Public Transport - Fuel Saving Measurement Analysis

Transcription

1 D5.2 Lessons learned and Policy guidelines for sustainable fleet management Legal disclaimer: The sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Communities. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein. Supported by

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3 Preamble The deliverable 5.2 Lessons learned and policy formulation is divided in to two separate yet closely linked parts. The first part of the deliverable Lessons learned is devoted to evaluation of implementation of RECODRIVE principles into demonstrator companies. Various companies from all partner countries have tested the applicability of different fuel saving measures and have validated the applicability of recognition and rewarding schemes. These motivational systems acted as important influential factors for achieving sustainability of results. A general overview begins with the first section giving insight into characteristics of demonstrator companies as well as depicts involvement of staff categories into training and rewarding. Latter on the review of achieved savings by individual demonstrator company is given. As the companies involved in the RECODRIVE demonstrations perform various transport operations which are not directly comparable, the results of demonstrator companies were grouped according to their fleet and operation type. Each fleet type was analyzed. Approach to the fuel saving intervention is depicted as well as savings are shown. Fleet related recommendations are given for each specific fleet type. Several representative case studies show different approaches to recognition and rewarding schemes. The case studies are focused on the recognition and rewarding scheme implemented enabling the reader to discover various approaches to rewarding and the effects of schemes that were applied. The case studies should also help interested followers to develop their own recognition and rewarding schemes. Deriving from experiences gained in the demonstration period recommendations for fleet managers are summed up regardless of the fleet type. Fleet managers interested in fuel saving measures should be able to find useful tips and recommendations based on real experiences gained in the RECODRIVE demonstrations. 3

4 But even though positive results were achieved, it is unrealistic to expect that companies would be able to achieve these results without strong external support. The demonstration has shown that transport companies usually don t have sufficient human and financial resources that could be allocated to the implementation of sustainable fleet management. Additionally, companies in general are not aware of the benefits of sustainable fleet management and lack the needed expertise to implement it in practice. However it is important to point out that companies are interested in implementing fuel saving interventions and measures that ensure long term results. The second part of the deliverable 5.2 Policy formulations for sustainable fleet management constitutes projects findings implying that policy-making should address sustainable fleet management and establish a supportive legislative environment in order to boost sustainable fleet management in transport companies. A range of possible policy measures for sustainable fleet management implementation in transport companies is suggested with measures seeking to alleviate the barriers identified in the RECODRIVE pilot projects. 4

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6 Executive summary Validating the acceptability of the RECODRIVE approach through implementation of fuel saving measures and recognition and rewarding schemes in practice was one of the major objectives of the RECODRIVE project. Various companies in all project partner countries have tested the applicability of different fuel saving measures proposed by the RECODRIVE project. Several recognition and rewarding schemes were developed and implemented in participating companies, good results were achieved and valuable experiences were gained. The demonstrators approach to implementation of fuel saving interventions and rewarding schemes and experiences gained in the demonstration period are depicted in the deliverable giving insight to achieved results and underlying reasons. Several case studies show different approaches to recognition and rewarding schemes and achieved effects in various fleet types and social environments. Deriving from these experiences recommendations for fleet managers are summed up. Various companies from all partner countries have tested the applicability of different fuel saving measures on one hand and on the other hand the demonstrator companies have validated the recognition and rewarding schemes as important influential factor supporting sustainability of achieved results. 21 companies have joined the project s demonstration with 1,100 vehicles out of which: urban buses, - 5 coaches, - 48 long distance freight trucks > 16 tones, cars, - 7 vans, - 92 trucks < 7.5 tones, - 11 refusal collection trucks > 7.5 tones. 6/66

7 As the companies involved in the RECODRIVE demonstrations perform various transport operations which are not directly comparable the demonstrator companies are grouped according to their fleet and operation type (public transport, freight transport, utility fleets, waste management). As each fleet type was analyzed it was ascertained that achieved fuel saving vary among the same type which is explainable with the different approaches to fuel saving interventions and recognition and rewarding schemes that were or were not implemented. Due to the fact that the approach to implementation of fuel saving interventions or rewarding was not uniform in is inappropriate to directly compare savings even within the same fleet type. Nevertheless fleet related recommendations are given for each specific fleet type that enable insight to implemented measures and achieved results. Several representative case studies show different approaches to recognition and rewarding schemes. The case studies are focused on the recognition and rewarding scheme implemented enabling the reader to discover various approaches to rewarding and the effects of schemes that were applied. The majority of presented case studies present different forms of financial rewarding that is probably easier to implement however the effect might fade over certain period of time which is typical for financial rewarding. The case studies should help interested followers to develop their own recognition and rewarding schemes. Deriving from experiences gained in the demonstration period recommendations for fleet managers are summed up regardless of the fleet type. The most interesting and useful recommendations for fleet managers are: - Focus on fuel saving should be permanent and continuous in order to achieve reduction o fuel consumption. - Strong support from top management is essential for success. - Monitor fuel consumption regularly, use the information and give feedback (periodical reports to drivers, management and maintenance). - Adapt training to vehicles in the fleet. 7

8 - Constant periodical feedback to the drivers can function as a motivational impulse even without recognition and rewarding scheme. - Procurement should be well planned as vehicle s specifications must correspond to the operational requirements. Fleet managers interested in fuel saving measures should be able to find more useful tips and recommendations based on real experiences gained in the RECODRIVE demonstrations. But even though positive results were achieved, it is unrealistic to expect that companies would be able to achieve these results without strong external support. The demonstration has shown that transport companies usually don t have sufficient human and financial resources that could be allocated to the implementation of sustainable fleet management. Additionally, companies in general are not aware of the benefits of sustainable fleet management and lack the needed expertise to implement it in practice. However it is important to point out that companies are interested in implementing fuel saving interventions and measures that ensure long term results. 8

9 Table of contents 1 General overview 11 2 Public transport 25 3 Long distance freight transport 29 4 Utility fleets Cars Vans Trucks < 7.5 tones Refuse collection Case studies LARIVERA SpA, Italy (public transport) 43 Operation 43 Training 44 Rewarding 44 Effects RAT Craiova, Romania (public transport) 47 Operation 47 Training 47 Rewarding 48 Effects Papadopoulos Trans, Greece (freight transport) 50 Operation 50 Training 51 Rewarding 52 Effects Viator&Vektor, Slovenia (freight transport) 54 Operation 54 Training 55 Rewarding 55 Effects SNAGA Maribor, Slovenia (utility feets refusal collection) 58 Operation 58 Training 59 Rewarding 60 Effects Recommendations for fleet managers 62 9/66

10 Table of figures Figure 1: Vehicles by type...14 Figure 3: Staff involvement per employee group and fleet type - training...18 Figure 4: Distribution of staff involvement in training and rewarding per country...20 Figure 5: Achieved savings by individual demonstrator company...22 Figure 6: Achieved savings by individual demonstrator company per country...23 Figure 7: Urban buses and coaches by country...25 Figure 8: Staff involvement in training and rewarding public transport...27 Figure 9: Staff involvement in training and rewarding long distance freight transport...31 Figure 10: Staff involvement in training and rewarding cars (utility fleets)...34 Figure 11: Staff involvement in training and rewarding vans (utility fleets)...37 Figure 12: Staff involvement in training and rewarding trucks<7,5 tones (utility fleets)...39 Figure 13: Staff involvement in training and rewarding trucks > 7,5 tones (refusal collection) /66

11 1 General overview In order to test the implementation of sustainable fleet management principles, recognition and rewarding schemes in practice, RECODRIVE partners have enlisted different companies to join the project as demonstrators. All associated companies manage their own vehicle fleets however companies main field of operation is not necessary transport business. Nevertheless all companies, acting as demonstrators in RECODRIVE project, have implemented different fuel saving interventions according to their field of operation, predominant social environment and company s culture. As different fuel saving interventions, recognition and rewarding schemes were developed and implemented, experiences gained from demonstrations are quite heterogeneous depending on fleet type and country of origin. The data represented and described in the following text have been gathered and analyzed by RECODRIVE project partners. Obstacles affecting evaluation As with all project implementations we have come across some deviations and obstacles in the project RECODRIVE regarding the evaluation process. Duration and timing of demonstration period The demonstration period was foreseen to take place from March till August 2009 in total duration of six months. Due to various reasons the duration of demonstration period was not the same for all demonstrator companies, lasting from 3 months to 8 months during the year 2009 which explains some discrepancies of achieved results even within the same fleet type. Additionally the demonstration period was stretched over different seasons some demonstrators started with demonstration period as early as in January while others have started with their demonstration period as late as in September. This meant that the impact of the seasonality on fuel consumption was different depending on time of the year the demonstrations took place. 11

12 Therefore the comparison between similar fleet types is not appropriate as the impact of seasonality cannot be abated. Calculation of fuel savings Another important issue for calculation of fuel savings is selection of data basis for calculation. It was foreseen that fuel savings should be calculated for each vehicle on basis of direct comparison between achieved fuel consumption (after the implementation of fuel saving interventions and recognition and rewarding scheme) and fuel consumption of the same time period of the previous year. Unfortunately calculations were not made for all companies/vehicles following previously mentioned method due to two main reasons: Fuel consumption records are not available for some vehicles; Direct comparison of fuel consumption is not justified for some operations due to changing nature of operation (it is not possible to compare vehicle consumption if the vehicle is not operation under same conditions such as load type or route type). Some demonstrators have opted for comparison of fuel consumption before the implementation of fuel saving measures with fuel consumption after the implementation. While the method by itself is valid in the short period of time it is important to point out that in longer time period it is crucial to take into account the influence of weather and seasonality on fuel consumption. In order to overcome all these issues and to be able to appropriately assess the influence of seasonality on individual vehicle s performance historical data of individual vehicle s fuel consumption as well as data on load are needed but were not always available. Therefore the savings were calculated on different basis and appear in this document as announced by project partners on behalf of their demonstrators. Common suggestion coming from all demonstrator companies was that demonstration period should last for at least one calendar year with one year before demonstration dedicated to rigorous fuel consumption monitoring enabling better validity of achieved results. 12

13 Demonstrations outline To make access to information regarding demonstrator experiences and recommendations easier, demonstrator companies are grouped regarding to the type of operations performed as shown in Table 1. Table 1: companies involved into demonstration Total Company number of vehicles Number of vehicles involved Country Public transport 1. RAT Craiova Romania 2. EMT Madrid 2,011 3 Spain 3. Bacher Touristik GmbH Ebner Reisen GmbH Landecker Verkehrsbetriebe Ötztaler Verkehrsgesellschaft mbh Austria 7. Tyroltours GmbH Stolichen Autotranport Plc Bulgaria 9. Avtobusni promet Murska Sobota 70 6 Slovenia 10. Larivera SpA Italy Freight transport 11. Papadopoulos Trans Greece 12. Viator&Vektor Logistika Slovenia Fleet type Urban buses and coaches Trucks > 16t Utility fleets 13. Bergen Municipality Norway 14. BTI Befestigungstechnik GmbH SONY Deutschland Cars Germany 15. GmbH Stuttgart Technology Center 16. Vodafone D BKK Nett Norway Vans 18. Deutsche Post AG 40, Germany Trucks < 7.5 t Waste management 19. BIR 65 5 Norway 20. Surovina Radlje ob 16 3 Dravi Slovenia Trucks > 7.5 t 21. SNAGA Maribor

14 As shown above 21 companies have joined the project s demonstration with 1,100 vehicles out of which, as shown in Figure 1: 263 urban buses 5 coaches 48 long distance freight trucks > 16 tones 674 cars 7 vans 92 trucks < 7.5 tones 11 refusal collection trucks > 7.5 tones 1% 8% 1% 24% Urban buses and coaches Trucks > 16 t Cars 4% Vans Trucks < 7,5 t Trucks > 7,5 t 62% Figure 1: Vehicles by type Cars represent the majority of vehicles involved in demonstration, with urban buses and coaches representing the second largest group of vehicles. 14

15 Distribution of vehicles by country is shown in Table 2: Country Fleet type Public transport Freight Refusal Utility fleets transport collection Urban buses Trucks > Trucks < Trucks > Cars Vans and coaches 16 tones 7,5 tones 7,5 tones Austria Bulgaria Germany Greece Italy Norway Romania Slovenia Spain TOTAL number of vehicles Table 2: distribution of involved vehicles by type and country German based companies have involved large number of their vehicles, with Bulgarian and Austrian also managing to involve substantial number of vehicles, other countries have opted for demonstration on smaller scale. This is mainly due to the fact that many companies have decided to involve only few vehicles into demonstration in order to test the implementation on smaller scale before extending to whole fleet. With test implementation on smaller scale it is possible to avoid some mistakes and imperfections when implementing fuel saving measures on the entire fleet. Additionally experiences gained from other demonstrators can be exploited. It is evident that some of the vehicle groups were only involved in one country (e.g. vans) or two countries (e.g. cars) making comparisons between achieved results in different countries in some cases impossible. Figure 2 shows the distribution of vehicles by type for RECODRIVE partner s countries. The distribution shows the percentage of vehicles belonging to certain fleet type with regard to the total number of vehicles involved per country in question. The number on the top of each column shows the total number of vehicles involved in each country. 15

16 100% Spain 3 100% Italy 5 0% 0% Trucks > 7,5 t Trucks < 7,5 t Vans Cars Trucks > 16 t Urban buses and coaches Figure 2: Distribution of involved vehicles by type and country Another interesting indicator is involvement of staff category into trainings per fleet type as shown in Table 3. The majority of demonstrators have decided to involve primarily drivers into training. This is understandable considering that 16

17 demonstration period should lasted for six months and during this rather short period the impact of improved maintenance and procurement procedures is lower. Additionally many companies use external maintenance and thus have feeble interest to improve on this field. Nevertheless some companies have decided to train the maintenance staff mainly in the public transport fleets. Table 3: Staff involvement per employee group and fleet type training Fleet type Number of employees involved Drivers Fleet management Maintenance Procurement Other Urban buses and coaches Trucks >16 t Cars Vans Trucks <7,5 t Trucks >7,5 t TOTAL number 1, Involvement of procurement staff into the training is relatively low. The primarily reason for this could be that procurement, especially vehicle procurement, is in short period of time constrained with available resourced and existing contracts. Usually procurement of new vehicles demands significant investments and is therefore planned well in advance. On the other hand we should allow for the possibility that the training of the procurement staff was not perceived as significant mainly due to the limited duration of demonstration period. 17

18 Figure 3: Staff involvement per employee group and fleet type - training One of the main focuses of the RECODRIVE project was implementation of the recognition and rewarding schemes. From the Table 4 it is evident that majority of staff included in rewarding is represented by drivers. When compared to the total number of staff involved in training the total number of employees included in rewarding is relatively low. Table 4: Staff involvement per employee group and fleet type - rewarding Fleet type Number of employees involved Drivers Fleet management Maintenance Procurement Other Urban buses and coaches Trucks >16 t Cars Vans Trucks <7.5 t Trucks >7.5 t TOTAL number It is noticeable that in some fleet types employees were not involved in rewarding. This is especially true for the utility fleets where the rewarding schemes were seldom applied. It could be true that for companies where transport is not their core business they are less interested to reward their employees on basis o fuel consumption. Recognition and rewarding schemes 18

19 are usually implemented in order to stimulate employees to perform better in their everyday work which is, in this type of companies, not related to driving. It is also evident that fleet managers rarely included in recognition and rewarding. This is due to the fact that usually fleet managers are the ones responsible for rewarding and they are not in a position to reward themselves. However in our opinion it is rather important that to management would also consider rewarding and recognition schemes for fleet managers that would include rewarding based on total fleet s fuel consumption. The distribution of staff involvement in training and rewarding regardless of the fleet type is shown in the Figure 4. The distribution shows the percentage of staff category included in rewarding with regard to the total number of staff trained per country in question. The number on the top of each column shows the total number of employees in staff category that participated in trainings. 19

20 - A - Drivers C - Maintenance E - Other B - Fleet management D - Procurement Figure 4: Distribution of staff involvement in training and rewarding per country 20

21 As Figure 4 shows demonstrator companies have carried out extensive training while recognition and rewarding schemes were on implemented on the smaller scale. Considering that some demonstrator companies are publicly owned and thus have restricted possibilities of rewarding schemes the lack of rewarding could be partially explained. Additionally we have observed that some companies are not convinced that it is possible to achieve lower fuel consumption through driver training, improved maintenance and procurement. Consequently the companies have to be persuaded and once they have tested the applicability and effectiveness of selected measures recognition and rewarding schemes are considered. On the other hand some of the privately owned demonstrator companies have decided against implementation of rewarding for various reasons: - It was not feasible to objectively ascertain merits for fuel savings among employees therefore the recognition and/or rewarding scheme was not implemented. - Energy efficient behaviour is perceived as liability of all employees thus additional recognition and rewarding is not appropriate. - Recognition and/or rewarding creating inequality in the employee s group (e.g. drivers) are not perceived as positive. Cultural and social environment encouraging equality hinders implementation of recognition and/or rewarding schemes. Taking all of the above mentioned indicators into consideration following fuel savings were achieved in demonstrator companies: 21

22 Figure 5: Achieved savings by individual demonstrator company As shown in Figure 5 companies have achieved savings ranging from 0% to 22.5%. However it is important to point out that these savings should not be directly compared for reasons described in the beginning of this chapter. It is safe to say that over longer period of time and with uniform approach to fuel saving calculations, companies would demonstrate higher homogeneity of results. Achieved savings by individual demonstrator company and fleet type per country are shown in Figure 6 below. 22

23 Trucks > 7,5 t Trucks < 7,5 t Vans Cars Trucks > 16 t Urban buses and coaches Figure 6: Achieved savings by individual demonstrator company per country 23

24 As shown in Figure 6 different levels of fuel savings were achieved even in the same country and fleet type. Consequently it could be concluded that the influence of social and cultural environment did not have significant impact on achieved saving. The impact of social and cultural environment was noticeable on recognition and rewarding schemes developed within demonstration period. Achieved savings presented in Figure 5 and are fully described and analysed in subsequent chapters. In the following sections results and experienced of the project s demonstrators are grouped and described according to the vehicle fleet and type of operation. 24

25 2 Public transport For better understanding of savings it s important to note that public (passenger) transport has some limitations that influence the fuel consumption: Routing depends on predetermined schedules, Passengers comfort and safety are essential, Maintaining the schedule is a priority, Usually several drivers change vehicles and routs within the same week or even day, Vehicles are usually not equipped with on-board computers and drivers do not receive instant feed-back. In field of public transport 10 companies from 6 partner countries took part in demonstrations with 268 vehicles 140 of those vehicles were from Austria and 110 vehicles from Bulgaria. Distribution of vehicles by country is shown in Figure 7. Figure 7: Urban buses and coaches by country 25

26 RECODRIVE demonstrators operating in public transport have implemented various measures as follows: Driver training (theoretical and practical) followed by periodical personal discussions and follow-ups, Introduction of fuel consumption monitoring system to the entire vehicle fleet, Installation of additional fuel monitoring systems on-board units enabling precise monitoring of fuel consumption and several other important indicators (RPM, speed, acceleration, deceleration, exhaust brake etc.), Improved maintenance (more frequent air filter cleaning, rigorous controls of appropriate tire pressure), Workshops for fleet managers, maintenance and procurement staff in order to improve the awareness on importance of managing fuel consumption, Company specific recognition and rewarding schemes for the drivers. Demonstrator companies have through above enumerated measures achieved following results shown in Table 5: Country Company Number of vehicles Savings in % monitored RO RAT Craiova 4 5.0% ES EMT 3 3.4% SI Avtobusni promet Murska Sobota 6 2.0% AT Bacher Touristik GmbH % AT Ebner Reisen GmbH % AT Landecker Verkehrsbetriebe % AT Ötztaler Verkehrsgesellschaft mbh % AT Tyroltours GmbH % BG Stolichen Autotranport Plc % IT Larivera SpA 5 3.8% Total number of vehicles 268 Table 5: Achieved savings in companies operating in public transport 26

27 As shown in Table 5 demonstrator companies have achieved savings ranging from 2.0% up to 22.5%. The high variance of achieved results is caused by different operational environment (urban vs. rural environment, traffic conditions), cultural environment (different values in different countries), vehicle s specifications (older vehicles vs. new vehicles), different implementation of fuel saving measures and the most important of all different periods of demonstration and basis for fuel saving calculations. It is safe to say that realistic savings could be more precisely assessed over longer period of time. Recognition and rewarding measures implemented by demonstrator companies can be grouped into three major fields: Recognition for the individual driver in form of public recognition (certificate, award ceremony, awarding title best driver of the month etc.), Financial rewarding of driver teams (financial benefits calculated per diver team based on achieved fuel consumption in comparison with targeted fuel consumption), No recognition or rewarding scheme except for stimulation of driver s pride and professionalism in doing their job the best they can. Figure 8: Staff involvement in training and rewarding public transport 27

28 From Figure 8 it is noticeable that only the minority of employees that were involved in trainings were latter involved in recognition and rewarding scheme. As stated before some companies have decided against implementation of recognition and rewarding scheme due to the fact that it is impossible for them to objectively measure individual driver s performance and therefore they are unable to ensure fair and unbiased rewarding. Another important issue was that some of the demonstrator s companies are publicly owned ant therefore options for rewarding are very limited and restricted with legislation. Based on demonstrator s experiences some of the most important recommendations for companies operating in public transport are as follows: install on-board fuel monitoring systems if possible on the other hand simple paper based approach to fuel monitoring can work as-well, create teams of drivers and monitor each team s consumption if monitoring of individual driver s fuel consumption is not possible, through positive employee training (drivers, fleet managers, procurement and maintenance staff) you will improve the knowledge on fuel consumption but this issues should be addressed daily in order to achieve long term results, implementing recognition and rewarding scheme is very sensitive thing so make sure you carefully plan it and that you develop the scheme in cooperation with your employees, recognition schemes work well in public companies where rewarding is not possible, commitment of the drivers is the key to success, communicate the importance of appropriate vehicle equipment (on-board computers) to procurement department especially for new vehicles 28

29 3 Long distance freight transport Like public transport long distance freight transport has its own unique characteristics and specifics that should be considered with regard to achieved savings: routing depends on availability of the cargo (only some routes are regular usually routing is done on basis of cargo availability and transport request) empty runs between unloading and loading of several hundred kilometres are not unusual, majority of tractors and trailers are well-equipped with aerodynamics aids so there is little room for improvement, on-time delivery can be more important than fuel consumption, fuel consumption monitoring is prevalent practice in freight transport companies, load characteristics have important influence on fuel consumption that should be taken into account, transport of liquid and/or refrigerated goods has special requirements (accelerations, decelerations, loading requirements) that might not be in line with eco-driving techniques. In field of long distance freight transport 2 companies from 2 partner countries took part in demonstration with 48 vehicles 42 vehicles from Greek company and 6 vehicles from Slovenian company. Demonstrators operating in field of long distance freight transport have implemented following measures: theoretical and practical driver training followed by periodical follow-ups, development of driver s skills through quality circles and brainstorming, workshops for fleet managers in order to improve the awareness on importance of managing fuel consumption. 29

30 Demonstrator companies have through above enumerated measures achieved following results shown in Table 6: Country Company Number of vehicles Savings in % monitored GR Papadopoulos Trans 42 8% SI Viator&Vektor Logistika 6 2% Table 6: Achieved savings in companies operating in long distance freight transport As shown in Table 6 demonstrator companies have achieved savings ranging from 2.3% up to 8%. The difference could be deriving from different approach that companies have implemented. While Papadopoulos Trans has opted for quality circles and two-way communication with the drivers, Viator&Vektor has decided for comprehensive driver training performed by external instructors. Another important issue was that Viator&Vektor has retracted customized recognition and rewarding scheme that was developed due to the economic crisis and major organisational and management changes. Additional crucial factor for lower savings at Viator&Vektor was the previously existing system that determines so called normative consumption related to specific vehicle type, load and route. Divers were already used to take special care on achieving appropriate fuel consumption so the room for improvement was limited. As recognition and rewarding was one of the key component of RECODRIVE project it is important to present involvement in trainings and rewarding schemes as shown in Figure 9. 30

31 Figure 9: Staff involvement in training and rewarding long distance freight transport Recognition and rewarding scheme was only partly applied in Slovenian company Viator&Vektor in form of public recognition (certificate) for the driver even though the complete scheme with financial and nonfinancial rewarding for individual driver as well as driver teams was developed. Due to the substitution of the top management the implementation of recognition and rewarding scheme was postponed. In Greek company Papadopoulos Trans the rewarding scheme is currently under development. It will be based on individual driver s achievement taking into account influential factors such as load, seasonality and traffic conditions. More exact descriptions of Papadopoulos Trans and Viator&Vektor experiences can be found in the case studies section. 31

32 Based on demonstrator s experiences some of the most important recommendations for companies operating in long distance freight transport are: support from top management is essential for success, group your vehicles on basis of vehicle characteristics (manufacturer, engine power, transmission etc.), load and route characteristics and compare fuel consumption within the same group, use installed on-board devices and fuel monitoring systems, emphasize appropriate settings of air deflectors according to type of trailer, you might encountered initial resistance from drivers but through positive approach and proven results even reluctant drivers will start cooperation over time, positive approach to fuel saving interventions will improve relationship between management and drivers, be creative in finding ways to convince your employees (drivers) to behave in an energy efficient way, use alternative motivators on win-win basis, fuel consumption indicators: you should consider implementation of more than one fuel consumption indicator (e.g. kilometres travelled per litre of fuel or litres of fuel per 100 kilometres omits the influence of load weight on fuel consumption.). 32

33 4 Utility fleets For some companies owning and operating vehicle fleets does not represent their core business and these companies are not classified as transport companies. Usually the vehicles are used for enabling employee s mobility in order to provide certain services to customers e.g. electrical installations/repairs etc. Fleets can have substantial number of vehicles and sustainable fleet management for these fleets is as important as for fleets in pure transport sector Cars One of the predominant characteristic of car fleets management is that frequently fuel costs are not considered as a priority. Even though companies are aware that fuel costs are important in most cases it is more important to enable free movement of employees and to have people and tools/appliances on the site on time. Another significant issue related to vehicle s specification is closely linked to the image of the employee driving the vehicle or to the image company wants to maintain or achieve. It is quite often that vehicle s and their engines are oversized and in cases like these fuel consumption is not noteworthy. However this is not the case with cars that are used to transport tools or appliances. From field of utility fleets cars, 4 companies from 2 partner countries took part in demonstration with 674 vehicles 670 of those vehicles were from German demonstrators and 4 vehicles were from Norwegian demonstrator. Demonstrators managing cars utility fleets have implemented following measures: Theoretical and practical driver training followed by periodical feedback on achieved fuel consumption, 33

34 Outsourcing of fleet management to specialized operator managing al issues regarding vehicles (registration, insurance, fuel consumption monitoring etc.) Demonstrator companies have through implementation of above enumerated measures achieved following results shown in Table 7. Country Company Number of vehicles Savings in % monitored NO Bergen Municipality 4 6% DE BTI Befestigungstechnik GmbH 600 9% DE SONY Deutschland 34 5% DE Vodafone D2 36 9% Table 7: Achieved savings in utility fleets - cars Recognition and rewarding schemes were not implemented in the field of utility fleets cars as shown in the Figure 10 below. Figure 10: Staff involvement in training and rewarding cars (utility fleets) 34

35 Norwegian demonstrator company has found it inappropriate to implement any kind of recognition or rewarding scheme as this in not in line with their culture and social environment. Their employee s motivation derives from pride to be able to participate in the project and from ecological awareness that is important part of Norwegian culture. German demonstrator companies have decided to motivate their employees only through detailed periodical feed-back for individual driver comprising average fuel consumption per month, personal reference consumption (prior to eco-driving training), average consumption for the last twelve months and achieved fuel and CO2 savings. It was ascertained that this motivation system leads to an increase of fuel saving success as the motivation derives from aims to save CO2 emissions. The most important measure was the continuous information to every single driver about his personal behaviour. Based on demonstrator s experiences some of the most important recommendations for companies operating in utility fleets - cars are: The most important experience was to get a focus on fuel saving through a dialogue and exchange of information with the other demonstrators, Fuel consumption monitoring in very important in order to determine actual fuel savings achieved, Management should consider carefully if the recognition and rewarding scheme is in line with specific culture and social environment, Good organisational overview as well as fleet overview (number of cars of different types, drivers etc) makes it easier to reduce fuel consumption. It provides basis for making appropriate decisions where needed. Constant periodical feedback to the drivers can function as a motivational impulse even without recognition and rewarding scheme. 35

36 4.2. Vans Companies operating fleets comprising vans mainly need this type of vehicles to transport sufficient numerous items/tools/appliances to the different work sites. These types of fleets operate in urban as well as in rural environment. Therefore the vehicles must meet different demands regarding various operations performed. From the field of utility fleets vans one company from Norway took part in demonstration with 7 vehicles. The Norwegian demonstrator has implemented following measures: Theoretical and practical driver training followed by periodical follow-ups, Installation of GPS-based route planning system. Demonstrator company has through implementation of above enumerated measures achieved 7% of savings as shown in Table 8. Country Company Number of vehicles Savings in % monitored NO BKK Nett 7 6% Table 8: Achieved savings in utility fleets - vans Based on the Norwegian culture recognition scheme was implemented where all the involved drivers were given special acknowledgment for their efforts to try to lower fuel consumption. The acknowledgment was not based on any kind of achieved results but was imparted to all contributing drivers. 36

37 Figure 11: Staff involvement in training and rewarding vans (utility fleets) Based on demonstrator s experiences some of the most important recommendations for companies operating in utility fleets - vans are: Institutional learning is crucial. The management should find new ideas on how to save fuel and the economy of it. The perspective should be generally included in the everyday work of the company. Focus on fuel saving should be permanent and continuous in order to achieve reduction o fuel consumption. 37

38 4.3. Trucks < 7.5 tones Companies operating fleets comprising small trucks use this type of vehicles to transport numerous items from door to door. These types of fleets operate in urban as well as in rural environment. Therefore the vehicles must meet different demands regarding various operations performed. From the field of utility fleets small trucks, one company from Germany took part in demonstration with 92 vehicles. The German demonstrator has implemented following measures: Theoretical and practical driver training followed by periodical feedback on achieved fuel consumption, Outsourcing of fleet management to specialized operator managing all issues regarding vehicles (registration, insurance, fuel consumption monitoring etc.) Demonstrator company has through implementation of above enumerated measures achieved 7% of savings as shown in Table 9 Table 9: Achieved savings in utility fleets trucks < 7.5 tonnes Number of Country Company vehicles Savings in % monitored DE Deutsche Post AG 92 7% No particular recognition or rewarding scheme was implemented. The demonstrator company has decided to decided to motivate their employees only through detailed periodical feed-back for individual driver comprising average fuel consumption per month, personal reference consumption (prior to eco-driving training), average consumption for the last twelve months and achieved fuel and CO 2 savings. 38

39 Figure 12: Staff involvement in training and rewarding trucks<7,5 tones (utility fleets) Additional obstacle has turned up as there is no fixed allocation of the drivers and the vehicles. In order to overcome this obstacle drivers and vehicles were grouped on basis of correlation of driver s group to vehicle group. The reports were facilitated and disseminated to individual driver s group for the vehicle group that was assigned to the drivers in question in the specific time period. It was ascertained that this motivation system lead to lower fuel consumption and has proven successful. The motivation for the drivers derives from achieved CO2 savings as driver s contribution to reduction of environment pollution. Based on demonstrator s experiences some of the most important recommendations for companies operating in utility fleets small trucks are: Regular periodical feedback to drivers is crucial, Information on achieved CO2 savings can function as a strong motivational element, Focus on fuel management should be permanent and continuous in order to achieve reduction o fuel consumption. 39

40 4.4. Refuse collection For better understanding of savings it s important to present some limitations and special characteristics of refuse collection that influence fuel consumption in these types of operations: Vehicles start and stop frequently (the distance between stops ranges from 10 meters in city centre and densely populated areas to 100 meters in suburban areas). Idling during the loading and unloading is inevitable (the vehicle s engine supplies the power needed to operate the refuse loading system), Heavy vehicles operate in urban areas with heavy traffic as well as in rural areas. From the field of utility fleets refuse collection, three companies from two partner countries took part in demonstration with 11 vehicles 5 of those vehicles were from Norwegian demonstrator and 6 vehicles were from Slovenian demonstrators. RECODRIVE demonstrators operating in refusal collection have implemented various measures as follows: Driver training (theoretical and practical) followed by periodical personal discussions and follow-ups, Workshops for fleet managers, maintenance and procurement staff in order to improve the awareness on importance of managing fuel consumption, Installation of GPS-based route planning system, Improved routing, Improved maintenance with no noticeable effect. 40

41 Demonstrator companies have through implementation of above enumerated measures achieved following results shown in Table 10: Table 10: Achieved savings in refusal collection trucks > 7.5 tonnes Number of Country Company vehicles Savings in % monitored NO BIR 5 n.a. SI Surovina Radlje ob Dravi 3 1.6% SI SNAGA Maribor 3 3.7% As shown in Table 10 demonstrator companies have achieved savings up to 3.7% which is not negligible for refusal collection vehicles have high fuel consumption up to 65 litres per 100 kilometres. Additionally as part of the consumption is cause by unavoidable idling for loading/unloading achievable fuel savings are understandably lower. The most significant impact on fuel consumption can be achieved with optimized routing. It was proven in two participating companies (BIR and Snaga) that it was possible to reduce number of vehicles needed for certain region with optimized routing. Some recognition and rewarding measures were implemented by demonstrator companies: Financial rewarding for the individual driver based on achieved fuel savings, No recognition or rewarding scheme except for stimulation of driver s pride and professionalism in doing their job the best they can. 41

42 Figure 13: Staff involvement in training and rewarding trucks > 7,5 tones (refusal collection) From Figure 13 it is noticeable that some of the employees that were involved in trainings were latter involved in recognition and/or rewarding scheme. As some of the companies are publicly owned options for recognition and rewarding are limited and restricted with legislation. Nevertheless companies did find a way to motivate their employees through financial rewarding or public recognition. Based on demonstrator s experiences some of the most important recommendations for companies operating in refusal collection are as follows: Route planning is extremely important and with optimisation of routing it is possible to execute the same work amount with less vehicles, Procurement should be well planned as vehicle s specifications must correspond the operational requirements, It is highly recommendable that drivers are trained in eco-driving, Drivers must be familiar in details with their vehicle s technical characteristics in order to use them in the most efficient way. 42

43 5. Case studies 5.1. LARIVERA SpA, Italy (public transport) Operation LARIVERA SpA is a privately-owned bus company of Campobasso in the Molise Region in Italy. LARIVERA runs both regional and local public transport services, including the urban PT network of Campobasso and Termoli. It also operates national coach links, school services and offers Coach Hire With Driver services. The company has joined the RECODRIVE project to evaluate the benefits of a rewarding scheme based on eco-driving and green fleet management techniques. With the objective of significantly reduce fuel consumption and pollutant emissions of the entire fleet, the Termoli-Rome link was chosen to design and test a tailored RECODRIVE scheme. Regular service between Termoli and Rome is serviced by 2 departures daily covering 300 km distance with 13 intermediate stops in 3h30min. The coach link is serviced by a fleet of 4 GT coaches and 6 drivers grouped in 3 different teams. The monitored fleet is made up of: - 2 Setra Euro4 HD Comfortclass (S415GT and S416GT), - 1 Irisbus Domino Euro3 coach, - 1 Setra S431GT double-decker (Euro5) mainly used for peak journeys. Over 500,000 km are travelled per year with at least 170,000 litres of diesel consumed on the service Termoli-Rome-Termoli. Before the implementation of training and rewarding scheme simple fuel consumption monitoring was introduced. It was based on simple manual paper registration of kilometres travelled and litres filled-in at the refuelling. Manually gathered data were then inserted into simple MS-Excel tool developed specifically for this purpose. The tool enabled registration of data from all refuelling operations as well as the data on the driver team assigned to individual vehicle on a daily basis. It was essential to setup a database enabling clear correlation between driver team and fuel consumption in a specific time period. It was a basis for the implementation of a rewarding scheme. 43

44 Training Driver training Drivers have been trained on eco-driving principles and techniques in two phases: 1) Drivers briefing on the project objectives, the overall idea of fuel efficiency and environmental benefits to be supported and enforced by a rewarding scheme, 2) Full day of eco-driving training (theoretical & practical lessons) was organised and carried out by TRT and the safe and eco-driving instructor from the school GuidarePilotare. Management training The training sessions for managers (board of directors + fleet manager) was focused the on following relevant topics: - Green vehicle procurement, - Fuel monitoring devices on buses, fuel monitoring systems, - Energy savings and emissions abatement as part of a communication strategy. Maintenance training The maintenance unit was fundamental for the project activities: in the first steps most of the vehicle related aspects and technologies to be monitored and evaluated were disclosed by the maintenance manager. There were many positive feedbacks between the TRT and the maintenance unit in order to summarise and produce a tailored manual. Procurement training Vehicle procurement, procurement of tires and spare parts as well as procurement of several products and solutions were analysed together with the maintenance unit. Joint conclusions should enable procurement better suited to company s needs. Rewarding The company has decided to apply financial rewarding scheme for diver teams with regard to the individual vehicle s fuel consumption in correlation with driver team. Calculations of the fuel consumption were done on monthly basis. The targeted fuel consumption (in terms of optimal fuel consumption) was fixed at the beginning of each monitoring period (month), taking into account several aspects that could produce over or underestimation of the achievable fuel consumption (seasonal aspects, nr. of passengers expected etc.)based also on the average fuel consumption and the 44