Fleets’ footprints in focus
Derek Bryan, vice president, EMEA at Verizon Connect, explains how advanced GPS tracking technology is helping transport operators drive sustainability
Covid-19 changed the way we do business. From security to efficiency to sustainability, our attitudes and approaches have dramatically altered, with digital practices and technology empowering us, alongside human effort and commitment, to overcome challenges and obstacles.
As the majority of our planet ground to a halt during the early days of the pandemic, Covid shone a spotlight on the impact of road vehicles on our environment. It was an unexpected chance to uncover what would actually happen if, overnight, the majority of road, sea, and air traffic literally stopped.
Indeed, according to research, during the first two months of lockdown in 2020, there was a 69 per cent reduction in UK road traffic (74 per cent reduction in light vehicles, and 35 per cent in heavy vehicles), which resulted in considerable reductions of two significant forms of air pollutant, NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and PM2.5 (fine particulate matter).
With road traffic now returning to pre-lockdown levels, many fleet managers are looking at ways to improve the sustainability of their fleets in order to align with global goals to reduce carbon emissions.
The majority of fleets utilise GPS technology, most commonly to get their drivers from point A to B. However, holistic GPS fleet tracking technology is becoming increasingly important, both from a sustainability and business efficiency perspective.
According to Verizon Connect’s Fleet Technology Trends Report Europe 2022, 78 per cent of European fleet managers consider fleet tracking ‘extremely or very beneficial’ to their operations. From a sustainability perspective, the data shows over half (52 per cent) of European fleets that use GPS tracking have lowered fuel consumption; with 56 per cent of managers in the UK reporting this decrease.
Fleets often adopt a ‘fixed’ approach to routes, but with fleet tracking solutions allowing fleet managers and drivers to optimise routes in real time (based on traffic and inclement weather), jobs are finished quicker, thus reducing the individual carbon footprint of each journey.
It’s not just route optimisation where GPS tracking technology can help fleet managers reduce their carbon footprint. Having full visibility on driver whereabouts and activity also helps reduce vehicle idling time, improves driver safety by feeding back location whereabouts as well as speed, and even allows fleet managers to quickly react and assign nearby drivers to new jobs that can suddenly pop up – all reducing mileage and fuel consumption even further.
Importantly, the research shows GPS tracking has a positive and tangible impact on a company’s bottom line. The majority of European respondents (86 per cent) across all fleet sectors achieved positive ROI within a year or less of implementing fleet tracking technology, with 44 per cent seeing results within 6 months or less.
Within the UK, 38 per cent of managers witnessed ROI results between 3-6 months of initially implementing the solution and 33 per cent between 7-12 months.
GPS tracking technology is an affordable and easy-to-implement way for fleet managers to help effectively reduce their carbon footprint – contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly approach to fleet management. Above all, it demonstrates that fleet managers don’t have to sacrifice business efficiency in favour of a more sustainable approach – they go hand in hand.
Rising customer expectations around sustainability practices mean it’s more important than ever that fleet-based businesses focus on new ways to reduce their carbon footprint.
Most critically, businesses must remember that fleet tracking technology is only one piece of the jigsaw – it takes a concerted and business-wide effort to foster a culture of sustainability and inspire positive environmental change.
