FleetSmart on the Road

Volume 1, 2005

Inside this issue:

• Slow Down, Check Your Pressure, and Don't Be Idle
• Idle-free Quiet Zone
• FleetSmart Rebate – Got Yours Yet?
• What's New
• Fuel Management 101 Workshops
• What's Your Incentive?
• SmartDriver for Motor Coach
• Have You Checked Into Our Discussion Board?

New: Fleet Challenge Canada (formerly the National Fleet Challenge)

Fleet Challenge Canada is a newly formed organization to assist fleet managers of all stripes in reducing their fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. It operates independently but cooperatively with FleetSmart. Fleet Challenge Canada has regional partners in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec that will deliver programs tailored to the specific needs of fleets in their jurisdictions.

For example,

• Fleet Challenge British Columbia will launch a biodiesel workshop in 2005.
  
  
• Fleet Challenge Alberta is working with the Alberta Motor Transport Association and the provincial government.
  
  
• Fleet Challenge Saskatchewan has organized a Fleet Managers Working Group to provide information, advice and programs to fleet managers in that province. Fleet Challenge Saskatchewan is also working actively with school bus fleets.
  
  
• Fleet Challenge Ontario is working with organizations, municipalities and the province to "green" their fleets. Fleet Challenge Ontario is also working with the automotive, food and beverage, and retail sectors to better understand their transportation needs. Fleet Challenge Ontario is also examining procurement policies for emergency service vehicles.
  
  
• EcoRoute Quebec is working actively to promote energy-efficient driver training, to help municipalities across the province develop comprehensive inventories of their fleets and provide access to this information online, and to promote the use of biodiesel in the province.

For more information about Fleet Challenge Canada and its activities, please contact Richard Parfett at (613) 944-5126.

Slow Down, Check Your Pressure, and Don't Be Idle

It could be a message from your doctor, but it's the sound advice that STEER – Smart Taxis Encouraging Environmental Respect – brings to the St. John's taxi industry. With the launch of its second phase, STEER is now expanding to bring its educational programs and workshops to other vehicle fleets in Newfoundland and Labrador and to the public through targeted outreach programs.

Officially started in 2002 by the taxi industry in St. John's, STEER aims to educate members of the industry and the general public on environmentally friendly driving techniques and vehicle maintenance. The project involves several partners including the city, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Natural Resources Canada, and the Conservation Corps of Newfoundland and Labrador.

"The city of St. John's is proud to be an initial partner in a project that benefits everyone on the local, provincial, national and global levels," said St. John's Mayor Andy Wells.

"Transportation accounts for 25 percent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions, the main contributor to climate change," said the Honourable R. John Efford, Minister of Natural Resources Canada. "Improving vehicle efficiency, particularly for vehicles that are on the road for extended periods of time such as taxis, not only saves drivers money, but also leads to cleaner air. STEER's success shows that there's an appetite for information and that people want to do their part to address climate change."

More so than many countries, Canada faces the challenge of transporting people and goods over long distances. The STEER project believes we can all do our part to preserve and protect our environment.

For additional information about STEER, please visit its Web site.

Idle-Free Quiet Zone

FleetSmart's third annual "Idle-Free Quiet Zone" campaign asking drivers to stop "unnecessary idling" wrapped up on December 10, 2004. Truck stops across Canada are encouraging drivers to shut down their truck engines and help Canada's commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The campaign ran for 10 weeks commencing October 4.

Eighty-two participating truck stops and truck dealerships across Canada volunteered to raise awareness and provide their clients with a quieter and cleaner place to sleep. We hope that many of you took advantage of the quiet zone stops during the campaign. We'd like to hear your thoughts and comments.

FleetSmart Rebate – Got Yours Yet?

Get on board. Over 2732 applicants (5902 units) have!

Do you own a Class 6, 7 or 8 truck or bus licensed for on-road commercial service in Canada? Have you purchased a cab heater or auxiliary power unit (APU) since August 12, 2003?

Ask us about:

• rebate eligibility
• eligible vehicles
• purchased or leased equipment
• how to apply

Check our Web site for the most up-to-date information.

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

What's New

If you've been a fan of the Mark Dalton short stories published by Truck News/Truck West over the last five years, you will want to get a copy of a special edition "Mark Dalton – SmartDriver." In cooperation with the Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council, FleetSmart brings you the opportunity to learn, along with Mark, all about smart driving and fuel efficiency.

Don't know who Mark Dalton is? Mark Dalton is an owner/operator who just wants to make a living behind the wheel. He can't help it if adventure and intrigue cross his path. From bad border crossings to truck yard murders, trouble seems to find him no matter where he is on the road. And trouble this time around is a brash young kid named Jimmy, the know-it-all nephew of Mark's dispatcher, Bud, who thinks he knows all there is to know about fuel efficient driving. Bud cons Mark into coaching Jimmy on a trip across Canada, but if Mark teaches Jimmy anything it's that he doesn't know it all, especially when a cross-country trip with Mark Dalton includes stolen cars, hijacking, kidnapping, road rage and attempted murder.

Fuel Management 101 Workshops

Do you need help in preparing your fuel management plan for your highway trucking fleet? Introduce yourself to our Fuel Management 101 workshop for fleet managers. You will learn:

• why you need an energy management plan
• how to make a plan
• how to benchmark your fleet
• how to sell your plan to management, implement your plan, analyse the results and plan for the future

Whether you manage a municipal fleet, taxi fleet or trucking or courier company, you'll find valuable information that will benefit your organization. Check our Web site for new workshop dates, times and locations across Canada. Register soon.

What's Your Incentive?

As FleetSmart continues to develop and broaden its programs, new requests continue to come in asking us to develop additional tools to assist members to better improve their fuel business practices. One request has been for a handbook on designing, implementing, monitoring and maintaining a fuel incentive program for your fleet.

FleetSmart has divided the on-road transportation sector into various vehicle groups according to their duty cycles – highway trucking, forestry trucking, motor coach, transit, school bus, urban transportation (pickup and delivery, taxis, etc.), municipalities and utilities. If you are running an incentive program in one of these types of operations, and wish to share your knowledge and experience to help "get there" by developing a "best practices" booklet on this subject, please contact Darin Bagshaw or call (613) 947-0236.

SmartDriver for Motor Coach

By popular demand, the SmartDriver family of professional driving programs continues to grow. FleetSmart is pleased to announce that SmartDriver for Motor Coach will be launched in spring 2005.

The SmartDriver package will be a complete "off-the-shelf" training workshop for driving professionals in the motor coach sector, providing information and smart driving techniques for the motor coach operating environment. The program content includes: key factors affecting fuel efficiency, vehicle care and inspection, questions passengers may ask about emissions, and many other items. It comes complete with video, instructor's guide, PowerPoint presentation, and all you need to run a one-day workshop for drivers in your coach fleet.

Check the FleetSmart Web site for the official launch date and a list of "train the trainer" workshop dates for SmartDriver for Motor Coach later this year.

Have You Checked Into Our Discussion Board?

This forum is a great opportunity for drivers to exchange information on energy efficiency and other transportation topics concerning highway trucking, transit buses and highway coach. You can even add your own category.

You'll find interesting questions and answers that you can follow along with or you can use your expertise to help out a colleague with a problem. Dive into the discussion and share your thoughts on an issue or help someone out with their question.

Keep Us Up to Date

Please take a moment to notify us of any change in your mailing address, e-mail address or telephone number to ensure that you receive information and updates on our activities. Natural Resources Canada is committed to ensuring your privacy. This information will be kept confidential and will not be sold, exchanged or shared with third parties.

Use any of these four convenient ways to contact us:

Tel.: (613) 992-3212
E-mail
Fax: (613) 952-8169
Web site