In a recent conversation with the Pace® Fleet Manager James Johnson and Vice President of Operational Infrastructure Glenn Feazell, we shed light on the current composition of the company’s fleet, as well as the challenges and opportunities faced in pursuing sustainability.
Current Fleet Makeup and Strategies
The Pace® fleet plays a pivotal role in day-to-day operations, encompassing tasks ranging from courier services to field sampling.
Currently, the fleet is mainly composed of gas-powered vehicles, with some diesel trucks. With more than 500 vehicles making up the fleet of mostly cargo vans and pickup trucks, the Pace® team is constantly working on new ways to introduce sustainable measures into the process.
Pace® Fleet Manager James Johnson has introduced a new strategy to maintain a fresh fleet. Adopting a four-year model, Johnson ensures that vehicles are regularly upgraded, contributing to improved fuel efficiency, reduced emissions, and better safety standards.
Given the amount of miles Pace® vehicles accumulate every day, the wear and tear on the vehicle begins to degrade its performance after four years, thus negatively impacting sustainability. Decommissioned vehicles are thus externally auctioned and new vehicles are purchased in their place.
The industry standard is to drive a vehicle until it fails, a model in which Pace® no longer operates. One aspect that cannot be controlled is that through acquisitions, the company acquires many older vehicles. But there is a plan in place.
“If we replace 100 vehicles a year, which is about what our average is right now, then we will usually replace the oldest ones first,” Feazell said.Like the transition to the four-year model, Pace® is consistently exploring innovative measures to enhance sustainability.
Clean Energy Fleet – Transition and Challenges
While pursuing a sustainable fleet is a high priority for Pace®, there are many obstacles within the industry. Though there is potential for electric vehicles in the future should the technology improve, there is a lack of national infrastructure to support an electric vehicle program for Pace®.
“There are not enough electrical charging stations for our vehicles,” Johnson said. “We drive an average of 34,000 miles a year per vehicle. The largest charge on any electric vehicle right now is 326 miles. We cannot expect our drivers who run from 4 a.m. until 11 p.m. to stop every two hours to charge to continue to do their jobs. It is just not viable.”
In fact, Feazell did the math. With the miles of every vehicle added up at the end of the year, there are enough to go to the moon and back 11 times. Along with concerns about the insufficient number of charging stations, the lack of heavy-duty electric vehicles also poses a problem for the Pace® fleet.
“The majority of our fleet are moving coolers and heavy items or going on worksites,” Johnson said. “They are driving on dirt roads, driving through mud or going into mines. They are doing a lot of things where a sub-compact car could only make it eight feet down the road before we would have to tow it out.”
There is an innate desire to adopt electric vehicles at Pace®, but technology and infrastructure must first catch up with reality. However, there are number of ways Pace® is making its fleet more sustainable.
Sustainability Measures in Place – Fleet Optimization
Despite the obstacles in the way of transitioning to electric vehicles, Pace® is actively implementing measures to reduce emissions and enhance sustainability. Key initiatives include reducing vehicle idling time, upgrading to more fuel-efficient vehicles, and exploring cost-effective alternative fuels.
One of our biggest sustainability measures is the adoption of telematics. With real-time GPS tracking, telematics allows Pace® to optimize routes, monitor vehicle health, and schedule timely maintenance.
“One of the big things that we have done is to reduce idling time for vehicles, which of course, reduces wear and tear and maintenance costs,” Johnson said. “This has doubled our fuel efficiency.”
This measure improves operational efficiency and contributes to lower emissions and reduced maintenance costs.
Route optimization also has great benefits for the environment and for customers. Drivers have the best routes mapped out for them accounting for distance, traffic and other obstacles they may encounter along the way, which will reduce emissions. For customers, they are going to see on-time deliveries and uptime for vehicles. A fleet of newer vehicles means less time on the side of the road needing repairs.
Furthermore, Johnson highlighted the importance of sustainable disposal. “Part of sustainability with tires is finding the proper disposal methods,” Johnson said. “We cannot just throw tires in landfills. There are companies out there that will negotiate a tire program for us.”
One of these programs involves grinding up used tires and putting them into the roads themselves.
“From a Pace® fleet perspective, we are going to be sustainable. We are going to be sustainable from a fiscal, environmental and employee perspective.” Johnson said.
This includes training as well as monitoring of how a driver’s actions and driving habits can impact the vehicle from harsh accelerating, which can waste fuel, to harsh braking and cornering which can damage the vehicle. Minimizing these actions will increase sustainability and driver safety.
Sustainability Trends in the Industry
We wrapped up the conversation by discussing emerging sustainability trends. Some of the most relevant ones include the availability of more fuel-efficient vehicles, alternative fuels like compressed natural gas, and a focus on environmentally friendly disposal methods for vehicle components like tires.
As there is always room for improvement in the ever-progressive sustainability sector, Johnson prides himself on keeping his ear to the ground, staying up to date with the industry standards and any new sustainable options for his fleet, while Feazell said Pace® is taking every little measure into account for fleet improvements.
“From a sustainability perspective, we want to do the right things, we want to have a fleet that is known to take care of the environment, especially in our business,” Feazell said. “While we are out preaching it every single day, we want to make sure we have the most efficient vehicles doing the least amount of harm as possible.”
The Pace® Fleet Management Team exemplifies a proactive approach to sustainability, balancing the need for operational efficiency with environmental responsibility. As the industry evolves, Pace® remains dedicated to adopting innovative solutions that align with our commitment to a sustainable and efficient fleet.