The Road To Becoming a Greener Fleet

In New Zealand, the transport industry is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. The majority is from road transport, with road transport emissions increasing 78% in just 25 years. This shouldn’t come as a surprise for many, our economy relies on heavy vehicle travel, and it takes a lot of fuel to get around New Zealand. 

Businesses and fleets of all shapes and sizes can do their part to reduce their impact on the planet. Some, like electronic or more eco-friendly trucks, are solutions for the long term but there plenty of simple environmentally conscious steps you can take that won’t break the bank – and might even save you money.

If you can’t update, upgrade instead

Replacing your entire fleet with greener alternatives sounds well and good, but isn’t exactly cost effective or easy to do. The average diesel truck works for around 10 years and you want to get your money’s worth by keeping it running for as long as possible. However, that doesn’t mean waiting years to go greener. Aerodynamic add-ons are shown to significantly reduce fuel emissions, are relatively cheap to install and can be fitted onto most heavy vehicles. Installing vehicle sensors to record engine use lets you track how your fuel is being used. Engine idling expends a lot of excess fuel that’s not only a wasteful business expense but harmful to the environment. This data gets sent back to the main office computer and compiled into a simple report so you can take preventative measures. Introducing smaller add-ons into your fleet lets you cut back on harmful emissions while also improving daily operations in general.

Less trips use less fuel

Not all roads are created equally, and it doesn’t take an expert to understand that the longer the route, the more fuel will go to waste. GPS fleet tracking tools take the hard work out of drivers trying to calculate the most effective route. By simply inputting the destination, turn-by-turn directions for the most efficient route will be automatically generated and shown on the drivers in-cabin device. GPS location tools also allow management to better assign jobs. If a new job pops up they can find the closest driver who can complete the task and assign it to them without waiting for their return to base. This reduces the amount of driving around and in turn, uses less fuel. It’s not only better for the environment but means drivers can get more done in less distance.

Drive through change

Reducing fuel starts at the source, your drivers, which means educating them on how they can minimise their carbon footprint. There are plenty of behaviours that many aren’t aware they’re doing, such as speeding, turning sharping or harsh braking, that contribute to excessive carbon emissions. Setting up alerts will notify the driver if they engage in one of these behaviours and gives them time to correct themselves before too much damage is done. Driver scorecards allow management to keep track of a driver’s history and track their improvements as they start driving more consciously. Events are stored and replayed to be used as education tools, so these behaviours can be taught throughout the entire fleet. Not only does this help you reduce overuse of fuel, but it gets everyone on the same page when it comes to instilling a culture of change throughout the business.

The smallest changes can have the biggest impacts on the world. So, if you’re looking for ways to reduce yours, there’s no need to wait. Making your fleet greener doesn’t need to be a huge project, every little change you and your fleet can do makes all the difference!