What is Fleet Sustainability?
Fleet sustainability centers around practices that reduce a fleet’s environmental impact. Eco-friendly strategies include: monitoring fuel wastage, downsizing fleets, using telematics solutions, alternative fuels, hybrid/electric vehicles, alternative modes of transportation, and more.
Green fleets can be small or large. Yes, even the smallest fleets can still make a difference; and yes, it’s possible for large fleets to make the transition. Effective green fleets set specific sustainability goals and track relevant KPIs with the help of solutions like telematics. Green fleets also have training programs and policies in place to educate workers on the importance of fleet sustainability.
Why is Fleet Sustainability Important?
Many European fleets are motivated to reduce their carbon emissions - not only to save money and protect the Earth, but to meet government regulations. As environmental regulations get tighter and penalties get higher, fleet managers need to adapt fast. It’s important to create a sound fleet sustainability strategy that not only keeps your fleet compliant, but also economical.
Reduced Fleet Costs and Total Cost of Ownership
There are two main reasons why going green will actually save your fleet more money.
Firstly, governments often give incentives, grants and tax relief for the purchase of eco-friendly vehicles; commonly fleets will choose to electrify their fleets in order to receive these benefits. Additionally, refueling is often cheaper for eco-friendly vehicles, too.
Secondly, by using telematics to monitor fuel wastage and driving behavior, you can increase fuel efficiency and fill up less often. By increasing efficiency and reducing wasteful practices, fleets can reduce costs significantly. (Learn more about how fleet management software can help you reduce fleet costs.)
Better Brand Image
Going green can actually help fleets differentiate from their competition. As consumers become more eco-conscious, they are looking for brands that demonstrate environmental stewardship. Starting your eco-journey could give your company a PR lift, as well as boost employee morale as well. Many consumers in 2022 are looking for businesses to act in a responsible manner and make environmental considerations where possible. What kind of reputation do you want to have?
Reduced Carbon Emissions
The final and most important benefit of going green is the reduction of greenhouse gases. Fleet vehicles are a huge source of carbon emissions. By implementing a sustainability program, you can do your part to keep the air in your city more breathable.
Did you know? According to the European Environment Agency, air pollution leads to almost 500,000 avoidable early deaths each year in the EU. (Source: Irish Times)
Worries about climate change are growing by the day. Introducing greener fleet management is a socially responsible measure that protects future generations.
3 Ways to Make Your Fleet Green
Electrify Your Fleet
One way to improve fleet sustainability is during vehicle acquisition. Though diesel vehicles have been a perennial favorite in Europe, many fleets are now looking into hybrid and electric vehicles as well. A greener company policy could mean incentivizing the purchase of electrified fleets. Electrifying a fleet eliminates the use of fossil fuels. In doing so, a fleet reduces its overall environmental impact.
Vehicle Sharing
A growing trend in Europe, vehicle sharing has become a common solution to making fleets greener. This model ensures, through planning and management, a vehicle is available for each employee when appropriate. With systems like Logifleet, vehicles can be assigned to optimize their usage - based on factors such as distance, mission type, vehicle mileage, and more. With vehicle sharing, fleets can better manage their usage, assign the best-suited vehicle for a task, and reduce their overall impact on the environment.
Introducing an Idling Policy
Cutting down on idling reduces fuel wastage and toxic exhaust fumes. In some jurisdictions laws even exist to help police irresponsible levels of idling.
Additionally, in the long run, idling causes unnecessary wear and tear. This can result in more downtime, maintenance costs and lost productivity.
Fleet managers should monitor drivers’ performance to ensure they are not driving too aggressively or idling too often. These poor driving behaviors can lower vehicle mileage by up to 40%.
Fleet managers can also set up alerts through their fleet management software to notify them when idling exceeds a certain time limit. By tracking idling time, fleet managers can also improve driver training and productivity.
A Comprehensive Fleet Management Solution
Fleets won’t become sustainable overnight - the journey is never-ending, frankly. It’s important to continuously discuss and enforce sustainability policies and regularly evaluate progress. By being proactive, you can make a huge impact on the environment.
Fleet management solutions like Logifleet are perfect for helping fleets stay sustainable and profitable.
Here are just a few of the ways Logifleet can help:
- Monitor excessive idling time and fuel wastage
- Track harsh braking and aggressive driving behaviors that damage vehicles and waste fuel
- Notify fleet managers about upcoming and overdue maintenance
- Optimize route management to reduce distance driven (which saves fuel and lowers emissions)
Interested to learn how Logifleet can help you jumpstart your sustainability program? Book a free 30-minute consultation now. We also offer free training seminars to help you make the most of your fleet management software.
Sources:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/sme-library/fleet-management/reasons-for-fleets-to-go-green/
https://www.worktruckonline.com/312222/stop-idling-now-how-telematics-cuts-fuel-waste
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/time-s-up-for-idling-car-engines-1.4438492
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