Coleman

Coleman

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

ITS NOT EASY BEING GREEN!

How we impact the environment is a concern in both our personal and professional lives. I spend lots of time talking either to people working in the transportation industry or those who need to use its services and, the reality is, the transportation industry uses a great deal of natural resources.

From the fuel required to transport each shipment to the paper and cardboard needed to pack the items we ship, the industry uses many consumables that have an environmental impact. However, we are actively implementing initiatives to minimize that impact.

Recycling: Safe transportation methods require the use of wood, paper and cardboard. We do everything we can to reduce, reuse and recycle. Our drivers and crews bring as much of the shipment packaging as possible back to the facility for recycling or reuse, as appropriate. Each of our facilities makes used cartons available to civic and cultural organizations that may have a need.

Brand New Packing…Again: We work closely with our vendors to ensure we get the best recycled materials available without sacrificing cleanliness or structural integrity. Reusable packing containers – like plastic bins and sturdy plastic speed bins are a few of the innovative materials that are commonplace on our projects.

We also have a number of environmentally focused initiatives in place on our trucks and trailers.

Generators: It was once commonplace to leave diesel engines idling for heat and electricity during stops. Now there are generator systems available to provide the on-board electricity needs and to warm engines for easier, more efficient starts.

Clean Machines: Closely monitoring maintenance schedules for our vans ensures that all our rolling equipment is operating at peak efficiency. Monitoring software alerts us to when equipment should have the oil changed, be lubricated, and even washed. We continually rotate out old, inefficient trailers and invest in modern, lightweight rolling stock to ensure that our fleet is operating at peak efficiency.

Tire Inflation: One way to minimize emissions, maximize fuel economy and tire wear is to utilize the P.S.I. Tire Inflation System. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognizes this system effectiveness and recommends it as an industry standard.

EZPass & Prepass: The same EZPass transponders you use for toll roads, tunnels and bridges save drivers time and energy by eliminating fuel consuming idling and acceleration at toll stops.
Prepass transponders help drivers roll past weigh stations by sending all the appropriate information digitally to the station. If there are no weight or safety issues the driver gets a green light to continue on their journey without the fuel-consuming stop.

We’ve also looked to how we handle business within our facilities.

Paperwork: Documents don’t have to be documents. Many offices used to be consumed by massive filing cabinets filled with years- worth of documentation. No longer…we now create digital files of all the federal and state required documentation. We have eliminated literally tons of paperwork and made accessing information a quick mouse click away. Additionally, we recycle paper, printer cartridges and other office materials.

Office Equipment: Energy Star electronics save companies thousands in energy costs and represent a tangible example of wise energy management. We always look for the Energy Star Qualified label when purchasing equipment.

No comments: