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Making a Difference: GreenFleet!

Article submitted by Matthew Wylie, GA-C, Director of Commercial Construction at AUI Contractors

I spoke with a colleague recently about changes being implemented in their company and had one of those stunning “Why didn’t I think of that first!” moments. After a round of golf….um, networking laced with much Green Building discussion, I was embarrassed as we dropped my clubs off at my big, bad, 5.7 liter Dodge Ram (yeah, it’s got a Hemi), and then proceeded to his Toyota Camry Hybrid.

The colleague, a Vice President of a sizable local MEP subcontractor, went on to tell me how he’s slowly replacing the existing fleet of Ford F-150 company trucks with 4-cylinder Toyota Tacomas. The efficiency difference between the trucks is approximately 6 mpg. That may not sound like much, but based on current fuel prices and a yearly average of 25,000 miles per vehicle, that’s approximately $1,700 per year in fuel savings. Consider a fleet of 50 trucks, and you’re talking about $85,000 in fuel savings for one year.

I couldn’t help but take this one step further and consider my own situation. I’m a closet tree-hugger. My ego is not in any way tied to my mode of transportation. Therefore, prior to developing a pretty nasty woodworking habit, I drove a VW Jetta and loved it….until I found out it would actually take flight if driven fast enough with a sheet of plywood strapped to the top. I’ve driven a truck ever since and have never been smart enough to come up with a way to get back in the Jetta.

The company I’m with provides me with an auto allowance and a gas card. Hmmmm….what if we kept one or two of those F-150s we’re replacing and parked them at the office for common use? Then, what if we offered an incentive to employees with vehicle allowances to drive an efficient set of wheels? I immediately ran to the nearest spreadsheet and discovered that if I were to get myself a new Jetta TDI, for instance, ditch the Hemi, and drive my typical 25,000 miles per year, I’d be saving approximately $3,500 per year, based on current fuel prices, not to mention the $1,300 tax credit this car will garner next April. I was stunned.

As a company initiative, this is a no-brainer. To the extent that an organization wants to perform an act of random kindness to our Earth, they could push the entire savings back to the employee. In the case shown above, that would mean an extra $289 per month on my paycheck. If the organization was a little more prone to “share the wealth,” even a 50/50 split would provide me with $145 per month and more than enough incentive to go find my long lost Jetta. The company would be saving $1,734 per year on my gas ticket.

Finally, imagine sharing this new company policy with a prospective client who is newly obsessed with Green Building. Imagine the weight this simple concept would carry in a presentation to this client. Our marketing department is foaming at the mouth. Like any other sustainable initiative, it’s a win-win-win-win-win proposition……and I’d never be embarrassed by my Hemi again.

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