Sustainable fleet strategy
12. Dec 2022
Are environmental awareness and sustainability not an issue for the vehicle fleet? Oh yes, they are! Simple measures can quickly create a green vehicle fleet. Sustainable action and resource conservation are socially relevant issues. Companies are therefore also required to address them. This requires a sustainable vehicle fleet strategy. Its implementation does not always have to be costly. Even small changes lead to success. In the following, we will show you which design options are available
How can the fleet manager design a sustainable fleet?
The fleet manager plays a central role in the issue of sustainability. He is the key position where all the requirements converge. At the same time, he can also influence many areas. For example, it is his function to advise the management on how the issue of sustainability can be implemented in the fleet and to develop a fleet strategy together with them. This includes technical elements, such as the choice of cars or drive technology, to raising employee awareness of the issue of sustainability in the fleet, to compliance with legal requirements and business implications.
In order to do justice to their tasks, it is advisable to obtain a qualification in the field of sustainable vehicle fleets in order to design company mobility in an environmentally conscious manner.
Die günstigste und schnellste Maßnahme mit großer Wirkung
Influence the driving behavior
Fuel-efficient driving is the quickest and easiest way to achieve a green fleet. Driving behavior has a major impact on fuel consumption and thus on the use of resources as well as on emissions and environmental protection. Training in fuel-efficient driving can raise employee awareness of the issue. The fleet strategy not only has an impact on the environment. The company saves costs through lower fuel consumption. Thus it is a win-win situation for the company and the environment.
But employees can also benefit from a fuel-saving driving style. Bonus programs can motivate them to participate, and their adapted driving style is rewarded.
Reduce fuel consumption by avoiding traffic jams
A lot can already be done for a sustainable fleet when planning the traffic route. Therefore, the route chosen should not always be the fastest route, but the route with the best traffic conditions. Using GPS tracking software, the systems can determine exactly which route consumes the least fuel. Therefore, the use of telematics systems is a good choice for collecting data for a sustainable fleet strategy and deriving measures from it.
Are there alternatives to a company car?
The vehicle deployment
Before purchasing a vehicle, an analysis should be made as part of the fleet strategy as to what the vehicle is to be used for. If the employee is permanently on the road in the field, it makes sense to provide them with their own vehicle. If, on the other hand, employees only use vehicles sporadically, other solutions such as pool vehicles or car sharing can be used.
Furthermore, it is necessary to analyze whether, for example, customer visits always have to take place on site. By means of video conferencing, costly business trips can be avoided, thus conserving resources.
In addition, alternative sustainable means of travel should be considered, such as traveling by train.
Which vehicles do I need for my fleet?
When purchasing new vehicles, the fleet strategy should consider what the vehicles will be used for. Electric cars are a good choice for urban traffic. Deutsche Post, which has added electric cars to its fleet, is a good example. However, the acquisition costs for electric cars are still quite high, so the fleet manager should find out about subsidy opportunities.
But alternative propulsion technologies to electricity, such as hydrogen or natural gas, should also be examined.
Furthermore, vehicle size also plays a role. In a sustainable fleet, the motto should be: as small as possible and as large as necessary. In this way, fuel consumption can be reduced. In addition, cars should only be loaded with the most necessary items and bodies that negatively affect aerodynamics should be avoided.
Pick up employees on the subject
A sustainable fleet is not only measured by the vehicles driven, but also by the overall mobility of the company. This also includes the issue of how employees get to work. Here, it is up to the fleet manager to motivate employees to form car pools or to use public transport and leave their cars behind.
Many employers offer their employees discounts for this purpose and subsidize the cost of public transport with a job ticket, for example. But an offer of bike leasing via the employer is also interesting for employees who could not otherwise afford an expensive electric bike.
Furthermore, the supervisor must act as a role model. If supervisors forgo their company cars and use alternative means of transportation, this behavior has a major impact on the behavior of employees.
And they pay a lot of attention to how their company deals with the issue of environmental protection. A sustainable vehicle fleet thus leads to an increase in the attractiveness of the company and a boost to its image, which is becoming increasingly important nowadays in times of a shortage of skilled workers.
Conclusion
A sustainable fleet is a good way for the company to demonstrate environmental awareness on the one hand and to save costs on the other. If ecological sustainability is actively practiced in the fleet, this also has a positive influence on economic sustainability. It becomes clear that a sustainable fleet does not have to be expensive, but that a lot can be achieved with small measures. The fleet manager is important at this point, as he must sensitize the company management and employees to the topic.
