Welcome Back!

Yeah! Another academic year is upon us. We are ready to assist you with any fleet matter (and of course if you have any other matters, we can help guide you with that too)!

If you are with a student org, please check with Student Programs to check in to see when the Student Org fair will be held for all of your paperwork needs.

Fleet Orientation classes will be set up VERY shortly and will be posted soon.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Fleet Office at x2826 or email Amanda Florek, the Fleet Coordinator, at aflorek@mtholyoke.edu

Good Luck to everyone for a brand new school year!

Dont' Talk & Drive

Massachusetts is in the process of putting a law through to ban talking/texting on your cell phone while you drive. But, while you are using a fleet vehicle you MAY NOT talk and drive no matter what the law states. If you are caught talking/texting while driving a college vehicle, you will lose your driving privileges.

If you want to check out the individual laws that are in your state so you know what is going on while you are in your personal vehicle, check out Cellphone Laws.

Just keep in mind, even though it may not be a law in your hometown, it is a distraction to talk or text while driving your vehicle. It can be a hazardous condition for those around you while you take your eyes off the road for a second. You never know what you could come across while driving without a sufficient reaction time or even if your car drifts into the on-coming traffic for a second, it can be disastrous.

How can I drive a fleet vehicle?

If you have always wanted to become a fleet certified driver, there are a few things you need to do first before driving the wonderful fleet vehicles.



Step-One
You must attend a fleet orientation class. These classes are set up when they are needed (for the summer, its only when requested, during the school year they are typically every two weeks). You must contact the fleet office (or coordinator) to sign up for a class. The classes usually run about an hour.

Step-Two
You must submit your driving history from your home state. You do not need this paperwork for the class, but if you already have it, you may become approved sooner. You can check with your home states website (or call) to see how to obtain the form.

Step-Three
Turn in all required paperwork for review.

When you have become approved, the Fleet Coordinator will send you an official email letting you know you are all set to drive.

Please keep in mind, annually all fleet drivers must submit a credential form to maintain the ability to drive. You will receive an email letting you know when this must be done.

Average Fuel Cost *OUCH*

If you want to follow the daily change of fuel prices in Massachusetts, check out Fuel Gauger Report. This will allow you to compare the current day fuel cost along with yesterdays, a month ago and even a year ago cost. *CAUTION* this website may cause you to become nauseous (with the way the fuel costs continue to rise).

You can also check on the national average of fuel & other state's average while you are visiting the sight.

Fuel Saving Tips

With the fuel prices out of control these days, everyone is looking into saving as much money as they can at the pump (or other places so they can purchase the fuel). I guess the easiest way would be not to drive your car and use the gas, but how many of us can do that? Not many at that and it doesn't matter if you are a student or employee, the cost of fuel effects us all in so many ways.

With that in mind, here are some fuel saving tips that can help get you that extra mile -

1. Observe the speed limit - of course you should be doing this to begin with (definitely in a fleet car), but if you tend to have a slight lead food in your personal car, you may want to drive the speed limit to help conserve fuel. According to fueleconomy.gov, "While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph".
2. Remove Excess Weight - avoid storing heavy items in your vehicle for a long period of time, especially things over 100 pounds. The extra weight could reduce your MPG by 2%.
3. Avoid Excessive Idling - this is especially in a fleet vehicle, but even in your personal vehicle try to avoid idling.
4. Use Cruise Control - in many vehicles, this will assist with saving fuel since your foot isn't always pressed on the gas petal. Its also a bonus since you will remain at a constant speed so you don't go over the speed limit & now you are using two steps to conserve fuel.
   
5. Keep your car in shape - the fleet vehicles are regularly checked by the college's mechanic but on your personal vehicle make sure your tires are properly inflated, your engine is properly tuned (not to a radio station mind you!), check your air filter regularly and use only recommended oil grades for your vehicle.

These are just a few simple steps to assist you & your wallet in these times of ever changing fuel prices. Good luck!

Class of 2008

Congratulations Class of 2008! You made it! Thanks to all those loyal & joyful graduates who were a part of the Fleet Program. You will be missed!

Sticking around this weekend?

If you are still here as a Senior or someone who just wants to hang out a little while longer, here are some ideas for your weekend here at MHC.

Movies-
Tower Theaters
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Iron Man


Hampshire Mall Theaters
Baby Mama
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Iron Man
Made of Honor
Speed Racer
What Happens in Vegas

If the movies are not your thing, check out The Advocate to check out the events going on in the Pioneer Vally for this weekend.

If there is an event you want posted here in the future, let me know! Just leave a comment or email me at aflorek@mtholyoke.edu

How do I get there?

If you are headed off somewhere & don't know how to get there, we recommend using Google Maps. There are many websites out there, but we have found personally in the Fleet Office that Google Maps gives better directions then Mapquest.

Our bus drivers who do not have their own GPS unit request maps off of Google rather then Mapquest. Also on Google, you may print a overhead map so you can see the area as well as your directions.

If you have any sites you recommend to get you to your final destination, lets hear it! Either email me or add it in the comment section! Thanks!

Everyone has a preference, but hey we just want to help you get to where you are headed!

Are U Getting Excited?

The campus is getting ready for graduation (& Reunion of course)!

Fleet Driving in the Summer

OMG! There are no more classes! Exams start Friday! Graduation in a few weeks! And then......what?

So, with those of you who will be on campus over the summer and will be conducting research you may still use a fleet vehicle to get from point A to point B. Yes, the fleet vehicle must be used for college business (unless its the LyonShare), but at least you won't have to buy a car or beg your parents to use thiers. The vehicle has to be used under a department since student orgs cannot use fleet vehicles over the summer.

If you want to just relax this summer, but you are still on campus, feel free to use the LyonShare vehicle to get you there. Use it to go to the Beach, go shopping, go to Mystic for the day or what ever your little heart desires! Its here and available, so please use it!

Also, in the past Student Programs has needed a fleet certified drivers to help shuttle students to Big Y and other places over the summer. So, don't let your talents go to waste and check with them to see if you can earn a few extra dollars and help out your fellow students.

Almost Done!

As the semester slowly comes to an end (or is going really fast if you are a senior) keep in mind that your off-campus services will come to and end soon too. The most common shuttles that will end next week are the Community Service & Mall/Big Y Shuttles.

The last days are-

The last day of Community Service is Tuesday 5/6/2008 for this semester.

The last Mall/Big Y Shuttle is Friday 5/9/2008 for this semester.

Good luck through finals!

No More 15-Passenger Vans

A few years ago, the college decided that the 15-Passenger vans were no longer safe for our students and employees to use. As time went by and it was time to replace these vehicles, they were replaced with 12-passenger vans. You may see one here and there on campus as a facilities van for equipment, but not as a passenger van.

The reason the college does not want these vehicles as a passenger van any longer is "according to auto safety experts, is the design, the weight and balance of the van. On most models, the car manufacturers have used the same wheel base. But you can see on the 15-passenger model, the back end has been extended. That means when it's fully loaded, there's a seat with four passengers behind the rear axle. That tends to make the back end heavy, so that when there's a sudden swerve, the rear end swings out. The second, critical issue is that the van is top heavy."

If you want to read more about the danger of 15-passenger vans, check out the rest pf the article on yourlawyer.com

Also, this includes rental vehicles. Do not rent a 15-passenger van for college events. We want to make sure everyone is safe, no matter who the vehicle belongs too!

Are Hybrid Vehicles Dangerous?

According to NPR and Yahoo (and may other sources), there have been reports that silent Hybrid vehicles could cause havoc on persons who are blind since they rely on their hearing for so much. So, please keep this in mind while you are using one of our fleet sedans and approach an intersection or other locations that pedestrians are present.

Listed below is one of the many articles I found while researching this concern. It was found on NPR.com.

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Nearly Silent Hybrid Cars May Endanger the Blind

Hybrid vehicles may pose a deadly threat to people who rely on their hearing to navigate streets and crosswalks. The National Federation of the Blind is calling for hybrid manufacturers to make their cars sound like traditional car engines, so that blind people can hear them coming.

Robert Siegel talks to Dr. Fredric Schroeder, first vice president of the National Federation of the Blind.

We confirmed the comparative noise levels of hybrid and gas-powered cars, using a Toyota Prius — one of the more popular models. Toyota officials say they are studying the issue; they also note that on the opposite side of the issue are advocates of reduced noise pollution.

The Toyota officials say that the quieter cars has led them to advise drivers and pedestrians to exercise increased caution.

Spring Has Sprung!

Oh how delightful it was to see these flowers blooming outside of our office. It means spring is definitely somewhere in the valley! There is still a chill in the air, but not enough to deter the blooming flowers.

Try and enjoy the little things while you are studying hard!

What is Fleet?

By Definition-

fleet

NOUN:

1. A number of warships operating together under one command.
2. A group of vessels or vehicles, such as taxicabs or fishing boats, owned or operated as a unit.

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Here at MHC, the Fleet Office is just like the #2 in the definition (excluding the taxicabs, vessels and fishing boats). The Office represents a group of vehicles that are available for the college community, either by reservations, rental or professionally driven reservations.

Our Fleet is made up of 3 sedans,1 rental sedan, 2 mini-vans, 2 12-passenger vans, 2 mini-buses and one large bus.

The vehicles (excluding the buses of course) are available for use after a fleet orientation class is completed. Along with the orientation class, a copy of your driving history is needed with your application. There are more steps for the college's rental vehicle, but we will get to that information soon.

Thanks For Stopping By!

Welcome to the grand opening of the Mount Holyoke College Fleet Office Blog!

Here we plan to share fleet news, fleet orientation information, bus trips, and information about those of us working to keep our department flowing. Feedback and input are always welcome!

Check back soon for more content!