City and state fleet managers are replacing paper lists and outdated spreadsheets with AI-powered tracking systems that provide real-time visibility into vehicle location, driver behavior, and maintenance needs. At a Samsara public sector event in Chicago on May 12, officials from New Orleans, Texas, and Miami shared how these tools are reducing costs, cutting speeding incidents, and improving emergency preparedness.
Ending the paper chase
When Shelita White became New Orleans' operations chief of staff three years ago, she asked for a list of the city's roughly 2,600 fleet assets. She received a stack of papers. "It was unnerving to me to know that we had 2,600 assets and we have no idea where they are," White said during a panel on modernizing emergency response. The city has since entered about 1,800 assets into a real-time tracking system and expects to add the remainder by year's end, illustrating how AI for Government is moving from pilot projects to daily operations.
"Being able to locate our assets is a very, very big deal," White said. "It's something that the public wants to know. We get a lot of public records requests … We cannot give them a stack of papers. We cannot give them someone's Excel [spreadsheet] from two years ago that has something that is expired."
AI dashcams curb risky driving
New Orleans also deployed AI-enabled dashcams that alert if a driver yawns, uses a phone, or speeds. Over 12 months, the city reduced speeding by 37% and mobile phone use by 46%, according to Samsara. White said the goal is to encourage behavior change before resorting to discipline. "I think once you realize, 'Okay, they can really see what's happening in my vehicle,' that'll change the behavior path," she said.
Andrew Morgan, who manages fleet operations for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said the digital systems now estimate fuel levels and flag pending maintenance. For agencies with decentralized fleets, AI for Operations can centralize maintenance records and push alerts to drivers before problems escalate. "We didn't have, in the past, good visibility on maintenance records of vehicles," he said. With integrated work orders, "we're going to be able to push those notifications to drivers and tell them to go get their vehicle serviced before there's an issue."
Preventive maintenance and asset recovery
Miami uses the tracking systems to monitor engine hours and schedule preventive maintenance. Anthony Barcena, assistant director of the city's General Service Administration, said the approach has saved money. "We've been able to save a lot of money with the city for being a lot more proactive," he said during a procurement panel. The city also attached asset tags to water pumps that frequently went missing. The tags now appear on an online map, saving time and reducing headaches.
For New Orleans, the technology helps prepare fleets for hurricane season and major events like Mardi Gras. White said the city can see where all vehicles are located and respond faster to breakdowns. "We can actually plan ahead if any breakdowns happen to be able to get to those vehicles in real time and actually get those vehicles back on the road," she said.
Why this matters for government professionals
For fleet managers and public works directors, these tools shift operations from reactive to proactive. Real-time data on vehicle location and health reduces downtime, cuts fuel and repair costs, and provides a clear audit trail for public records requests. The ability to monitor driver behavior also lowers liability and improves safety. As more cities adopt these systems, the gap between agencies that can account for every asset and those still relying on paper logs will widen, making digital tracking a competitive necessity for grant funding and public trust.
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