FleetSmart Newsletter – March 2004

• FleetSmart Discussion Forum
• FleetSmart Rebate – Got Yours Yet?
• Idle-Free – Quiet Zone Campaign
• A New Arrival for the SmartDriver Family!
• Natural Gas Vehicle Pilot Project
• Urban Transportationa.k.a. "SmartDriver in the City"
• Biodiesel Initiative
• Stop By and Visit Our Booth
• Workshops for Municipalities
• SmartDriver
• Natural Resources Canada Signs Memorandum of Understanding with the Canadian Trucking Alliance
• FleetSmart Profiles
• Workshop Videos

FleetSmart Discussion Forum

We are proud to announce that the FleetSmart discussion boardroom is now open to our FleetSmart members. This forum is a great opportunity for drivers to exchange information on energy efficiency and transportation matters. There are numerous categories, such as Heavy-duty Vehicles, transit buses and highway coaches, and you can even add your own category. We will be continually adding other useful information, so visit often.

We invite you to log in by visiting the FleetSmart Web site at oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/fleetsmart.cfm.

If you're a FleetSmart member and have not received your password and instructions, contact us at the e-mail address below. If you are not a FleetSmart member, why not join? FleetSmart offers free practical advice and assistance that will help you become a leader in road transportation energy efficiency. Fill in the membership form on our Web site at oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/fleetsmart.cfm or e-mail us.

FleetSmart Rebate – Got Yours Yet?

Do you own a Class 6, 7 or 8 truck or bus licensed for commercial service in Canada? If you purchased an in-cab heater or an auxiliary power unit on or after August 12, 2003, you may be eligible for a rebate* from Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency.

As part of the Government of Canada's commitment to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, funds have been allocated to pay a rebate for the installation of pre-qualified equipment that provides truck-cab or bus-interior heating and/or cooling.

* A rebate of 20 percent will be paid on the lesser of the actual purchace price (uninstalled and before taxes) and the manufacturer's suggested retail price.

Idle-Free – Quiet Zone Campaign

Have you seen these notices at truck stops across Canada and wondered what it's all about?

Have you ever pulled into a truck stop ready for a good night's sleep, adjusted your cab heater or auxiliary power unit only to discover that other drivers have the same idea, but are leaving their trucks idling? Not only will the noise of the other trucks keep you up – just think of the air you're breathing with hundreds of trucks

Some idling is necessary; Canadian winters are cold. Some trucks and truck-trailer combinations equipped with power take-offs need to idle to operate their refrigeration units, heaters, etc. – but a great deal of unnecessary or excessive idling could be avoided. pulling in and out. Have you ever stopped to think of the fuel and money being wasted? And what about the emissions contributing to greenhouse gas problems? Trucking is one of the largest contributors.

Ask yourself – Do I need to idle right now?

This year's Idle-Free – Quiet Zone Campaign ran for 10 weeks, from October 19 to December 19, 2003, with 57 truck stops, service stations and dealerships participating.

List of participants

Newfoundland

Nova Scotia

Neq Brunswick

Quebec

Ontario

Manitoba

Saskatchewan

ALBERTA

* Analysis of Technology Options to Reduce the Fuel Consumption of Idling Trucks, Argonne National Laboratory

A special thank you to our sponsors:

• Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council
• Espar Heater Systems
• L'Écho du transport
• Proheat Teleflex Canada
• ProMiles Canada Inc.
• RigMaster Power
• Today's Trucking / highwaySTAR
• Transport Routier
• Truck News / Truck West / Motortruck
• Webasto ThermoSystems Inc.

Myth

Reality

That's the way it used to be. Today you can avoid all that unnecessary idling by equipping your truck with readily available devices that will automatically start (and stop) your engine based on several programmable parameters. These automatic stop-start devices, or optimized idle-control devices, let you set parameters such as coolant temperature, battery charge and cab temperature. Whenever one of these parameters falls below your chosen setting, the engine automatically starts to ensure that these parameters stay within range. This way, that big engine runs only when it's needed rather than running all night.

A New Arrival for the SmartDriver Family!

The latest addition to the SmartDriver family of professional driver training programs was launched on November 10, 2003, at the 99th conference of the Canadian Urban Transit Association.

SmartDriver for Transit provides dedicated training on fuel efficiency for drivers of transit vehicles. Packed with important information on this topic, the training includes a facilitator's guide, supporting video clips and a PowerPoint^® presentation. This material is designed to help you reduce the fuel consumption of your transit fleet.

One of the unique pieces of the training is an on-road practicum. By using the data-download feature of the electronic control module of the modern diesel engine, the on-road practicum can demonstrate – with a "cold" drive followed by a coached drive – the significant impact that driving with fuel-efficient techniques can have, not only on fuel consumption but also on engine operation and braking applications. This difference can translate into thousands of dollars in fuel and maintenance savings for a transit operation.

One of the unique pieces of the training is an on-road practicum. By using the data-download feature of the electronic control module of the modern diesel engine, the on-road practicum can demonstrate – with a "cold" drive followed by a coached drive – the significant impact that driving with fuel-efficient techniques can have, not only on fuel consumption but also on engine operation and braking applications. This difference can translate into thousands of dollars in fuel and maintenance savings for a transit operation. We will be hosting a series of Train-the-Trainer workshops for transit instructors in 2004. For information, check the list of dates and locations on the FleetSmart Web site at oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/business/smartdriver/workshop-transit.cfm or contact the Motor Carrier Passenger Council of Canada at (905) 762-0414.

Natural Gas Vehicle Pilot Project

FleetSmart is working on the development of the Natural Gas Vehicle Pilot Project in consultation with the Canadian Natural Gas Vehicles Alliance, manufacturers of natural gas vehicles,natural gas utilities, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and other key stakeholders. Natural Resources Canada and these stakeholders will offer joint incentives to reduce the cost of natural gas vehicles in urban fleets, such as taxis, couriers and delivery trucks, in targeted geographical areas. The pilot is expected to start soon, and its objective is to gather useful data on how best to deliver the Natural Gas Vehicle Market Transformation Program that will be launched at a later date. For information, please contact Lucie Séguin by phone at (613) 995-2814 or by e-mail at lucie.seguin@nrcan.gc.ca.

Urban Transportation – a.k.a. "SmartDriver in the City "

At a meeting in Vancouver on October 3, 2003, the Urban Commercial Transportation Committee met with stakeholders' representatives to provide insights on how SmartDriver training could fit their own profiles. As each operator is quite different in regard to his/her fleet, i.e. vehicles/trucks range from class 1 to 5, the challenges were to fit a training presentation for all the different operations and applications to the operators' needs. The aim was to benefit from the successes achieved in previous SmartDriver training for forestry and Heavy-duty Vehicles, and to reflect these successes in future SmartDriver training for transit, buses and motor coaches.

For more information on SmartDriver training, call us at (613) 944-5126 or e-mail us.

TIPS

• A cab-mounted device with a gap seal deflector is an aerodynamic modification that will let you save more fuel.
• To avoid air brake system problems, you should drain the air reservoir every day.
• A turbo charger will help save fuel by supplying a surplus of intake air.

Biodiesel Initiative

In 2002, under Canada's climate change plan, the Government of Canada set a target of 500 million litres of biodiesel production and use by 2010.

To help meet this target, the Government of Canada announced on August 12, 2003, that $32.2 million will be available for the Commercial Transportation and Efficiency Initiative. This includes $11.9 million for the Biodiesel Initiative over four years.

This initiative will help address the current technical and market barriers to commercial biodiesel production and use in Canada. This goal will be supported in a number of ways:

• research and development (addressing cold-flow properties, lubricity, emissions/co-benefits, life-cycle analysis, feedstock impacts, production and process, and compatibility with new engines, fuels and emissions-control technologies)
• demonstrations and deployment (in on-road vehicles, urban buses, urban trucks, long-haul trucks, passenger cars, and in non-road, marine, construction and agricultural vehicles)
• technical information and fuel specifications
• technical and economic assessments
• public awareness and education
• work with government and industry stakeholders
• international technology linkages

MYTH

REALITY

The truth is that idling accelerates the engine's cooling because the engine does little work but the cooling system continues take heat away. By shutting down the engine, the time that it takes to cool down takes longer. In fact, for about an hour and a half, the coolant temperature will be warmer with the engine shut off than if the engine were left running. Interestingly, it takes 12 to 14 hours for a hot engine to cool down to the outside ambient temperature.

Stop By and Visit Our Booth

Stop by and visit our booth at the following shows:

Québec QC
April 4–6, 2004
Association Québécoise du transport et des routes
Booth 17

Toronto ON 
April 22–24, 2004
Truck World 2004

St John's NL
May 28–29, 2004
Atlantic Truck Show

Fergus ON 
July 23–25, 2004
Fergus Truck Show

Abbotsford BC 
October 2–3, 2004

Truxpo 2004
Québec QC
November 5–7, 2004
CamExpo

Workshops for Municipalities

FleetSmart Workshop Fuel Management 101 Workshop

This workshop looks at four aspects of effective fuel management:

1. Why you should have an energy management plan
2. How to make a plan
3. How to benchmark your fleet
4. How to sell your plan to management, implement your plan, analyse the results and plan for the future

For more information, call (613) 943-0680, e-mail sbartoli@nrcan.gc.ca or register on-line at oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/business/fuel-101-workshop.cfm.

SmartDriver

SmartDriver for Forestry Trucks

Don't Miss These Workshops Offered by the Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada (FERIC): Roads, Transportation and Fibre Quality

Driver training is the first step toward achieving fuel economy. SmartDriver for Forestry Trucks can provide you with the necessary tools to reduce your fuel consumption and give you a competitive edge.

We will be holding three transport seminars focusing mainly on the energy efficiency of trucks:

• Timmins ON , April 13 and 14, 2004 – www.feric.ca/en/ed/html/timmins.htm
• Dolbeau QC , April 22 and 23, 2004, a part of DémoForêt 2000 – www.feric.ca/en/ed/html/dolbeau.htm
• Truro NS , April 27 and 28, 2004 – www.feric.ca/en/ed/html/truro.htm

Send your request to FERIC by fax to (514) 694-4351 or by e-mail to smart.driver@mtl.feric.ca, or visit oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/business/smartdriver/workshop-forestry-trucks.cfm.

SmartDriver for Transit

Natural Resources Canada's FleetSmart initiative can put you on the road to success. FleetSmart covers all aspects of fleet energy management – from vehicle spec'ing and maintenance to driver training, alternative fuels and state-of-the-art transportation technologies. It includes all of the fuel-saving driving techniques to make your company a driving force for fuel efficiency.

For more information and to register, visit oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/business/smartdriver/workshop-transit.cfm or fax or mail your request to:

FleetSmart
Transportation Program
Office of Energy Efficiency
Natural Resources Canada
580 Booth Street, 18th Floor
Ottawa ON   K1A 0E4
Fax: (613) 952-8169

Keep Us Up To Date

Please take a moment to notify us of any change in your mailing address to ensure that you receive information and updates on FleetSmart activities. Here are four easy and quick ways to contact us:

Tel.: (613) 995-7436
E-mail: Fleetsmart Email
Fax: (613) 952-8169
Web site: oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/business/fleetsmart/update.cfm

Natural Resources Canada Signs Memorandum of Understanding with the Canadian Trucking Alliance

Last summer (2003), the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Natural Resources Canada to demonstrate its commitment to play a leadership role in energy efficiency as a means of limiting greenhouse gas emissions through voluntary actions to environmental solutions.

The for-hire trucking sector was keen to address the climate change issue in a cost-effective, non-regulatory way. Being FleetSmart provides an opportunity for CTA's fleet members to demonstrate their corporate commitment to energy efficiency and to have their contribution to reduced greenhouse gas emissions recognized.

In January 2003, the United States' Environmental Protection Agency introduced SmartWay Transport. The initiative called for the development of performance goals to engage fleets and shippers in both the road and rail modes to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save fuel and protect public health. Natural Resources Canada, represented by FleetSmart, and Environmental Protection Agency officials are exploring future opportunities to meet these goals.

Together, FleetSmart, in collaboration with SmartWay Transport and the assistance of the CTA, will be working to develop a comprehensive north/south program to demonstrate and embrace good practices to manage our precious natural resources.

Myth

Reality

Tests show that it takes just 12 minutes of driving to raise the coolant temperature from –10°C to its normal operating temperature of 80°C. This is accomplished by driving the vehicle as soon as the oil pressure is up. In contrast, raising the coolant temperature from –10°C to 80°C by idling takes 30 minutes.

But that's not all – driving the vehicle instead of idling also warms the transmission and differential oils and heats the tires so they roll better. No amount of idling can do this. So by driving away as soon as you're ready, you'll save even more.

FleetSmart Profiles

Fleet operators across Canada have implemented simple yet effective strategies to improve their fuel efficiency, serve their customers better and strengthen their bottom line. FleetSmart profiles highlight the experiences and achievements of operators in all segments of the fleet industry. These are real-life success stories in which theory gets put into practice – and works!

FleetSmart profiles are available free of charge. Choose from the profiles listed below and mail or fax your request to the following:

MYTH

REALITY

Actually, it does matter because that idling engine burns up to four litres of diesel fuel per hour. This unproductive activity produces close to 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of greenhouse gases while you're having dinner. Not only that, but consider that while you're enjoying your meal, your engine is out there polluting its own oil, depositing carbon on its valves and pistons and increasing your maintenance costs, just so you can have a warm (or cool) cab when you're ready for work. Can you really afford this activity a couple of times a day?

Workshop Videos

Videos of previous FleetSmart workshops are available free of charge. Let FleetSmart bring the workshop to you!

Currently available are

• Cab Heaters, Air Conditioners and Gen Sets
  A workshop on the benefits and characteristics of cab heaters and auxiliary power units with presentations from Espar, Proheat, RigMaster, Webasto and Xantrex Technology Inc. Followed by a question-and-answer session.
• Getting the Most From Your ECM
  A workshop on how you can benefit from the information collected by the electronic control unit (ECM) on your diesel engine. This video offers presentations from Caterpillar Inc., Cummins Inc., Detroit Diesel Corporation and Volvo Mack Trucks and is followed by a questionand-answer session.