UPS , the logistics firm that has attained its own place in folklore – and reality – for eliminating left-hand turns from its package-delivery routes, has once again left other companies in the dust when it comes to fuel savings and emissions reduction.
According to the Atlanta-based company’s latest sustainability report, UPS's U.S. package volume rose 1.8 percent in 2010 compared to 2009, but it reduced the amount of fuel consumed per package by 3.3 percent. The company attributed the improvement to deploying the right vehicle on the right routes, using technology to minimize the miles driven, and focusing on how behavior can affect fuel use.
All told, technology enabled UPS to avoid driving more than 63.5 million miles in 2010 with an associated emissions avoidance of 68,000 metric tonnes. That distance is the equivalent of 251,987 trips to the International Space Station.
“Fuel represents not only a major cost factor for UPS but also a major source of emissions that impact the environment. It makes sense for UPS to report extensively on how the company is doing its best to lower its net fuel use,” said UPS Chief Sustainability Officer Scott Wicker.
- In order to cut costs and deliver more every day, UPS used:
- Routing technology, which reduced the miles flown and driven;
- Loading optimization , to deliver more packages with fewer vehicles on the road; and
- Telematics, to monitor vehicle performance, driving routes, and employee behavior behind the wheel.
In fact, telematics, alone, saved 15.4 million minutes of engine idling time in 2010. “The data we gather from Telematics enables us to make small adjustments with big payoffs,” said Wicker. “For example, one of our metrics is “stops per mile,” which measures our ability to deliver more packages with fewer engine restarts. Increasing the number of stops per mile by just 0.01 percent in 2010 was the equivalent of not driving 9.13 million miles.”
This year, UPS also became the first U.S. corporation to use a major accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP, to “assure” its sustainability report. The report also was reviewed by the Global Reporting Initiative.
“This sustainability report outlines how UPS supports social, environmental, and economic value not only today but for the foreseeable future,” added UPS Chairman and CEO Scott Davis.
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Cheryl Kaften is an accomplished communicator who has written for consumer and corporate audiences. She has worked extensively for MasterCard (News - Alert) Worldwide, Philip Morris USA (Altria), and KPMG, and has consulted for Estee Lauder and the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspapers. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Jennifer Russell
