The truck transport industry is facing two major problems - the rising price of diesel and a shortage of skilled drivers. Between them, these issues are placing considerable strain on the profitability and sustainability of the transport sector, which in turn negatively affects the national economy. From a global perspective, too, there are new pressures on our local truckers, notably the need for vehicles to burn cleaner, writes Paul Collings. 

Amid intense media coverage of climate change and global warming, politicians around the world are gearing up to implement legislation aimed at controlling carbon dioxide emissions. Whether or not one accepts the ecological predictions of Al Gore or the counter-arguments of his critics, it is clear the global village needs to become more environmentally friendly. South Africa's trucking industry, as a sizeable carbon dioxide generator, can make a major contribution in this regard by using advanced Fleet Management technology to significantly reduce its fuel consumption, 

While commercial truck transport may contribute only 4% of the world's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, no sector of society can excuse itself from the responsibility of conserving our environment. For truck fleet owners, there is no conflict between conservation and profitability. Ensuring optimum utilisation of natural resources actually saves money by reducing waste and pollution. Achieving this means managing our human resources more effectively. Fortunately, technology is available to help operators and drivers reduce fuel consumption considerably.

Star Trek vs Jurassic Park
Much of South Africa's truck transport industry is characterised by a focus on quick turnaround times. Drivers, often poorly skilled, are pressurised to collect and deliver freight as quickly as possible. Many operators incentivise their drivers on the basis of trip times and/or loads delivered in a given period. Drivers therefore focus on speed, rather than fuel efficiency.

"There needs to be a general attitude change among owners and drivers," says Christopher Crookes, national manager - training, Scania South Africa. "Drivers should not be incentivised 'per trip' as they so frequently are. This compromises safety and efficiency. Operators need to become more sophisticated and focused on empowering their drivers to become 'trip managers', incentivised on overall efficiency rather than just on how many kilometres they can clock or loads they can deposit. Using Fleet Management (FM) technology is an integral part of this process."

These sentiments are echoed by Mark Rousseau, DigiCore's Fleet Management MD. "It's about implementing fleet discipline effectively. Reducing fuel consumption can be best achieved by using technology to train and manage drivers. In the case of fuel saving, this means monitoring and managing vehicle speeds and routing across the fleet."

Orbtech's MD, Allen Harington says, "A new approach is needed to change driver behaviour. Drivers affect the profitability of the operation and every operator therefore has an obligation to train drivers to be more efficient; better equipped to manage the relationship between speed of delivery and reducing running costs."

Right foot logic system
The range of technology tools available to help fleet managers improve driver and vehicle performance is growing monthly. The modern 'new tech' truck has an on-board computer linked to a CAN-bus system that controls and accurately records all the vehicle's vital functions and can be interfaced with any number of 'plug and play' instruments designed to report on vehicle and driver performance.

Brian Kerr is head of the driver-training team at Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicles. His job is not confined to simply teaching drivers how to pilot the latest Merc trucks professionally but includes benchmarking the fuel consumption of new Merc models across various routes.

"An indispensable tool for me to train and benchmark is the Siemens VDO EDM eco (distributed by Control Instruments-Automotive), a fuel management system that plugs into the truck's CAN-bus. It generates fuel consumption data and driving-cost figures in real time and stores trip information to be downloaded and crunched through its reporting software."

Diesel smarts - the Siemens VDO EDM eco measures what is being used in the combustion chamber and reports on this in several ways, delivering data that helps cut fuel costs.

EDM eco č un sistema interattivo di misurazione dei consumi in grado di visualizzare il consumo attuale e medio di carburante oltre ai costi accumulati.
As a driver-training tool, the EDM eco is unique, explains Kerr, "I use it as an in-cab training assistant because it has a graphical interface that drivers can easily interpret, without distracting them from the task of driving safely and economically. When too much fuel is being used, a fuel pump nozzle is displayed. When the driver is fuelling the truck optimally, and thereby saving diesel, a piggy bank is displayed. It also helps illustrate how correct gear selection and use of the retarder affects fuel consumption - simple but effective."

According to Control Instruments-Automotive's Terry Savage, "the CAN-bus interface makes it more accurate than previous fuel-flow meters because it records the amount of fuel being combusted, rather than fuel volumes passing between the inlet and refuelling pipes of the diesel injection system. The software allows fleet managers to compare per-driver consumption with benchmarked figures, either in report form using the bundled software or on the hand-held/dash-mountable display unit. Whenever a moving truck exceeds the benchmark limit, a buzzer in the cab is sounded to warn the driver." 

Operators can easily reduce fuel consumption by 5% using the Eco-EDM, says Savage. "The system can pay for itself in a matter of months. While each truck will need the CAN-bus interface box, only one portable display unit is needed to download data from all vehicles."
 

	Brian Kerr benchmarks fuel consumption in a new Mercedes-Benz Actros using the EDM eco     DigiCore's Fleet Management MD, Mark Rousseau

Getting the bird's eye view 
Factors contributing to fuel consumption extend beyond what a driver is doing with his 'throttle-foot'. Assuming a vehicle is properly serviced and loaded, fuel costs can be significantly reduced if routes are scheduled optimally, idling durations are limited and speeding and over-revving curtailed. Again, it comes down to driver training and real-time reporting. 

The convergence of satellite and cellular communications technology is constantly delivering cheaper and more comprehensive reporting functionality to Fleet Management and vehicle tracking systems. Today, fleet controllers are informed of vehicle problems and driver violations as they happen. Messages are transmitted from truck-mounted GPS and GSM 'black boxes' to the PCs and handsets of base-station personnel, enabling prompt corrective action to be taken. 

"Fleet managers can choose to configure FM systems as their needs dictate. When it comes to fuel consumption, any excessive idling, route deviation or over-speeding can be reported immediately. Individual driver 'timeline' reports can be combined into a larger 'all-driver' report, showing graphically which drivers are saving fuel and which aren't, which can be used really effectively in driver-incentive programmes," says Theunes van der Westhuizen, Fleet Management manager, Scania South Africa. 

"The collaboration between Omnibridge and Scania South Africa has given Scania owners an invaluable fuel-efficiency tool where the FM 300 Communicator system integrates with Scania CAN-bus to power the Scania FMS software. The reporting capability of these integrated technologies effectively puts a fleet controller in the 'driver's seat', with Google Earth satellite photographs and maps providing a true picture of what the 'ground zero' situation is with any given truck at any given moment." 
 

Standard Bank's Chris Prinsloo and  George Allen

Going green on a shoestring
In an industry riddled with price wars, many local truck transporters may not be sold on the idea of spending thousands of rands on a black box for every truck in the fleet. This does not mean they can't be proactive in reducing their fleet's fuel consumption. For a monthly fee of R1,50 per vehicle, Standard Bank offers its fuel card holders an 'inter-active', web-enabled 'Fleet Information Management System'. 

"The system allows fleet controllers to manage their fleets by exception reporting, using either standard exceptions or by creating their own parameters for the measurement of vehicle activities and costs," says George Allen, head of Fleet Operations for Standard Bank. "Advanced graph functionality, the creation of exceptions and a predictive model which enables fleet managers to forecast expenses, deliver a comprehensive fleet data-processing tool that's easy to navigate and understand." 

While the reports from this system reach the client only the following day, the information is sufficiently current to pinpoint trouble areas and remedy them timeously, adds Allen.

Entry-level GPS/GSM vehicle tracking systems now generate sufficient trip information to compile fuel-consumption reports. "Fuel wastage can be limited just by ensuring a vehicle stays within the speed limit and travels the stipulated route," says Digicore's Rousseau. "A low-cost tracking unit can inform managers via SMS when a vehicle is straying from a pre-defined route or area, when it idles excessively and when it exceeds the speed limit. Fuel savings are very much a part of the DigiCore offering, even with entry-level products. Our products are used in over 17 countries around the world and fuel savings of between 5% and 10% are the norm."
 

Theunes van der Westhuizen, Scania's FM manager

The benefits extended
Reduced fuel and vehicle maintenance bills can, of course, give operators a competitive edge. "The savings can be passed on to the customer, providing a definite marketing advantage," says Scania's Van der Westhuizen. 

It isn't beyond the realm of possibility that the near future local transport operators will, to acquire contracts, have to produce a 'green' certification (like ISO 14000 perhaps) where truck emissions and fuel consumption figures are audited annually.

"In a scenario such as this, FM reports are integral to the auditing process," Rousseau explains. "DigiCore looks after the FM needs of Thames Water in the UK, where environmental care is very much a part of best-practice operations. The C-track system has made possible a 10% fuel saving across a fleet of 1 200 vehicles, and a reduction in CO2 emissions of almost 429 tons."

Black boxes go green... GSM unit on the right, GPS unit on the left

Driving the green imperative
When used correctly, FM systems can significantly enhance the efficiencies of both driver and vehicle. "Savings in fuel costs are usually the first signs of an effective FM system implementation," says Scania's Crookes. "What is important is for operators to reward their drivers financially for reducing fuel and other running costs so that they regard the technology as a partner, rather than a policeman."

The need for all organisations to adopt 'green' policies and processes is becoming part of the new global business landscape. South Africa ranks in the top 20 of the world's heaviest CO2 emitting nations (largely due to Eskom's coal-burning power stations) and will have to start implementing emissions-control strategies, as defined by the Air Quality Act, to stay afloat in the emerging global 'carbon economy'. 

As 'clean air' legislation rolls out, local truck transporters will be subjected to stricter vehicle emissions controls. For those with the right approach, this could herald the start of a new era in commercial transport, where only certified 'green' operators are contracted to haul freight. One can be sure that at the heart of these organisations will be a well-used FM system, a healthy truck fleet and a fuel-efficient, incentivised team of drivers.
 

Fleet management technologies are integrating to give greater control over diesel costs.

It's a win-win
Whether your motive for 'going green' is earning `greenbacks“ or saving the environment, there's no doubt that FM technologies promote fuel efficiency, providing both financial and environmental benefits. Al Gore would surely give them his full support. His wife would too. Her name is Tipper.