Looking for Leadership in Government Fleet for Dramatic Cost and Carbon Reductions from Idling

Despite the extraordinary accomplishments by our proven eLearning program and idle reduction behavior modification process, we’ve lost precious time taking on America’s 8 billion gallon 40 million ton annual idling epidemic. Thanks to politics and personal bias. In other words, human nature (as per usual).

In August of 2020, GoGreen Communications Inc. (a for profit born out of a non-profit dedicated to reducing vehicle emissions and improving air quality) was wrapping up a multi-seat senior stakeholder assessment of our solution, industry’s sole source idle reduction program, at a major American municipal agency. 

The program has been developed over the past 17 years to help fleet operators everywhere get their drivers to care about their idling behavior and to help them build idle reduced cultures relatively quickly.

That’s almost three years ago now, and I’m glad I proactively did a follow-up call with this fleet veteran on his cell phone soon after graduating from the eLearning program. Otherwise, I have a feeling I might not have received his amazing feedback at all. Since then, it’s been impossible to reach anyone in the organization. 

What follows is the inside story of a government fleet organization in the U.S. whose identity will remain concealed (though they will know who they are). I was excited to think that this large operation was going to become one of the first in the U.S. to lead municipalities everywhere on A) exposing the enormity of the idling metric and B) becoming the first major idle reduction behavior modification initiative in the government fleet sector in the U.S. and an idle reduction leader inspiring many more fleets to follow their lead. 

I pick up the story with the main training stakeholder’s individual assessment of IDLE FREE for our kids® process, content and curriculum. Let’s substitute Bobby for his name. He has been the person in charge of training in this organization for a very long time. So, his feedback would be critical. He is responsible for 100 plus technicians in multiple shops at multiple locations, and managing training for user departments and other technicians across the state. 

When he understood who was calling and why, he was friendly, and grew animated and enthusiastic the more we spoke

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I asked him simply, “Bobby, what sticks out for you after completing the program..?”

“There’s two things that I have an issue with, that it is a little long and a little redundant (this is by design).”

“Other than that I think the program is very good. I wrote my boss an email summary and you should see that. I believe this program will fit perfectly with our leading green fleet status in the United States, our vision and leadership and his desire to move the needle on idle.

I really enjoyed the emotional engagement element of the program. It’s like nothing else I’ve seen. I am influential across several states and I’d like to get the word out on this program.

Even an old gearhead like me learned a number of things from this program. 

Watching those kids by the tail pipes talking about asthma. I think that is really going to hit a nerve where we have a major problem with air quality in our county.

The modules and the calculator were really well done. I did calculations on what the savings metrics could be with this program and it’s easily in the couple $200K range. I shared that with my boss.”

We talked about the potential for his government agency with the right strategy; Bobby was enthusiastic. He believes this program will do well with the right strategy.

After the phone call, I realized that Bobby hadn’t seen The Fleet Manager’s Guide which is critical for anyone to review before taking the online modules of the program. Wow, I thought. If that’s not an endorsement to go ahead, I don’t know what a good one would be..! 

That was then, this is now. Three years later. Fast-forward to today, and this organization has done nothing on its large idling problem. How would we know? Because it is the type of organization that makes sure it gets every bit of green fleet PR it deserves. 

And, let’s face it, idle reduction initiatives in the U.S. and Canada are about as rare as a two dollar bill to begin with (idling continues to be the most trivialized metric vs the fact that it is the biggest cost avoidance metric in fleet operations today). 

The sad truth is, as the ‘climate crisis’ races into uncharted territory with an idling epidemic across the U.S. and Canada, idle reduction behavior modification initiatives still aren’t a regular thing. We need to change that in a hurry. Government fleets in the U.S. idle between 40 and 60% of their fleet’s engine hours (!) most of which can be eliminated with effective behavior modification.

For some reason, people in fleet management don't flinch at those scandalous numbers on idling. Apparently, it's just the cost of doing business in Government (this, as cities are supposed to be leading the charge on arresting climate change). A fleet of 1,000 idling 2 hours a day = 500,000 added hours x 30 miles per hour = 15 million miles! 

Conservative added cost of ownership: x .15 cents / mile = $2.25 MILLION/yr. 

And then, there’s the whole ‘cascade’ of costs from idling: 

1. Fuel.

2. Added maintenance, compromised warranties.

3. Lifecycle, cost of ownership.

4. Vehicle downtime.

5. Employee productivity, staff levels.

6. Carbon emissions.

7. Air quality.

8. Savings in employee personal vehicles at home. 

9. Safety risk (vacant vehicle idling).

10. Fleet reputation.

If we can really look in the mirror with a straight face telling ourselves that we're doing everything we can to reduce carbon in the transportation sector, while avoiding idling as the huge problem/opportunity that it is, then we will get the climate change and air quality outcomes attached to our true efforts. We just can't make believe on a metric we wish would go away.  

In the meantime, government fleet organizations across the U.S. and Canada continue to destroy their fuel budgets, their fleet assets and their communities' air while generating enormous amounts of carbon from driver ‘60’s idling beliefs and behaviors in 21st Century fleet assets and equipment. We’ve proven there IS a solution and it doesn’t have to be this way. 

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Get our updated point of view (POV) paper. The typical North American fleet operations is spending +40% engine hours on driver idling behavior! 

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Get your organization's fleet operations idle reduction strategy started with an Idle Reduction Opportunity Assessment™ https://lnkd.in/egXf_n5M

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Find out more with our CleanCities deck: https://lnkd.in/e8__rBt

Preview our curriculum: https://lnkd.in/gGR27YC

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IDLE FREE for our kids® for Fleets.

Behavior Modification. Certification. Branding.

Fleets cut costs. Look like heroes.

https://GoIDLEFREE.com

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