SmartWay*
MENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY »
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Idle Reduction for Shippers
A Glance at Clean Freight Strategies
Take 25 trucks
idling 2 hours
per day
50 idle hours
50 idle hours
=
40 gallons for diesel
At $3.851 per gallon
=$154 per day
At 300 days per year
Projected savings of
$46,200
"No idling"policies and practices can improve air quality in and around your facili-
ties and docks, save fuel, and reduce your supply chain's carbon footprint.
What is the Challenge?
Drivers waiting to load or unload at a shipper's facility tend to let their engines idle for one of
several reasons:2
For comfortto power a heater or air conditioning unit.
To generate electricity for on-board appliances, electronics, and auxiliary equipment.
In extreme cold, to prevent fuel from gelling and the engine block from freezing.
Due to the outdated thinking that idling is good for the engine.
Out of habit.
Excessive idling is an inefficient and expensive use of diesel fuel and largely preventable source
of emissions. On average, an idling diesel engine will consume 0.8 gallons of fuel per hour
and emit more than 1 8 pounds of CO23 in addition to other pollutants such as fine particulates,
increasing the health risks for dockworkers and others at your facility.4
What is the Solution?
You may not have direct control over driver behavior but you can influence it while a driver and
truck are at your facility. Here's what you can do to reduce or eliminate idling on your premises:
Institute a "no idling" policy with clear signage. Explain it both to drivers and their
managers, communicating in detail the rules that must be followed.
Offer preferential loading and unloading times and docks to fleets with no-idling
policies.
Establish climate-controlled "comfort stations" at your facility where drivers can wait.
Encourage and incentivize the use of SmartWay-verified idle-reduction devices:
Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) and gen-sets; direct-fired heaters; and automatic engine
shut-down and start-up systems.
Train supervisors and others with authority (including security personnel) how to
tactfully approach and discuss your no-idling policy with drivers, emphasizing
potential cost savings and reduced engine wear.
As a shipper, you have direct control over the amount of time drivers have to wait at
your facility to load or unload (a.k.a. detention time). By reducing detention time, you
can reduce the need for idling. Several factors contribute to excessive detention
time, including:5
Limitations at facilities, including the inability to drop-and-hook
and insufficient loading equipment or staff. These limitations can
be exacerbated when facilities over-book appointments and
create a backlog of vehicles.
Products not being properly staged, palletized, and ready
to load when the truck arrives.
Bills of lading and other documents are missing or
not properly filled out.
Scheduling practices that encourage drivers to line
up hours before the facility opens.
Continued
U.S. EPA SmartWay | EPA-420-F-16-005 | www.epa.gov/smartway
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SmartWay
MENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY »
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Idle Reduction for Shippers
A Glance at Clean Freight Strategies
Continued
Costs
Generally speaking, the capital costs for implementing and
maintaining a no-idling policy are low. The costs for signage
($50 or less for an aluminum sign) and for training employees
about the policy are nominal (these rules are usually
incorporated into regular orientation and training classes).
Offering drivers access to a waiting area at your facilities
should incur no costs. However, the cost to make those areas
appealing (adding TV, seating, vending machines, Wi-Fi and
electrical outlet access, a desk, etc.) will vary.
Savings and Benefits
There are several benefits to shippers that institute no-idling
policies at their facilities.
Reduced fuel-related charges: An idling diesel engine
will consume approximately 0.8 gallons of fuel per hour.6 Fuel
burned at idle can affect the calculation of the carrier's fuel
surcharge and potentially inflate your overall transportation
costs.
Operational efficiency: Detention impacts a driver's
ability to meet your delivery schedules and his federal hours
of service requirements by reducing available driving time.
Additionally, for about 65 percent of drivers, detention time
has resulted in lost revenue from either missing an opportunity
to secure another load or paying late fees to the shipper.7
There is an environmental cost to detention as well: every
minute a truck sits in your yard is an opportunity for the driver
to idle the engine and generate exhaust emissions.
Improved air quality: While more stringent heavy-duty
diesel emissions standards improve the nation's newer fleet,
millions of older diesel engines remain in use. These "legacy"
vehicles emit large amounts of nitrogen oxides and particulate
matter, both of which contribute to serious health problems,
NEC] ST-PS
including premature mortality and hundreds of thousands of
asthma attacks. These health problems result in millions of lost
work days, increased health insurance costs, and other impacts
to your workers.8
Newer heavy-duty truck engines (model year 2010 and later)
are required to comply with stringent emission standards for
oxides of nitrogen (NOx), frequently achieved by the use of
the after-treatment emission control technology called selective
catalytic reduction (SCR). When functioning properly, the
SCR system has been demonstrated to reduce NOx by up to
94 percent.9 However, under conditions where the catalyst
cools, such extended periods of idling, NOx is emitted in
higher amounts10 at untreated levels. To combat this, research
has been conducted on thermal management strategies to
maintain higher exhaust gas temperatures at lower engine
load to keep the SCR active and reducing NOx.11 However,
the most effective method to reduce NOx associated with
idling is to shut off the engine.
Savings: By lowering carriers' costs through 'no idling' rules
and preferred dock treatment, shippers might be able to
negotiate lower shipping rates. For example, if a warehouse
distribution facility has 25 trucks idling two hours per day,
this would equal 50 idle-hours or the consumption of 40
gallons of diesel (assuming 0.8 gallons per hour). At $3.85
per gallon12 (August 2014) this would cost $1 54 per day. For
facilities operating 300 days a year, this fuel consumption
would cost $46,200 and produce about 270,000 pounds of
carbon emissions (15,000 hours @ 18 pounds per hour). By
facilitating the reduction of diesel consumption by its carriers,
shippers help to lower the cost of their fuel, which is a savings
that may be passed on to the shipper.
A no-idle policy combined with efforts to reduce detention time
can improve the operational efficiency at your facility, reduce
detention-related charges, and perhaps position you as a
"shipper of choice" when carriers allocate capacity.
IPost "no-idling"
signage at facility
entrances, loading zones,
and docks. Signs must be
clear, easy-to-read, and
abundant. Use SmartWay
branding on the signage
to create awareness of
your organization's
commitment to freight
sustainability and environ-
mental responsibility.
2Communicate the
reasons for your no-
idle policy to your
employees, carriers,
and their drivers, and
incorporate the policy into
your carrier agreements.
3Establish a driver
comfort station where
drivers should stay while
their vehicle is waiting
to be loaded or unloaded.
4Take steps to reduce
detention times and
improve efficiency at your
facilities, including
scheduling appointment
times, training drivers to
be more familiar with your
operations, and provid-
ing the resources your
own dockworkers and
staff need to move goods
efficiently.
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