Sustainability in transport: how can light fleet management adopt this practice?

The increase in the number of vehicles circulating in cities has demanded urban mobility solutions to maintain air quality and population health, that is, there is an urgent need for sustainability in fleets and the transport sector. 

In Brazil, there are already 65,8 million vehicles – more than 41 million cars, according to a survey by the Brazilian Institute of Planning and Taxation (IBPT). 

Another study, this time by the Institute of Energy and Environment (IEMA), revealed that more than 70% of air pollution in big cities is caused by the transport sector. 

With an eye on this reality, companies in the sector that want to remain relevant in the market are adopting measures to maintain a more sustainable fleet. 

Especially knowing that, nowadays, 87% of people are more likely to buy products and services from companies that develop social projects and respect the environment.

According to Barcik, a sustainable fleet refers, especially, to low-emission vehicles, since unsustainable cars, buses, motorcycles and trucks are responsible for emitting gases such as carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and hydrocarbons (HC) into the atmosphere.

In this sense, in 1986 the Ministry of the Environment launched the Air Pollution Control Program for Motor Vehicles (proconve), as a form of air control in urban centers. 

The objective is to gradually reduce the emission of polluting gases, based on the control of vehicle launches, which must meet the emission limits allowed by the program.

Want to know how to bring sustainability to fleet management? Read on!  

Why is adopting sustainability in fleet management so important? 

Decreasing the consequences of global warming has been one of the most relevant issues in recent years, mainly because it is something that needs to be done with great urgency. 

Only in the next 30 years, according to the ONU, climate change, caused by human actions, should severely affect life on Earth with:

• extreme heat
• Diseases
• Hunger
• Seca
• Warming and rising sea levels
• Species extinction 
• ecosystem collapse 

Having said that, it is It is extremely important that the business environment adopt urgent measures to reduce this impact.

This is because a study of the Climate Accountability Institute showed that 20 companies are responsible for more than a third of all greenhouse gas emissions across the planet since 1965, including Petrobras. 

Also read: Biofuel: what is it, what are the advantages and why use it in your fleet?

The survey also disclosed that these same companies were responsible for 480,16 billion tons of carbon dioxide and methane released into the atmosphere during this period.

Therefore, the need for large companies and industries to reduce their environmental impact is already long overdue, and extreme urgency the adoption of sustainable measures, mainly in the transport. 

Learn how to do it below!  

How to bring sustainability to transport? 

In addition to what the legislation determines, Renault already has a line of 100% electric vehicles with zero emission of pollutants. 

“In 2008, Renault launched a range of 100% electric vehicles and was a pioneer in this. Today, we are sales leaders in Europe and Brazil. Our models, therefore, respond to this legitimate concern of fleet managers who seek to reduce their environmental impact”, emphasizes the director. 

A Atlas Copco, a company specializing in the sale of pumps and compressors, also values ​​sustainability in its fleets. “We strive to always seek continuous improvement and conduct business in such a way that the environment is preserved for future generations”, emphasizes Vânia Vilela, administrative services coordinator at Atlas Copco.

Among the policies adopted by the company are: 

• Exchange of vehicles every four years or when they reach 120 kilometers driven; 
• 85% of supplies with ethanol; 
• Preventive maintenance; 
• Telemetry to keep fleet speed under control; 
• Acquisition of flex-fuel vehicles;
• Hybrid and electric market monitoring for future investments;
• Among others. 

For Vilela, the fact that sustainability is on the agenda in discussions in the automobile industry already represents a breakthrough in the area. “Today, we can see mobility sharing with apps, encouraging the use of bicycles and the like, which demonstrates that we are looking to a future where we can breathe cleaner air.” 

However, according to the coordinator, Brazil still has many challenges to reach a 100% sustainable fleet. "We have alarming numbers of increased CO2 emissions, less than 1% of the Brazilian fleet is made up of electric cars, irregular infrastructure and lack of urban planning, which in my view is one of the main obstacles to achieving decarbonization", lists Vilela . 

“The way out for evolution is to bring Brazil closer to state-of-the-art technologies, provide incentives to accelerate the adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles, prepare with infrastructure, mainly on highways, more electric roads and charging stations, more up-to-date fleets and campaigns for awareness,” he concludes.

Below, Here are some measures that will help bring sustainability to transport: 

Adopt ESG policies in your fleet management

From English - Environmental, Social and Governance — the acronym ESG has been a right arm that embraces sustainability in the corporate environment.

Among the main ideas that this term encompasses is the minimization of environmental impacts, maintain the best management processes and build a better world.

Learn more about the subject: ESG in fleet management: what it is, benefits and challenges of its implementation

On the environmental side, companies can adopt measures such as:

• Biodiversity
• Waste Management
• Carbon emission reduction
• Deforestation reduction
• Energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources
• Recycling
• Among others 

Another important point is that both consumers and the investment market are increasingly aware of ESG, and two aspects need to be taken into account.

The first is that adapting to the ESG opens up the possibility for the company to receive more investments, mainly in large businesses. 

The second one is that ESG criteria are also used by large clients, as distributors, to choose their logistics partners. 

Therefore, adopting this policy in its fleet management will open up a range of competitive advantages in the market. 

Control the emission of polluting gases in transport 

Campaigns to control the emission of polluting gases in transport have been carried out for a long time, so much so that a strict monitoring of the smoke emitted by vehicles is carried out. 

Therefore, seeking to respect the laws and help in the health of the environment, it is necessary that companies adopt measures to monitor their automobiles, mainly large ones, to control the emission of gases and avoid fines.

There are tools on the market, such as the opacimeter, which can help your fleet management to measure and analyze the density of smoke emitted by your company's vehicles. Thus helping to keep emissions within permitted limits. 

Another measure is the preference for electric vehicles that do not use fuel, Or the installation of CNG (Natural Gas Vehicle), which is less polluting.

Invest in reverse logistics 

A reverse logistics consists of a recycling initiative, seeking to promote the reuse of materials.

Therefore, adopting this practice makes both manufacturers and consumers share an obligation, which is to give the right destination for waste products or services. 

As a result, many product categories have an obligation to carry out reverse logistics, which is the case of:

• Pesticides
• Batteries
• Tires
• lubricating oils
• Lamps
• Electronic products 

Thus, the product makes the reverse path and returns from the consumer to the manufacturer, who forwards the product for reuse, recycling or proper disposal.

Therefore, taking advantage of resources is also an excellent way to reduce costs, especially when it comes to raw materials. Therefore, make sure that the waste caused by your company or your fleet management (such as tires) is being disposed of correctly. 

Read more: Vehicle demobilization: how to do it in fleet management

Train your drivers on transport sustainability 

Another important point when we talk about sustainability is the training of drivers who must be guided on the economical driving, which helps to avoid, above all, the high fuel consumption. 

In addition, the driver must be aware that it is necessary to use high-quality fuels, as poor fuels also help to increase polluting gases. 

Read more: Defensive Driving and Fleet Management: Preserve Lives

In this way, it is also necessary that they always refuel in places of trust and duly approved by the ANP (National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels).

In this same sense, economic driving and fuel quality also help to increase the performance and durability of the vehicle, also bringing more savings to your light fleet management. 

Read more: Fuel economy: 8 tips to reduce fleet expenses

Respect vehicle load limits 

Another contributing factor to greater emission of polluting gases by vehicles into the atmosphere is the overload. 

This is because, in addition to affecting the safety of those inside the car, the large amount of weight also directly affects fuel consumption, wear and tear on the car and also road pavement deterioration. 

Read more: Traffic safety: importance of safe driving culture in fleet management 

Therefore, in addition to increasing the emission of polluting gases into the atmosphere, exceeding the vehicle weight limit also puts the lives of drivers at risk. 

Invest in biofuel in light fleet management 

As you already know, investing in quality fuels is also a necessary action to reduce the emission of pollutants. 

However, an action even greater quality when it comes to sustainability in transport is the investment in biofuels. 

That's because they are produced from plant materials, that is, they did not undergo fossilization. 

Therefore, biofuel can be used both in power generation plants and in vehicle engines or agricultural machinery. 

Optimize your routes 

Having a sustainable dynamic in your light fleet management can also be difficult if your company uses fossil fuels, such as gasoline and diesel.

However, even companies that have polluting vehicles in their fleets can adopt measures to reduce the impacts caused by these until they exchange for more suitable cars. 

A great example of this is the scripting, which in addition to making processes faster and more efficient, chooses smaller routes so that its cars use as little fuel as possible. 

Perform preventive maintenance to increase sustainability and economy 

If you want to emit less and less gases into the atmosphere, constantly checking the parts of the vehicles in your fleet for preventive maintenance is also an essential practice.

Besides ensure the best performance of your fleet, preventive maintenance also reduces maintenance costs in your company. 

Therefore, for this to also become a measure of sustainability in fleet management, it is necessary to always carry out an adjustment to avoid excessive fuel burning.

Not to mention that the alignment and balancing of the vehicle also need to be up to date to give the vehicle more safety and avoid problems with suspension and tire wear. 

Learn more about the subject: Predictive, preventive and corrective maintenance for your fleet 

Use a telemetry system in your light fleet management  

Controlling and monitoring your fleet efficiently is also essential for your sustainable measures, especially since there is no point in applying them if you are not sure that they are being complied with. 

Thus, having control of where your vehicle is to reduce the mileage traveled, as well as monitor the driving mode of drivers to ensure you don't drive too fast is critical.

Read more: Less speeding: save lives and lower fines

Therefore, a telemetry system is the perfect solution for this, since in addition to monitoring the driver's behavior, with the Golfleet Telemetry, for example, you can also count on a module of fuel management to help your fleet management to further reduce spending on this input. 

Do you want to know more about the possibilities of a telemetry system for fleet management? Meet the Golfleet Telemetra: