Going Green Now Means Saving Green in the Future
A recent survey of fleet managers across the United States reveals long-term cost savings as the primary benefit of green fleet programs. In the study, conducted by PEAK Commercial & Industrial, the makers of BlueDEF, financial considerations are the key factor driving fleet managers’ decisions.
52 percent of those with green fleet plans in place note a reduction in long-term cost as the most important reason for implementing a green fleet initiative and 74 percent of fleet managers who do not plan to implement green fleet programs see hard costs as their largest obstacle.
Green fleet programs, also referred to as sustainability programs, represent a variety of sustainability initiatives undertaken by transportation companies to reduce greenhouse gases and air pollution. The programs are implemented through a variety of tactics, such as vehicle purchases or upgrades, investments in fuel technology resources and driver training. The emphasis that is placed on each green strategy differs among fleets, as each fleet has an individual set of needs and demands that must be addressed when making operational changes. As a result, fleet managers must carefully weigh the costs and benefits of all of their options when implementing sustainability initiatives at their organization.
Insights from the survey indicate that green fleet programs are not yet the industry standard among decision makers, but that green and sustainability initiatives are undoubtedly where the industry is headed. Fleet managers reported that green fleet initiatives benefit the industry in a number of ways, such as long-term cost reduction, compliance with government regulations and a contribution to global sustainability.
While only 26 percent of fleets surveyed have a sustainability program in place, 72 percent of those who plan to implement one will do so in the next one to three years, illustrating the rapid rate at which the industry is transitioning. One hundred percent of managers who plan to implement a green fleet program will focus their investments in vehicles or upgrades, large-scale purchases that will have a major impact on the fleet’s future.
The findings of this survey indicate that fleet managers nationwide are addressing the impact of green fleet and sustainability initiatives, as technological developments and government regulations evolve and fleet management practices are updated to maximize efficiency, fuel economy and productivity in a cost-effective manner.
