Slush, Sand, Salt Oh My!

You may notice that there is a bit of a theme to the beginning of this month’s Newsletter, winter filth and what to do about it. We all see the giant snow piles everywhere across campus which means we are due for a melty and messy start to Spring. As we get into this sloppy weather time of the year, please take a second or two to knock the snow, slush, and other foreign substances off your shoes before you get into a University vehicle especially if the vehicle has carpeted floors.

The problem is that the excess moisture from boots and shoes will accumulate over time and once the weather starts to warm up the vehicle will begin to have a "mildew-ish" smell. One trick to help dry out a car and keep the moisture from accumulating is scoopable kitty litter. Fill a couple of old tube socks with the litter and put them inside your car to absorb the excess moisture.

Car Cleaning

Car Washes - Fleet Services provides one free exterior car wash per month per vehicle. Stop by the Fleet Services' office and staff will issue you a pass and give directions to the car wash.

Interior - Vacuums and cleaning supplies are available at the Fleet Services Trailer for our customers to use at no cost during business hours. Don’t neglect your windows, visibility is a very important aspect of safe driving. This article from Lifehacker.com has a multi-step process for cleaning the inside of your windshield and an even has a more involved method for really greasy windows.

Going Green - Carbon Emissions and Cost

This neat website, carboncounter.com, built by MIT helps you see how cars stack up in two key areas, greenhouse gas emissions and expected monthly costs. If you are considering purchasing a hybrid or electric vehicle over a traditional internal combustion engine vehicle it is very difficult to quantify both their actual environmental impacts and their monthly and yearly differences in operation costs. Carboncounter works best when you tweak its values to match your driving habits. Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to see how the potential cars you’re considering stack up and you’ll be able to use the info to help inform your that next big purchase.

We Are Not Always Ready for Surprises

When you schedule your vehicle for service and you know you will require a loaner vehicle, please let our office know in advance. If the loaner vehicle is not scheduled ahead of time, we may not have a vehicle clean, sanitized, and ready to go.

The Name Game

Please remember that only those who are listed on the Fleet Services requisition are authorized to pick up and drive a rental vehicle. Even if the person is picking up the vehicle for someone else or even just picking up the keys; every person must be listed on the requisition.

Honest Mike’s Used Cars

Nothing for sale just yet, this is just a taste of what is in the pipeline for the coming year. As always we will have a variety of vehicles across many different classes, here is a broad summary of what’s to come:

• Sedans – 15 total mostly Chrysler 200’s and Ford Fusions.
• Minivans – 9 Dodge Grand Caravans
• Pickups – 9 total, variety of ½ tons, ¾ tons and a few old Ford Rangers
• 15 Passenger – 4 Ford Transit 350’s (these are the last ones left in the Fleet)
• Suburbans – 4 total, three 2016’s and one 2015
• Other – 5 Police vehicles, 4 E150 Cargo vans, 2 Equinox’s, and some other larger specialized trucks.

Fleet Factoid

According to the EPA's 2020 Automotive Trends Report, American cars are both heavier and more powerful than they have ever been. Read the full article from Jalopnik.com or check out the full 2020 Trends Report.

Fleet Services Info

Manager: Mike Wilson

Phone: (319) 384-0564

Fax: (319) 335-5865

Hours: 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday

Shop Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday

Shop Phone: (319) 335-5105

Fueling Hours: 24 hours/ 7 days a week

E-mail: Fleet-Services@uiowa.edu

Web Site: Parking and Transportation - Fleet Services

View more newsletters: Fleet Services Newsletters