Are you looking for ways to make your fleet more environmentally friendly? No matter the size of your fleet, increasing concern over climate change means that adopting sustainable practices is more important than ever. One way to do this is by implementing a green driving fleet strategy to reduce carbon emissions as much as possible.
If your business operates a grey fleet of vehicles — where employees own and use their own vehicles — improving sustainability can be challenging. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to successfully implement a green driving fleet strategy with a grey fleet. Read on for some top tips.
1. Assess the current fleet
Before implementing a green driving fleet strategy, it’s important to look at your business’s current carbon footprint. By carrying out an assessment, you can identify areas in need of improvement, set realistic targets, and monitor progress.
When assessing your fleet, take the following elements into account:
- What fuel types do your fleet vehicles use?
- How many miles to the gallon can they do?
- What size engines do the vehicles have?
- How efficient are the tyres?
2. Encourage eco-friendly driving habits
One of the most effective ways to reduce a fleet’s carbon footprint is by encouraging eco-friendly driving habits. A good way to do this is by holding training sessions for your employees.
Offer tips and guidance on how to minimise idling, drive at moderate speeds, and avoid harsh acceleration and braking. These actions can reduce fuel consumption and emissions. It’s also important to ensure your employees know how to properly maintain their vehicles — and that includes grey fleet vehicles.
You might find it effective to offer grey fleet drivers incentives to encourage them to use eco-friendly vehicles and maintain their cars or vans to meet certain environmental standards.
3. Replace vehicles with fuel-efficient alternatives
Chances are, at some point, your vehicles will need to be replaced. This opens an opportunity to look for fuel-efficient alternatives, such as electric vehicles and hybrids. By upgrading your fleet’s vehicles, and encouraging grey fleet drivers to do the same, you can significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
You could also consider retrofitting existing fleet vehicles with eco-friendly features such as aerodynamic improvements and engine control units that optimise fuel efficiency.
Even if you operate grey fleet vehicles, those vehicles are still your responsibility. That means you can ensure any repairs or upgrades meet your business’s environmental standards.
4. Implement a green procurement policy
Whenever procuring new vehicles, look for environmentally-friendly models. Take factors such as fuel efficiency and emissions into consideration and only go for those that reach certain environmental standards. Your green procurement policy doesn’t need to just apply to vehicles, either. It can cover other fleet-related purchases such as tyres, batteries, and maintenance products.
By setting standards and sticking to them, you can make sure that new vehicles in both owned fleets and grey fleets align with your green strategy.
Grey fleet management services from DriverCheck
While it may be challenging to achieve a completely green driving fleet, there are several steps you can take to reduce your fleet’s carbon footprint. Whether you own your fleet’s vehicles or employ grey fleet drivers with their own vehicles, it’s essential to improve your company’s sustainability where possible. By reducing fuel consumption and emissions, you can not only help protect the environment but also save money on fuel costs and improve your brand image.
If you’re looking for support with your grey fleet management, the team at DriverCheck is here to help. From ensuring that your drivers’ vehicles are fit for purpose to monitoring management KPIs, we provide trusted, professional services. To learn more, please contact DriverCheck today.