5 Strategies To Make Your Fleet Efficient And Sustainable

The transportation industry contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. This isn’t only because of the number of automobiles on the road but also how drivers operate their vehicles.

Finding ways to make your fleet sustainable helps reduce carbon emissions. This involves looking out for your drivers’ behaviour and making them aware that their driving practices affect fuel consumption. Checking how your aftertreatment system works also play a significant role as it reduces emissions from diesel engines.

By taking a step forward in fleet sustainability, you’re minimising your company’s carbon footprint. In addition, you’re saving money by using less fuel and skipping costly vehicle repairs while increasing driver productivity on the road.

Now the following are five tips for shifting into a more sustainable fleet:

1. Check The Efficiency Of Your Existing Fleet

Before you start taking measures to adopt fleet sustainability, reviewing your existing fleet’s efficiency is essential. These are crucial aspects to look into:

1. The fuel type and the mileage of your vehicles
2. The time your drivers waste on idling
3. The maintenance history of your fleet

Checking these factors allows you to identify areas of improvement. You can then make changes to drive down costs and boost environmental credentials.

2. Choose Sustainable Fuel Options

Now that you know your fuel option may be inefficient, it’s time to look for more sustainable alternatives, such as the following:

1. Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made from vegetable oils and fat. It can be used in diesel engines and is compatible with low-sulfur diesel fuel. Biodiesel is also biodegradable and has a lower carbon dioxide emission than petroleum diesel.
2. Bioethanol is the alcohol produced from carbohydrates by fermentation. You can use it as an alternative fuel for internal combustion engines or as a power source in fuel cells.
3. Natural gas is a clean-burning fossil fuel that doesn’t contribute to greenhouse gas emissions or air pollution.
4. Electricity is another option if you can access charging stations or your vehicles are electric.
5. Dimethyl ether is a colourless gas that comes from coal and natural gas. It helps reduce greenhouse gases by replacing diesel in trucks and buses.

Choosing alternative fuel options for your fleet can boost your finances. This is especially true if you’re supporting domestically produced fuel than importing from a foreign source.

3. Enable Route Optimisation

Regarding fleet efficiency, you’ll want your drivers to find the fastest route as they deliver parcels. You don’t want them to be stuck in traffic as it facilitates idling and causes transportation delays.

This is why route optimisation is highly suggested in your trucking business. This is about using technology like route optimisation software that your drivers can use before they travel to a destination. Even in transit, they can use the same software to avoid traffic or road incidents that can affect their trip. This technology uses real-time data about traffic and road closures. Your fleet will constantly be updated with information on where to go and what roads to avoid taking.

4. Keep An Eye On Driver Behavior

Did you know your drivers might be unconsciously wasting fuel and damaging your vehicles? For instance, they might keep the truck running while loading and unloading parcels or exceeding the speed limit. Some might even use the automobile and take an alternative route to run personal errands.

There are also instances when they drive under the influence (DUI) of alcohol, which often causes a crash. This doesn’t only affect their fuel consumption but also their productivity and even your company’s image. As such, taking a step to improve the driving behaviour of your drivers is a must. Here are ways to do so:

1. Create a list of bad driving behaviors, such as texting while driving and speeding.
2. Educate them about the consequences of crashes, like injuries or even death due to reckless driving.
3. Install tags on all vehicles to track their movement while on the road.
4. Reward the drivers following these rules by giving them bonuses or extra off days.

Ensuring all your fleet drivers are aware of their driving behaviours saves costs while reducing their risks of accidents.

5. Schedule Fleet Maintenance

One of the most critical factors of fleet efficiency is the condition of the vehicles through maintenance. Without it, your automobiles are prone to dysfunction while in transit, threatening the driver’s safety. This may even result in damages, which can lead to legal claims.

To ensure your fleet is well-maintained, you should schedule regular maintenance checks. The frequency of these checks will depend on several factors, including the following:

1. The type of vehicle being used
2. The distance covered by each trip
3. The route taken by each vehicle

With preventative fleet maintenance, you ensure that your drivers and all parcels are safe during transportation. Aside from that, you can increase the lifespan of each vehicle, minimising the need to replace them.

Summing It Up

Adopting fleet sustainability is the key to boosting your trucking company’s operations. When you have law-abiding drivers who are also aware of their driving patterns, they reduce the chances of getting into crashes. Combine it with available vehicles using eco-friendly fuel options, and you can ensure you minimise transportation logistics costs. That way, you can lower your expenses and maintain a profit margin for the business.

ALSO READ: Top 10 Electric Vehicles in India providing an Eco-friendly Ride