UPS, FedEx Find Ways To Save Gas

by | Feb 20, 2008

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upsfedex2.jpgWith record setting gas and diesel prices, fuel-efficient package delivery has taken on an even higher level of importance for UPS, FedEx, and other truck-dependent businesses, AP reports.

High-tech solutions, old-fashioned fuel surcharges, equipment upgrades and common sense – UPS recently decided to eliminate left turns from routes because they waste fuel – are all being employed.

At UPS, computer systems track packages and maps delivery routes. Drivers never idle and new GPS capabilities help them avoid traffic tie-ups. Computer playbacks of each driver’s day look for slow spots on delivery routes and maps future alterations around bottlenecks. The company monitors every vehicle for drops in fuel efficiency and employs alternative fuel vehicles. In November, UPS rolled out a small parcel delivery service tin Northern California using 42 electric cars and trucks from ZAP.

FedEx also uses route planning software to maximize efficiency and has been using more vehicles that run on alternative fuel, such as hydrogen, which the company says saves money.

In December, Climate Counts released green rankings for consumer shipping companies.

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