Uncle Sam's Auto Stockpile

The government owns more cars and trucks than Hertz does after a buildup in the 1990s that left one vehicle for every three federal employees, a White House inventory shows.

The inventory, obtained by The Associated Press, shows the federal fleet includes 602,626 vehicles for 1.78 million workers, at a cost of $2.29 billion a year.

"This is obviously the type of expenditure that will drive taxpayers crazy," said Tom Schatz, head of the budget watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste.

The Bush White House is examining the massive fleet, with an eye toward reduction.

"One's first impression ... is that the numbers seem excessive in many cases and that significant reductions may be in order," White House Budget Director Mitchell Daniels Jr. wrote in a memo asking federal agencies for an explanation.

Daniels' Office of Management and Budget compiled the figures through the end of September 2000, the latest statistical period available.

At the Energy Department, there are 15,600 full-time employees and 16,351 vehicles. The department contends the number is misleading because some vehicles are used by the 100,000 workers of agency contractors.

The Agriculture Department had a ratio of one vehicle for every 2.4 people. Other ratios include a vehicle for every 2.7 workers at the Interior and Labor departments, and a car for every 3 Justice Department workers. The Defense Department has a vehicle for every 3.7 workers, a figure that does not include military vehicles.

The fleet is larger than that of Hertz, the largest car rental company in the world. In the past year Hertz has reported 525,000 vehicles in its worldwide inventory. Company officials there said that number was reduced after the economic slowdown following the Sept. 11 attacks.

Daniels said the review is part of an effort to crack down on waste in government.

"It's not a revelation that there are major management problems and waste problems in the federal government," he said. "We're determined to get at it as soon as we can, no later than the budget submissions this fall."

Though the Energy Department feels its number of cars should be weighed in light of the large number of contract workers it uses, Secretary Spencer Abraham was nonetheless surprised at the size of the fleet and is looking for ways to reduce it, spokesman Alfonso Aguilar said.

He said the department has trucks, vans, ambulances and buses, and the vehicles are mostly at 31 sites away from Washington. Some are remote locations that use buses for transportation within a facility. The agency also transports unique items, including nuclear material.

Labor Department spokeswoman Sue Hensley said many agency vehicles are used by inspectors who check workplace and mine safety, and enforce wage-and-hour laws. Two-thirds of the department staff works away from Washington, she said.

Justice Department spokesman Mark Corallo said the bulk of agency vehicles are driven by law enforcement officers from the Border Patrol, the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Mark Pfeifle, spokesman for the Interior Department, said officials are studying ways to reduce the fleet but pointed out the agency has employees in 2,400 locations, manages 507 million acres and maintains the third largest law enforcement force in the government.

The Agriculture Department has 7,000 offices nationwide, many in rural areas and small communities, said spokeswoman Alisa Harrison. The agency also includes the Forest Service, which requires a diverse array of vehicles and a number of temporary workers, including firefighters.

Schatz, the government waste watchdog, said the fleet could be reduced by tightly regulating which federal workers receive a car and by changing government officials' attitude.

"It's easier to buy or lease a new car than figure out if you need one," he said.