NOTE: Due to the current Vermont Idle-Free Fleets program and the proposed Idle-Free For Fleet$ project, Business Idle-Free, a pilot project from 2007, is no longer an active effort. However, the information below remains informative and current.
Business Idle-Free was a 2007 pilot project to raise awareness of unnecessary vehicle idling in the Vermont business community. Two advisor-volunteers and Wayne worked with fleet-operated businesses plus businesses serving customers that tend to idle vehicles on the premises. In all, more than 210 were sent a mailing with personal follow up contact. The virtually unfunded, three-month volunteer effort resulted in several businesses adopting idling reduction policies.
A common misconception is that since Vermont is an environmentally conscious, rural state, idling is just a fringe concern. The surprising truth is that Vermont has elevated levels of asthma, and that Vermont's transportation greenhouse gas emissions, on a geographic basis, are nearly double the national average. Idling affects our air quality, contributes to global warming and wastes fossil fuel. For more details, see Idling Facts & Laws.
As it relates to FLEET OPERATED BUSINESSES, in addition to the above concerns, excessive idling negatively affects the bottom line, since not only is fuel wasted but in heavy-duty vehicles, needless engine wear-and-tear occurs as well.
NON-FLEET BUSINESSES AND INSTITUTIONS that serve patrons who may be excessively idling their vehicles on the premises (in the parking lot and/or drive-through) also need to be aware of these concerns.
Business Idle-Free encourages businesses to adopt an idling reduction policy. For fleet operators, this is not only an opportunity to save the company a significant sum of money, but also to reduce air pollution that causes respiratory illness, greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution in the community. Non-fleet businesses can have a similar positive impact that will enhance their corporate social responsibility in the community.
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HOW FLEET OPERATORS CAN SAVE MONEY
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| Companies like Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and United Parcel Service are reaping the financial benefits gained from implementing an idling reduction policy. How is it done?
 In the case of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR), in 2004 they became aware of the opportunity to save the company money through fuel savings of their fleet vehicles. Their heavy-duty trucks are equipped with telematics which provide detailed engine data including percent of runtime that is idling. GMCR found that the truck engines were idling 28% of their run time. Over a period of two years, with an annual driver safety training and idling awareness program, and quarterly tracking of engine use, GMCR was able to reduce idling to 10% of run time, resulting in a 4% savings of fuel annually. As of 2009, they have brought down idling runtime to only 3%, resulting annually in avoiding diesel fuel use by nearly 6,000 gallons, avoiding more than 129,000 lbs. of CO2 emissions and are saving more than $20,000 a year from idle-reduction alone!
While GMCR utilizes truck telematics, a viable lower cost alternative for monitoring engine data are Engine Control Modules (ECMs). Many modern engines are equipped with ECMs that make available data of vehicle operational parameters. A customized data logger or similar device would need to be installed on most vehicles to read this data and track engine idling, and determine how much fuel and money is saved. As demonstrated above, this would pay for itself in short order. However, while recommended, it is not essential for vehicles to utilize these systems to institute an idling reduction policy. The main--and virtually cost-free--component is to establish a definitive policy or practice that clearly and regularly informs company fleet drivers of the multiple benefits of idling reduction.
UPDATE: On June 14, 2010, Pine State Trading Co. and the Specialty Coffee Business Unit of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. entered into an asset purchase agreement through which GMCR would transition direct customer support in its northeast region, including responsibility for sales representation, order management, delivery and equipment service, to Pine State Trading, a full-service wholesale distributor. This effectively ended GMCR's fleet operations, effective Sept. 13, 2010. But GMCR's most successful fleet idling reduction policy continues to be an established model for other fleets to emulate.
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A SAMPLE FLEET OPERATOR IDLING REDUCTION POLICY
A policy can be adopted through a company's safety or environmental committee; a town highway dept. or city dept. of public works can adopt a policy within their department or through a selectboard or city council/mayor.
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HEAVY-DUTY DIESEL
Heavy-duty vehicles almost always means diesel. There are perceived concerns about diesel's needs to run at idle in warm-up and in cold weather. With few exceptions, these concerns are misconceptions and/or passé information. For the up-to-date information on warm-up times, restarting, fuel gelling and engine wear-and-tear, please read the Environmental Protection Agency New England document: "What You Should Know About Truck Engine Idling".
Additionally, use this calculator from Argonne National Laboratory to determine the savings of heavy-duty trucks equipped with IR (Idling Reduction) devices. The higher the fuel price, the quicker the payback.
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WHAT NON-FLEET BUSINESSES AND INSTITUTIONS CAN DO
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| Businesses and institutions that serve patrons--such as banks, post offices, hospitals, colleges and ski areas--need be concerned about patrons who idle their vehicles in the parking lot and when applicable, a drive-through. This can also pertain to employees and delivery vehicles.
Implementation of an idling reduction policy can include:
• Strategic placement of no-idle 12" x 18" or 18" x 24" metal signs. Sign ideas for GENERIC and DRIVE-THROUGH. Also available is the VSECU NO-IDLE POSTER (see below) they are kindly offering to the business community.
• Information handouts to patrons. Handout ideas for GENERIC and DRIVE-THROUGH. Feel free to download and print.
• An employee awareness program.
The benefits for non-fleet businesses and institutions are not directly financial but are nonetheless significant--enhancing their reputations in the eyes of their valued patrons and in the greater community by taking a leadership role toward improving our air quality, environment and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that cause global climate change.
VSECU--Vermont State Employees Credit Union
A model policy for other non-fleet businesses and institutions to emulate.
In 2005, the VSECU Board of Directors formed an Environmental Strategies Committee. This Committee proposed, and the Board adopted, a new environmental mission statement.
As part of this statement, VSECU has taken measures to raise awareness of engine idling by their members (patrons). They have handed out information about idling and then recently installed laminated No Idling posters at their drive-thru locations. They are displayed in the Drive-Up ATM lanes at the Montpelier, Berlin and Williston VSECU offices and at the Barre-Montpelier Road Drive-Up ATM.
VSECU's efforts are done in such a way as to not offend their valued members. In fact, they report that their members are thanking them for implementing this policy. As a result, VSECU has enhanced their corporate social responsibility by taking a leadership role in the welfare of the community.
VSECU Montpelier office Drive-Up ATM. VSECU is kindly offering the template of their poster--click above.
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NO IDLING SIGNS FOR STORES AND COMPANIES
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No Idling signs (generic or custom made) can be ordered through the Vermont Agency of Human Services, Vermont Offender Work Programs.
Contact: Dennis Poulin, 2559 Glen Road, Newport, VT 05855 Phone (Toll Free): 866-729-8715 Email: dennis.poulin@ahs.state.vt.us
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