Equipment Tracker Dashboard Helps Optimize Utilization

Item #: 20260030

CONTACTS

Implementing Organization: Central Equipment
Implementation Lead: Jeff Casper
Development Team:
- Jeff Casper & Troy Starley – Idea Champions & testers
- Julie Moses – ATOM support
- Jennifer Volkening – Project coordination
- Bracken Davis – Data integration and programming
- Ben Teran – Automation scripting & dashboard development
- Sean Berry (DTS) – Google BigQuery & ATOM development
- Alex Gillvary (DTS) – code for the non powered assets
Article Written By: Ben Teran
Innovation Council Liaison: Ben Teran
Innovation Team Coordinator: Winston Inoway

STATUS

Implementation Date: April 1, 2026
Adoption Status: Fully Implemented
Adoptability Note: Aggregating data from mutiple systems saves time. Are there other services that could benefit from a similar system automation?

APPLIES TO

Topic: Data Collection, Analysis and Visualization
Organization(s): Central Admin / Senior Leaders, Central Maintenance / Facilities Management, Equipment Operations, Region 1, Region 2, Region 3, Region 4
Job Role(s): Executive Leadership, Mechanics / Equipment, Transportation Technician
Tags: Highway transportation, capital costs, capital productivity, labor costs, labor productivity, occupational safety, economic benefits, expenses, expenditures, value of time, , automation, accounting > billing, budgeting, payment, ( comptroller ), finance > appraisals, investments, asset management, cost recovery, cost sharing, fees, loans, revenues, sales, taxes, usage charges, leadership, logistics > inventory, distribution, purchasing, procurement, warehousing, supply chain management, ( ATOM ), ( data visualization ), geographic information systems ( GIS ), vehicle sharing, equipment, traffic safety > highway safety, trucking safety, user benefits, ( connected communities )

PROBLEM

UDOT has been lacking a centralized, real-time mechanism to monitor the geographic distribution and utilization rates of equipment assets statewide. This data gap prevents leadership from making informed decisions regarding resource allocation, leading to potential over-procurement in some regions (underutilization) while critical equipment is needed in other areas. Without clear utilization metrics, UDOT’s equipment managers cannot optimize its multi-million dollar fleet investment or accurately allocate existing equipment.

CHANGE

Through a cross-departmental collaboration, the development team successfully integrated disparate data streams from Verizon, Geotab, Fleet Focus, and ATOM into a unified equipment management dataset. By syncing real-time GPS vehicle locations with ATOM utilization metrics, we developed a centralized dashboard for statewide equipment visibility.

RESULT

The dashboard, with its easy-to-use interface and regular updates, has become a critical tool in helping to manage over 5000+ pieces of equipment statewide.

This solution enables UDOT Equipment managers and others to benchmark actual usage against specific vehicle standards, automatically identifying vehicle underutilization. The hope is that this tool will empower leadership with the data-driven insights necessary to optimize fleet distribution and reduce capital waste by helping others know what is available or underutilized statewide.

This dashboard was originally developed for the central equipment managers. But it made sense for it to be available to a much larger audience including central engineers, and senior leaders.

Next Steps: It is expected to be available to all station supervisors in the near future.

IMPACT

BETTER MOBILITY

Better utilization of equipment
Identify underutilization

GOOD HEALTH

Reduces transport of equipment and associated risks

CONNECTED COMMUNITIES

Provides insight for collaboration and equipment sharing

STRONG ECONOMY

Reduces administrative tracking time
Avoided depreciation and repair costs
Direct utilization savings

EFFICIENCIES

Estimated Cost Savings in the First Year (FY 2026): $2,180,000
Cost Avoidance: $43,980,000 over 20 years (Apr 1, 2026 - Apr 1, 2046)*
Benefit/Cost Ratio: 2,200:1

*Cost and labor avoidance are the average benefits, net of initial and ongoing expenses, projected over the expected life of the innovation. See details.

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