September 3, 2014 3:01PM

Vehicle Fleet Mess at Homeland Security

By Nicole Kaeding

Duplication and waste are common themes within the Department of Homeland Security. A recent report from the DHS inspector general (IG) provides another example of wasted tax dollars.


The federal government owned or leased 650,000 motor vehicles in fiscal year 2012. DHS’s fleet was the government’s second largest, consisting of 56,000 vehicles. This armada of cars and trucks cost taxpayers $534 million in 2012. Given the large expense, the IG reviewed a portion of the DHS fleet, 753 vehicles, “to determine whether, for FY2012, the Department met requirements to right size the composition of its motor vehicle fleet, [and] eliminate underused vehicles.”


The IG found that DHS vehicle management is poor. Vehicle identification numbers were not listed correctly for 39 percent of vehicles. Fifty‐​four percent of acquisition dates did not match other department records. The most damning finding was that 59 percent of vehicles were underused, meaning they were driven less than 12,000 miles, the governmental standard, in one year. Apparently, DHS has far too many cars and trucks, even assuming that the vehicles are used for efficient purposes.


The IG found that DHS does not purge unnecessary vehicles. Eighty‐​six percent of the underused vehicles were still owned by the department a year later. DHS was unable to provide documentation justifying vehicle retention and the additional expense.


These results led the IG to conclude: “we estimate that operating these underused vehicles cost between $35.3 million and $48.6 million. For these reasons, DHS cannot ensure its vehicle fleet composition is cost efficient, complies with department requirements, and has the correct number of motor vehicles to accomplish this mission.”


This is not the first time DHS has been criticized for its handling of its vehicle fleet. In 2013, the Government Accountability Office criticized DHS for similar problems, including incomplete data and failing to adequately analyze and utilize its vehicles. DHS is also not the only agency with underutilized vehicles, as GAO has been highlighted for years.


The federal government spends $3 billion annually on its vehicle fleet, excluding the United State Postal Service. This should be an area in which bipartisan reforms are possible.