Environmental rules continue to nudge our industry into adopting more “green” initiatives. And some fleets could easily argue that the term “green” makes them think more about the greenbacks they need to spend on equipment than the “green” of the environment they are being asked to protect.
But, there are ways to reduce operating costs and and still protect the environment. Networkcar has put together a “green” paper that focuses on how fleets can reduce harmful greenhouse emissions while lowering operating costs. The paper, entitled “Go Green and Save Green,” details the six areas that can significantly reduce fuel consumption and lower air pollution. It also provides examples of how small, medium and large fleets can decrease fuel usage from between 3,000 to 58,000 gallons per year while reducing carbon dioxide emissions from between 54,000 to 1.3 million lbs. annually.
According to Keith Schneider, president of Networkfleet, “Low-ering vehicle emissions is closely tied to reducing fuel costs and improving operating efficiency. To have the most impact, fleets need to go beyond systems that only monitor GPS location to those that also monitor engine diagnostics. Wireless fleet management systems such as Networkfleet that connect directly to the vehicle’s engine computer can provide information such as exact fuel consumption, mileage, speed and idle time for each vehicle. This information is essential to achieving a green fleet.”
The paper identifies the six ways that wireless fleet management systems with diagnostic monitoring can reduce emissions and lower costs, including:
1. Reduce idle time: Excessive idling wastes fuel and increases vehicle emissions. Systems can be used to track and report idle time and compare miles per gallon across vehicles.
2. Improve vehicle maintenance: Receiving instant notification of any engine problems and automatic odometer readings help fleets ensure that vehicles run smoothly and use less fuel.
3. Reduce speeding: The ability to monitor actual speed provides fleet managers with the precise information needed to counsel drivers and reduce speeding, which causes unnecessary fuel consumption.
4. Reduce unauthorized vehicle usage: Fleets can reduce unnecessary vehicle use by monitoring vehicle location and hours of operation.
5. Optimize routing: By analyzing driving patterns and using historical location reports, fleets can choose routes that reduce miles and optimize driving schedules.
6. Continuous emissions monitoring: Vehicles in compliance with EPA requirements use less fuel than those that are non-compliant. In California, fleets with wireless emissions monitoring can eliminate physical smog checks at smog checking facilities, saving time and money.
The full paper “Go Green and Save Green – Wireless Fleet Management Systems Cuts Emissions While Reducing Operating Costs” can be downloaded free at
