State and municipal government authorities throughout the U.S. have begun implementing idling regulations which, if violated, carry hefty fines – varying from $300 to as much as $1,000 or more, depending on the State or municipality. On the environmental front, these new laws are finding widespread acceptance as a means of reducing emissions and fuel consumption, thereby reducing greenhouse gasses. Perhaps even more notably, given today’s economy, the laws are gaining corporate favor, due to the operational efficiency gains that result for transportation providers. Essentially, these laws make it easier for fleet operators to implement and enforce behavioural changes that benefit the bottom line, while improving their environmental footprint -truly a win/win result for all concerned.
The regulations vary from state to state but here are some facts about idling:
- Trucks can burn up a gallon of diesel for every hour of idling time, which not only wastes fuel and generates pollution, it causes the engine to wear.
- Over a one year period, this equates to over a billion gallons from heavy-duty trucks, which equals over $2.5 billion dollars.
- In addition, these trucks release over 140-thousand tons of nitrogen oxides into the air and over seven tons of carbon dioxide.
Tracking a fleet’s idling time is just one of the many benefits of the GPS Commander’s GPS tracking units, where fleet managers and drivers can easily track idling and stay within the guidelines.
The GPS Commander tracking system is designed to draw the attention of a Fleet Supervisor to idling events, commencing with dynamic vehicle icons that change in real time to indicate when a vehicle is idling. On-screen pop-up and email alerts can be configured to draw further attention to the inefficiencies of idling, allowing for a timely response and to ensure driver awareness. Finally, Fleet Managers can also receive automated engine idle reports, sent as PDF, Excel or Word documents to their email address on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
Here are some other ways to reduce emissions according to the EPA:
-When purchasing new vehicles, consider a vehicle with with the most advanced emissions control systems.
-Choose a vehicle that runs on cleaner fuel like natural gas or hybrids. Pacific Gas & Electric is currently working with General Motors to develop hybrid technology for Utility Vehicles.
You can review each state’s idling regulations here, at the American Transportation Research Institute.
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