As oil and gas prices continue to soar, demand for green initiatives has emerged as a leading topic among fleet owners worldwide. Discussions of lowering fuel emissions, idling, hybrid vehicles, low rolling resistance tires and auxiliary motors are hot industry topics dominating this year’s trade seminars and boardrooms.
GPS plays a large role with companies engaged in reducing their environmental footprint and cutting cost initiatives. Consider a few of the following strategies and best practices in use:
IDLING
According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Smartway Transport Partnership, over 1 billion gallons are consumed annually from long transport vehicles by just idling – this does not include local or regional fleets. As a result, 11 million tons of carbon dioxide, 200,000 tons of oxides of nitrogen, and 5,000 tons of particulate matter are emitted into the atmosphere. In the EPA’s April 2006 Idling Regulations report, 30 states have adopted anti-idling regulations in attempts to curve the expensive practice.
By measuring engine on/off times compared with actual driving time, GPS reporting enables fleet owners with the ability to curb idling costs by enforcing vehicle “shut-down” policies in office and job-site parking areas.
US Department of transportation studies indicate idling will use 1-2 gallons of fuel per hour. Weekly idling percentages in excess of 15% usually indicate abuse and, as a result of policy enforcement, lower fuel costs and emissions naturally occur.
EMISSIONS
In September 2004, California state officials raised the bar by adopting the toughest vehicle emissions standards goals in the United States. Under the regulations, unanimously approved by the California Air Resources Board, the auto industry must cut exhaust from California’s cars and light trucks by 25% and from larger trucks and sport utility vehicles by 18%. Heat-trapping greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide are believed by many scientists to contribute to global warming. As a result, automakers will be required to reduce emissions by way of such innovations as better air conditioners, more efficient transmissions and smaller engines. Vehicles burning gasoline “cleaner” tend to use less fuel and, in addition to helping the environment, lower fuel use and cost can result.
Within certain GPS systems lies the technology to interface with on-board diagnostic data via OBD or J-1708 interface. The same data used by emission enforcement agencies is now available to ensure compliance via pass/fail testing such as the FleetBoss Series 5500 Smog check report (below) that measures emissions each time the vehicle is running.
SPEEDING
Improving your fleet’s speed and idling profile is one of the easiest ways to positively affect your business. Speeding ultimately can increase your insurance premiums because your drivers are more likely to get into accidents and receive moving violations if partaking in such behavior. Speeding also has a dramatic effect on MPG. Fleet Owner Magazine states that a 10% increase in MPG is possible by slowing from 70 MPH to 60 MPH. Edmunds.com believes a 12% increase in MPG may be gained by slowing from 75 MPH to 65 MPH. If you are able to enforce a reduction of 10 MPH across your fleet, you will realize approximately a 10% – 12%reduction in your total fuel cost. This is the equivalent of purchasing all your fuel for $.30 less per gallon.
The reality is, if you reduce your fleet’s fuel usage, it’s not just money you will save. For every gallon of fuel you don’t burn, it saves more than 20 pounds of green house gases, like carbon dioxide and methane, from being released into the air. Reduced fuel usage is not just a good business practice anymore; it’s now becoming a great green business.