information about the vehicle, including odometer readings, engine-hour meter readings, and engine diagnostics.
The technology system, called Verizon Telematics, was piloted in 2019 in about three dozen vehicles to test its benefits before being expanded to the full fleet in January.
The Fleet and Facilities Engineering department led the project, while soliciting feedback from several other areas of the company throughout the process.
Nick Helmuth, Engineer III, served as the project manager, and Crit Crabtree, Manager of Facility Operations, was assistant project manager.
Helmuth said, “Our team worked together to coordinate and install telematic devices in more than 550 vehicles spread across 16 different locations over a three-week period.”
Since full implementation at the beginning of this year, the project already is paying dividends, said John Hopwood, Senior Manager, Fleet and Facilities Engineering, noting that telematics has assisted with the recovery of a stolen truck and with diagnosing mechanical problems that prevented major, costly repairs.
With telematics in place, preventative vehicle maintenance now will be scheduled based on actual vehicle usage data, such as mileage and engine hours, instead of on a calendar-based schedule. Likewise, corrective maintenance also will be scheduled in real time, when engine diagnostic codes are received from the telematic devices.
Information received through the telematics system is expected to reduce overall maintenance costs and extend the life of the fleet, as well as assist with accident investigations. In addition to these benefits, the built-in GPS tool is helping Dispatch make routing decisions, which is improving response times for gas, water, and sewer emergencies.
Vehicle Logos to be Updated
The Fleet and Facilities Engineering department is working on another vehicle project in conjunction with the One Company, One Culture team.
The success of One Company, One Culture depends on breaking down silos. One way to do this is visually—by removing business-unit logos such as Citizens Gas, Citizens Thermal, and Citizens Water and replacing them with the Citizens Energy Group logo.
Fleet and Facilities has conducted an inventory of all Citizens-owned vehicles to determine which have outdated logos. The 44 vehicles with business-unit logos will be replaced with the Citizens Energy Group logo this year.
This initiative will help us be united under one brand and serve as a reminder that we all work for the same company with the same mission, vision, and values.
