How Road Transport Companies Use Software To Reduce Emissions

Facts don’t lie – the transportation sector is one of the main CO2 emission contributors, at around 21% of the world’s total. A big part of that is caused by the road transport industry – businesses that operate trucks, vans, buses, and other vehicles.

Reducing the negative impact on the environment has become a priority for these companies due to changes in regulations and possible reputational gains. Investors have started paying attention to sustainability reports, and many clients opt for green transport partners.

So, with the demand for cargo deliveries and traveller trips ever increasing, how can transport companies tangibly decrease their carbon footprint?

The answer’s got to do with data. From fleet efficiency analysis to driver behaviour monitoring, let’s step into the fascinating world of fleet management software!

These days, everything is connected – it’s called the Internet of Things. Road vehicles are no exception, with features like Bluetooth and real-time GPS being standard equipment. Road transport companies take this concept to the next level by installing special telematics devices in their vehicles.

The concept is this: the device collects a variety of data about the vehicle and the way it is driven. Then it uses a mobile network to send this information to a fleet management platform, where it is available for viewing and analysis. What insights can businesses unlock with this technology?

It’s always a matter of time before vehicle manufacturers create better products. Great strides have been made over the years in terms of fuel efficiency, range, and CO2 emissions. For transport companies, new vehicles are a great way to improve their sustainability and reduce costs in the long term.

However, the question always arises – which vehicles to replace?

It wouldn’t be wise to retire a truck that’s working perfectly fine, and, at a glance, every vehicle in the fleet is in a good condition. Fleet management software lets managers dive deeper:

• Fuel consumption data shows which vehicles spend the most fuel on average and create the most emissions;
• Comparing mileage and ignition-on data of different vehicles helps understand which ones are closer to retirement and no longer cost-efficient;
• Fleet management software also can act as a database for the company to check which vehicles are quite simply the oldest, the repairs they have undergone, and the emissions class they represent.

With fleet efficiency data, companies can eliminate guesswork when replacing older vehicles with newer ones and truly make a difference.

Driving behaviour can influence the amount of emissions an internal combustion engine produces. The little things drivers do or don’t do tend to snowball over time, and it’s very easy to see the trend in fleet management software. Armed with data, fleet managers can work on solutions.

Let’s start with the obvious – speeding burns fuel faster and creates more emissions. Modern fleet platforms can detect if the vehicle is over the limit at a specific spot, and register this event. A specific driver speeding too often means it’s time for performance coaching. On the positive side, managers can also track the antidote to speeding – cruise control – and reward diligent employees.

Other driving actions that increase fuel consumption and emissions include:

• Hard braking
• Harsh acceleration
• Excessive idling

It’s up to fleet managers to analyse different driving habits and decide on how to improve them. Usually it comes down to three tactics.

Most companies use personalised coaching to get better results from drivers. Both parties take a look at driver performance scores in the fleet management software and discuss the necessary improvements. In some cases, the instructor may even take a few rides together with the employee to find out what exactly is the issue.

Some businesses have established a system where bonuses are paid out for achieving certain driving behaviour goals. In terms of emissions reduction, the best parameter would be to measure fuel consumption per a certain distance. To achieve the necessary level, the driver knows that things like speeding and excessive idling must be reduced, and has an incentive to do so.

Last but not least, there’s the option to organise internal contests for best drivers. Using fleet management platform data, managers can compare the performance of multiple drivers in the same timespan and reward those at the top. Everyone will want to improve their scores, leading to emissions reductions for the company while keeping employees happy. Win-win!

The thing about road transport is that there’s a lot of ways to get somewhere. It’s easy to waste time and create unnecessary emissions by choosing the longer route. And if your truck does thousands of kilometres a year, that matters.

Everyone is familiar with navigation apps. You input the destination, then the system checks your location and provides the best route. Easy, right? Well, not for commercial road transport.

The biggest issues with using a “normal” navigation app for cargo transportation tasks include:

• Ability to only plan a single route at a time
• Not taking into account the restrictions of commercial vehicles (like weight)
• Providing only static information, excluding road repairs, traffic jams, etc.

Again, fleet management software comes to rescue. It usually contains a module called Route Planning. What separates it from public apps is the ability to take into account dozens of factors when calculating the best way to get somewhere. For example, delivery drivers need to make many stops during a single workday – managers can simply input all addresses and get an optimised route in seconds, then send it to the employee. The less they drive, the less emissions!

Every tool is good in the battle to help the environment, and fleet management software is one of the more potent ones. Solutions like driving behaviour analysis and fuel consumption monitoring help companies move closer to fulfilling their sustainability pledges and reinforce their positive reputation.

And, if it wasn’t already obvious, let’s not forget that improving emissions benefits the company itself in terms of saved time and resources, whether through optimised routes or fewer visits to the petrol station.