For those fleet managers that know they have to green their fleet to reduce its carbon footprint and ultimately be more competitive, yet are not sure how to get started without taking on significant cost, Thermo King has an answer.
The company has created a document entitled “50 Ways to Green Your Fleet.” It includes 50 tips and suggestions on things, however big or small, a fleet can do to make itself greener.
The list includes such big-ticket items as using EPA-certified engines, refrigeration units, APUs, and improving the aerodynamics of your tractor and trailer. But it also includes not-so-expensive chores such as reducing idling time, obeying speed limits, avoiding quick accelerations, and training technicians to maintain equipment properly.
One company that saw immediate benefits from a green technology was Edible Arrangements. Thermo King outfitted Ford Transit Connect vans for Edible Arrangements, a Connecticut-based company that sells “artistically designed fresh fruit arrangements,” with all-electric refrigeration units. In addition to keeping the fruit fresh, the units allowed Edible Arrangements to shift from Ford E-Series vans to the more economical Transit Connect, nearly doubling its fuel economy in the process.
Edible Arrangements also found another benefit to the refrigeration units. Because the units could be plugged in, the vans could double as additional storage space at the stores during busy periods without the need to run the vehicles and waste fuel.
The list of 50 green ideas is filled with suggestions like this, and the best aspect of the list is that there is something to benefit everyone – even if you’re green budget is zero.
