may require capital expenditure on new facilities for handling equipment, or new connections to
Fuel accounts for at least 30 per cent of operating costs of most road freight transport
The Freight Best Practice programme has developed a number of free tools and products
to help businesses improve operational efficiency and reduce fuel consumption of road
freight.
To reduce your carbon footprint further you should also consider the journeys that suppliers of
goods and services make to and from your premises. You could aim to use local businesses
where possible and check out your suppliers' environmental credentials by asking to see their
environmental reports and policies. See our guide on
supply chain efficiency and environmental
impact
.
Using work vehicles efficiently
Your business can benefit from using vehicles in a safer and more fuel-efficient way.
This will limit your vehicle emissions and lower your transport costs by reducing your insurance
premiums. See the page in this guide on the
benefits of reducing your vehicle emissions
.
Safer driving means fewer injuries and fatalities, less accident damage to vehicles and
less unproductive downtime for vehicle repair. You should manage the risks from using your
vehicles and:
develop and implement driving for work policies
address staff training needs
maintain your vehicles
Read about driving for work policies and good practice in work-related road safety
.
Use vehicles efficiently
You can use fuel more efficiently by:
making sure that tyres are inflated to the correct pressure
removing any unnecessary clutter from vehicles
keeping vehicle speed down, eg it can cost up to 25 per cent more to drive at 70 miles per hour
(mph) compared to 50mph - driving at 50-60mph produces the lowest emissions
avoiding harsh braking and acceleration
switching off the engine when at a standstill for more than three minutes
using air conditioning and other onboard electrical devices such as mobile phone chargers
sparingly as this increases fuel consumption
pre-planning routes - you can reduce the impact of journeys by using less congested routes and
avoiding peak travel times
avoiding using vehicles for short journeys, eg combining several short trips into one longer one -
cold engines use 60 per cent more fuel per mile than warm engines
Consider whether flexible working practices could reduce your use of vehicles. This could
include:
working from home
working flexible hours
teleconferencing or videoconferencing
providing incentives for car-sharing
using meeting venues that are easily accessible by public transport
Training for vehicle drivers
Training your employees to drive efficiently can reduce your fuel use and make your staff safer.
For example, a one-day Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving (SAFED) course for van or heavy goods
vehicle (HGV) drivers could help save up to £500 of fuel per vehicle per year, depending on
mileage.
Maintain vehicles
Maintain commercial vehicles in good working order so that they work efficiently. You should:
service all your vehicles regularly
inflate your tyres correctly as under-inflated tyres can increase fuel consumption by up to 3 per
cent
remove roof bars and other items when you do not need them
monitor fuel consumption to help detect problems early
check that the exhaust system is in good working order
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