CPWM Fleet Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which metric best measures the overall productivity of a public works fleet?
- Vehicle acquisition cost per unit
- Total miles driven per available vehicle per day (Correct answer)
- Number of vehicles purchased annually
- Fuel card transaction count
Correct answer: Total miles driven per available vehicle per day
Miles driven per available vehicle per day measures how effectively each asset is utilized during its available time.
Question 2: A fleet manager notices that a vehicle's total cost of ownership is rising sharply. What is the FIRST analysis to perform?
- Order a replacement vehicle immediately
- Compare cumulative maintenance costs against vehicle book value (Correct answer)
- Reassign the driver to a different vehicle
- Increase the preventive maintenance interval
Correct answer: Compare cumulative maintenance costs against vehicle book value
Comparing cumulative maintenance costs to book value determines whether the vehicle has crossed its economic replacement threshold.
Question 3: What is the purpose of a vehicle 'chargeback' system in a public works fleet?
- To penalize drivers for accidents
- To allocate actual fleet costs to the user departments that incurred them (Correct answer)
- To recover fuel costs from vendors
- To charge employees for personal vehicle use
Correct answer: To allocate actual fleet costs to the user departments that incurred them
A chargeback system bills each department for the vehicles and services they consume, promoting accountability and accurate budget planning.
Question 4: Which alternative fuel is MOST commonly used in US municipal refuse collection fleets due to its high energy density and infrastructure compatibility?
- Hydrogen fuel cell
- Compressed natural gas (CNG) (Correct answer)
- Propane autogas
- Biodiesel B100
Correct answer: Compressed natural gas (CNG)
CNG is the dominant alternative fuel for heavy refuse vehicles because of its lower emissions, high energy density, and established refueling infrastructure.
Question 5: A fleet's 'uptime percentage' is calculated as:
- Hours in service divided by total hours owned times 100 (Correct answer)
- Miles driven divided by fuel consumed
- Number of repairs divided by fleet size
- Purchase price divided by salvage value
Correct answer: Hours in service divided by total hours owned times 100
Uptime percentage = (hours in service ÷ total hours owned) × 100, directly reflecting asset availability for operational use.
Question 6: When developing fleet specifications for a procurement bid, which approach best ensures competitive pricing while meeting operational needs?
- Specify a single manufacturer brand by name
- Use performance-based specifications that allow multiple manufacturers to compete (Correct answer)
- Require the lowest-priced bid without technical review
- Limit the bid to local vendors only
Correct answer: Use performance-based specifications that allow multiple manufacturers to compete
Performance-based specifications define what the vehicle must do rather than naming a brand, enabling competition while ensuring the purchase meets operational requirements.
Question 7: Which law requires that federal grant-funded transit vehicles meet domestic content requirements for buses and rail?
- Clean Air Act
- Buy America Act (Correct answer)
- Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200)
- National Environmental Policy Act
Correct answer: Buy America Act
The Buy America Act mandates that transit vehicles purchased with federal funds meet minimum domestic content and final assembly requirements.
CPWM Fleet Management 2
Which metric best measures the overall productivity of a public works fleet?