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solutions > Transportation > Trucking >
Bison Transport's program to reduce GHGs
Bison Transport is a rapidly growing truckload carrier headquartered in Winnipeg, with terminals in Calgary, Alberta, and Mississauga. In Canada, Bison operates from Quebec to British Columbia. It also operates in each of the 48 continental U.S. states. It currently has a fleet of 700 power units and a trailer fleet of 1400 fifty-three-foot trailers, including air-ride and logistics vans, heated trailers and regular dry vans. Bison currently employs 800 drivers and 1000 people in total. The company has expanded rapidly over the past several years; in 1991, the company had a fleet of 18 tractors with 32 employees. Bison also operates over 37,160 m2 (400,000 square feet) of warehouse and distribution space in Winnipeg. In the mid-1990s, Bison Transport examined their operations from social and environmental perspectives. The results made an impact on them. Immediately Bison began looking at ways to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. They became a signatory to the Voluntary Challenge and Registry, a key element in Canada's national plan on climate change, joined Natural Resources Canada’s FleetSmart program, and recently joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencies SmartWay Transport Partnership. Bison is meeting its emissions reduction targets using a combination of new equipment, idle reduction technology and driver development feedback.
Fuel economy program
Fuel economy has long been a priority with Bison. Its current fuel economy is 39 litres per 100 km (7.2 mpg), making it one of the top fleets for fuel economy in the country. Downloading engine reports, reviewing results with drivers and posting the results for drivers to see have been an integral part of Bison's fuel economy program for several years. Over the past several years, all new tractors have been spec'ed with in-dash fuel economy readouts so drivers can note their fuel economy instantaneously as they are driving. Drivers have found this real-time report of fuel economy to be a useful tool for improving their fuel economy. Bison pilot tested in-cab heaters and the results showed that the heaters would have a payback period of two years on fuel savings alone, not including savings on engine life and maintenance costs. The company now has in-cab heaters installed in all of its trucks. Although specific numbers are not available, fleet idling time has reduced considerably since the addition of the heaters. Drivers are allowed to idle their engines overnight when the temperature drops to -20°C or lower.
Satellite communications
To further improve its operating efficiency and customer service, the company added satellite communication and on-board computer capabilities to each power unit. This has allowed Bison to improve the accuracy and timeliness of its fuel economy data. All units are downloaded twice per month. The fuel economy reports for each month truly reflect that month's results, not a mixture of results from several months. Satellite tracking has reduced the time that drivers need to spend on the phone to provide routine information such as location, logbook hours and basic dispatch information (clients address, spelling names, how to get there, etc.). This saves a lot of time for both the driver and the Fleet Coordinator. That time is now spent on managing people. For example, more time can now be spent interacting with drivers in setting up loads, home time, hours of service, etc.
Fuel economy goals
Even with the improvements in operating efficiency and fuel economy that the company has achieved in recent years, it is looking for further improvement. Each improvement of 0.5 litres per 100 km (0.1 mpg) reduces their fuel bill by about $280,000 a year. Bison’s goal is to improve their fleet fuel economy by at least another 2.2 litres per 100 km (0.5 mpg). This will be accomplished through a number of initiatives. A new fuel economy reporting system provides a monthly summary of fuel use by vehicle including fuel economy, total fuel consumed, fuel consumed while idling, cost of fuel consumed while idling and average vehicle speed. This information can also be used to guide future vehicle purchasing once the most fuel-efficient vehicle types for Bison's operations are identified. This system can also be used to help develop company programs aimed at improving fuel economy, such as an anti-idling program. A large portion of Bison's idling time occurs in the summer, when the engine idles to keep the cab air conditioned. Bison is now beginning to look at in-cab cooling systems.
Fuel economy incentive program
As an incentive to Drivers to be as fuel-efficient as possible, Bison has developed a fuel bonus program. The on-board computer and satellite communication system makes such a program feasible for Bison as it provides the data necessary for timely and accurate results. The on-board system tracks performance by driver. This is a critical point for Bison because it does a lot of slip seat operations, which means more than one driver uses a specific truck. With this system, it can pinpoint a Driver's performance no matter what unit the driver operates or who else operates it. Using historical fuel economy data, the company has established a fuel efficiency benchmark for each of the tractor types in its fleet. If drivers exceed this target for a three-month period, they receive a financial bonus. The more they exceed the target, the larger the bonus. Every driver is eligible for the bonus as long as the target is met. The target has been set so that a certain percentage of drivers already exceed the benchmark. The program gives drivers the motivation to improve.
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