In this new era of environmental awareness, we all bear some responsibility for reducing greenhouse gases to fight climate change, and that applies particularly to businesses that have a fleet of vehicles. If we took all the commercial vehicles off the roads, they would be quieter, safer and less polluting to the atmosphere, but that is not feasible right now. For the purposes of this argument, commercial doesn’t just mean trucks and vans, it means company cars belonging to realtors, it means carpet salespeople going out to a customer’s house to measure up, it means school buses, it means pizza delivery bikes. It even extends to emergency vehicles: fire trucks and ambulances. It is not, then, that the world is victimizing haulage companies, it’s just that they are the most glaring examples of what has to change.
Go Electric
If you want to know how your business can help save the planet the obvious first step is to switch to electric vehicles, but for various reasons, for certain businesses that might not be possible yet.
Use Fleet Management Software
There are software packages specifically designed to make fleets of vehicles operate more effectively and efficiently. The software can tell you where each of your vehicles is at any given moment, what route it took, and how much fuel it has used. That can help you tighten up the operation, which is good for the environment and bottom line. As with any new technology, once your competitors have it and start eclipsing your performance, the question moves on from “can I afford it?” to “can I afford not to have it?” Join the companies that are prioritizing sustainable transportation and you will not be left behind.
Play the Combinations
As a second option there are commonsense measures that can make economies for the business anyway. Just as private individuals are increasingly sharing rides to work or school, so companies with fleets can look at combining jobs and never making two trips when one would do. Don’t take a half-empty truck to a customer if you could fill it with a part load for someone else and save both fuel and time.
Let the Train Take the Strain
For longer trips, why not put the cargo on a train? That’s what we used to do before we all went independence crazy with our road vehicles and look where that got us. The railroads don’t have the ability to deliver with pinpoint accuracy, but they can get a load to the general area, when road vehicles can finish the job.
Downsize the Vehicles
If you must use internal combustion engine vehicles, make sure they’re as small and fuel efficient as possible. In automotive terms, big is not beautiful anymore. Big is wasteful, thoughtless, and irresponsible. Plus, there are plenty of cool looking smaller models out there, if cool is an issue for you. The trend is finally getting rid of the old gas guzzlers.
Learn How to Drive Economically
Here’s a skill that has been blatantly ignored over the years: how to make a gallon last longer by driving more slowly. There are techniques for using less gas, and like everything else, you can find how to do it online.
