UPS Telematics Initiative Reduces Fuel Use

So far, the telematics initiative has yielded positive results, including reduced idling and fuel consumption, maintenance costs, and waste, as well as increased safety. Through telematics, UPS reduced idling by 15 minutes per driver per day, totaling 25 gallons of fuel per driver per year. While that reduction may seem a small change, on the large scale, it’s a major improvement. “When telematics is fully deployed in the small-package delivery fleet in the U.S., the reduction of idle time by 15 minutes per driver per day would save 1.4 mil-lion gallons of fuel annually,” Longino

said. “Multiply results like that by more than 90,000 drivers worldwide, and you can see the potential.” Maintenance is another key area in

which UPS will benefit from the program. Prior to installing telematics, the company performed maintenance at regular time intervals, regardless of a truck’s mileage or use. Now, UPS mechanics base maintenance decisions on the actual vehicle use and performance. Telematics also helps identify which parts to replace. For instance, UPS found, in some cases, mechanics were replacingfuel injectors when the truck simply required an inexpensive “O-ring.”Because UPS can more accurately determine the right time to pull trucks off the road for maintenance, the company can reduce downtime and wasted maintenance expenses.