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Driving Green: Telematics en route to meeting sustainability goals

In response to a consistent rise in fuel prices and legislation pressures, Mark Forrest discusses how businesses are prioritising sustainability and delivering on the green agenda

Improving sustainability and delivering on the green agenda is a priority for the government, public sector organisations and businesses large and small, so it is no surprise that service departments are being asked to play their part.

For businesses that run a mobile workforce, reducing fuel use and therefore emissions can be a crucial step to a greener future and a place where a significant impact can be made in a reasonably short timeframe. Recognising where emissions, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2), can be minimised then taking action will allow businesses to make a tangible step towards environmental improvement.

Trimble recently carried out an independent study amongst directors and senior managers operating large field-based work forces in the UK and found that rising fuel prices are seen as the number one concern in meeting field service priorities whilst increased legislation is also accelerating the move to green. 64 per cent of respondents felt that sustainability will have a significant effect on their business moving forward and, as a result, many are actively seeking out technologies that have a positive environmental impact, to help meet sustainability targets.

The sustainability challenge

Today, approximately 280 million commercial fleet vehicles operate worldwide and are responsible for 5.75 per cent of total worldwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, pumping 1.6 billion metric tons of CO2e into the atmosphere per year. This number of commercial fleets is expected to rise to 400 million by the year 2020.

Fleet management and telematics technology has come to the fore as solutions able to tackle the global emissions challenge and move the needle back in the correct direction. Businesses are able to optimise schedules and route planning, helping to reduce unnecessary mileage and improve fuel efficiency and driver proficiency. By enabling companies to monitor fuel consumption, miles per gallon and CO2 outputs, the technology can ultimately help to reduce fuel use and improve a company’s carbon footprint.

Monitor and reduce fuel consumption

Rising fuel prices are a global headache and were seen as the number one concern in meeting field service priorities, for the respondents of Trimble’s independent research report: ‘The Road Ahead: The future of field service delivery’.

Fuel prices are beyond the control of fleet managers; however consumption is not. When looking to develop green credentials, monitoring and reducing fuel consumption through better insight in to vehicle usage can lead to significant decreases in CO2 emissions and is a quickly achievable method of reaching environmentally friendly targets.

43 per cent of The Road Ahead respondents admitted to actively seeking out technologies that have a positive environmental impact. Many businesses already utilising fleet management and telematics technology have reported fuel savings of as much as 2 gallons per vehicle per day. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), burning 1 gallon of petrol produces 19.4 lbs of CO2; 1 gallon of diesel fuel produces 22.2 lbs of CO2. Using a conservative 20-lbs per-gallon figure, if just 1 gallon per vehicle per day of fuel savings was applied to all 280 million current fleet vehicles, CO2 emissions would be reduced by nearly 1.5 trillion lbs per year. If the 400 million fleet vehicles anticipated in 2020 had similar savings, this would prevent more than 2 trillion lbs of CO2 from entering the atmosphere each year. This could reduce the global carbon footprint by 2.5 per cent.

You cannot manage what you cannot measure

It is worth noting that fuel utilisation can vary significantly between drivers due to driving style and also the health of the vehicle. You cannot manage what you cannot measure. It is for this reason that fuel data use per individual vehicle can be of significant value to managers, rather than the overall fuel use of a fleet.

Driver safety solutions determine a vehicles location, as well as its velocity, acceleration and direction of travel. They provide instant feedback to drivers in their vehicles but the real value of the data lies in the centralised analysis through telematics software.

The analysis of each employee’s driving style and behaviour behind the wheel can be dissected and allow the company to take appropriate action, if needed. By providing feedback and highlighting areas for improvement in driving performance, employees can be trained to optimise their operations, leading not just to improvements in fuel efficiency and productivity, but also driver safety.

The Energy Saving Trust (EST), for example, provides training for fleet drivers through their Smarter Driving Training programme that focuses on more fuel efficient driving which goes hand-in-hand with safer driving. However good a driver may think they are, the practical vehicle-based course shows drivers what is possible and how differently an individual can actually drive. The course typically shows a 15% improvement in fuel saving. Telematics plays a role too, with its audible alerts to highlight driving ‘misdemeanours’, leading to the learning going well beyond the training process.

Legislation pressures

Legislation is one of the key drivers accelerating the move to green, as stated by 20% of respondents. As part of a new policy to reduce the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050, legislation was enforced in April of this year which requires all businesses listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange to publish CO2 figures. The responsibility inevitably sits with the business to meet green targets, in terms of emissions, and prove these metrics or face any potential fines or consequences. This means the accurate measurement and provision of these figures is vital as the “pay as you pollute” style of charging can in some cases be significant.

Many individuals often perceive sustainable fleets to be just about using low emission vehicles or vehicles that run on alternative fuels; but regardless of the type of fuel or efficiency rating of a vehicle, if it is badly-driven, poorly-maintained and used for more journeys than necessary, then any benefits of cleaner technology could be negated. Telematics is therefore crucial in maximising environmental efficiency and the long-term success of the business overall. Trimble’s report found that organisations placing sustainability in a prominent role in their policy are those that plan to grow the most, suggesting that ‘going green’ is now considered by many as an integral part of their businesses’ growth strategy, with green credentials viewed as a necessity for commercial success in the future.

About Trimble Field Service Management

Trimble’s Field Service Management Division provides visibility into field and fleet operations so businesses can streamline efficiency and increase productivity. The Field Service Management suite includes fleet management, work management and scheduling, worker safety and mobility solutions that transform the effectiveness of work, workers and assets in the field. The cloud-based portfolio allows Trimble to offer customers industry-specific, enterprise-level solutions for exceptional performance and ease of use.

Visit: www.trimble.com/fsm.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Cameron .