Idle time is the largest contributor to wasted fuel and avoidable emissions. What it costs, where it happens, and how CANceiver and SimplyFuel reporting help fleets bring it down.
Idling is one of the largest sources of wasted fuel and avoidable pollution in a fleet. Contrary to popular belief, restarting a car does not burn more fuel than leaving it idling. In fact, idling for just 10 seconds wastes more gas than restarting the engine. Frequent restarts are no longer hard on today’s car’s engine and battery, and the vehicle’s catalytic converter warms up much faster when the car is being driven.
Common waste idling occurrences:
Restart wear is much less costly than the cost of wasted fuel. Reducing vehicle idling will save money with decreased engine wear and gas burned as well as help lower CO2 pollution.
With a fleet of 10 medium-duty trucks: If each truck has ten 10-minute idling episodes per workday, using ~0.5 gal/hr, and fuel costs $3.50/gallon, the annual cost of idled fuel for the fleet is ~$7,550.
Source: USDE IdleBox Toolkit https://cleancities.energy.gov/technical-assistance/idlebox/
Even when diesel costs as little as $2.50 a gallon, waste idle fuel for one 10-hour rest period will cost $20 in a long haul truck.
Source: https://afdc.energy.gov/files/u/publication/hdv_idling_2015.pdf
For every 5 mph traveled over 65 mph, vehicle efficiency is reduced by 7%. This is because as speed increases, so does the aerodynamic drag, which forces the engine to work harder and consume more fuel.
Rapid acceleration and harsh braking reduce fuel economy by as much as 33% at highway speeds and 5% in city, according to the EPA. Drivers who make habitually heavy accelerate, weave through traffic, or slam on the brakes are increasing fuel consumption, as well as wear on engine and breaks.
We realize the impact vehicles have on the environment with greenhouse gases and other air pollutants. W4 products to support corporate and government environmental initiatives and mandates. Working closely with fleet managers, we create customized solutions that monitor and help reduce environmental impact.
About 19.64 pounds of CO2 are produced from burning a gallon of gasoline that does not contain ethanol (E10). About 22.38 pounds of CO2 are produced from burning a gallon of diesel fuel.
EIA estimates that U.S. motor gasoline and diesel (distillate) fuel consumption for transportation in 2015 resulted in the emission of about 1,105 million metric tons of CO2 and 440 million metric tons of CO2, respectively, for a total of 1,545 million metric tons of CO2. This total was equivalent to 83% of total U.S. transportation sector CO2 emissions in 2015.
With a Ward CANceiver or a Geotab GO device and SimplyFuel software, which connects to MyGeotab through the Ward Go Fuel Interface, fleet managers of any size have the resources to reduce costs through improved driver behavior and proactive maintenance schedules. Using advanced data capture and detailed reporting, Ward also helps companies meet future possibilities relating to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other Federal environmental laws. The upside? Changing driver behavior and reducing emissions also reduces costs through lowered fuel consumption and longer, healthier engine life.
Improve driver behavior by employing CANceivers and SimplyFuel to monitor driver behavior. Fleet managers can determine ways to decrease fuel usage and overall miles driven by measuring the impact of driver behavior on their bottom line.
Accurately track and measure data for GHG emission with CANceiver and SimplyFuel reports. By measuring the carbon footprint of each vehicle, fleet managers can analyze their options to mitigate emissions and reach government-mandated reduction goals.
Control operating conditions and the use of specific fleet vehicles to help lower operating costs, CO2 emissions, improve safety, utilization, and compliance. SimplyFuel provides proactive maintenance scheduling with notifications when a vehicle needs or is scheduled for maintenance.
Long Haul Idling Burns Up Profits
Idling Reduction for Emergency Service Vehicles
To Idle or Not to Idle
EPAct 2005 Ward Solution in Washington DC
Idle Reduction Tools at Argonne National Laboratory
FAQs for State & Alternative Fuel Provider Fleets
Idle time reduction savings calculator – Argonne National Laboratory Excel worksheet
Ward designs and manufactures fuel control systems in San Antonio, Texas, and has since 1974.