Steps towards a sustainable fleet

Georgia Krause, Contributing Editor

A survey conducted by SAP and Oxford Economics in 2021 showed that nearly half of construction and engineering managers said thatSustainable developmentis their company's main focus. However, respondents also indicated that their companies were more likely to set sustainable development goals than to take specific measures to achieve them.

in the wake ofConstruction equipmentusing the organization to move towards sustainable development.convoysManagers must respond. But first, they must understand what is required of them.

Click here for a list of sustainability resources. Email rsutton@sgcmail.com with additional sources.

The challenge is to bring each stakeholder's expectations of sustainable development under one umbrella. How to definesustainabilityis subjective and depends on the goals set by each management. Owners and executive managers see sustainability as an investment in new business growth and long-term growth. Engineers and project managers focus on renewable materials and greener installations. When management issues a sustainable mission statement, facility managers understand that sustainable efforts affect nearly every project they touch. Need a little guidance? Yes, please.

“Sustainability is simply a set of good business and management practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the release of hazardous waste streams into the natural environment,” said Mike Brennan, CEM of CDMB Consultants. “Sustainability is not limited to emissions; it includes equipment, fuel andlubricants, maintenance facilities, mobility, and all other aspects of equipment operation.”

The use of sustainable products and practices is a voluntary choice for facility managers, except for those who support construction projects related to government regulations and standards. This choice will change as more and more project owners require green initiatives as part of their contractual agreements. Sustainability has the potential to become a stand-alonesector, with accreditation, counseling, and regulatory offices. However, the industry is still in its early stages, which provides an opportunity for organizations to get ready.

However, sustainable development is a rapidly evolving initiative that is more pronounced in certain parts of the United States (e.g., California). It is expected that other parts of the United States will follow not only California's lead, but also Europe's, leading to the development of additional standards and guidelines. Most heavy equipment managers are already reducing the environmental footprint of their facilities through proven practices such as renewable fuels, efficient petroleum by-product processing, use of alternative biofluids where applicable, and application of telematics data to support maintenance programs. Coordinating efforts with operations and purchasing can increase visibility.

Fleet managers are also being asked to expand sustainability efforts to include effective management of equipment assets in the short term with an eye toward ensuring maximum useful life in the long term. Dave Bolderoff, CEM, fleet manager for the Los Angeles County Sanitation District, said equipment asset managers are increasingly involved in economic planning for the organization.

“Extending the life of vehicles through proactive maintenance programs, using telematics data to avoid potential downtime, and final repair or disposal of old equipment are top priorities for [fleet] managers,” Bordroff said. “Their input on rebuilding and replacing equipment is invaluable because they've seen the machines work firsthand. They know the history.

“It's a balancing act,” he said. “From an executive's perspective, the total cost of the program is balanced with doing the right thing for the community. It's a challenge for fleet managers to balance effective maintenance programs and ecological standards with cost and operational reliability.”

ABOVE: The Los Angeles County Department of Health uses the new
A Tier 4-F engine powers this Caterpillar 657G scraper.

Bordelov has shifted his focus to renewablediesel fueland plans to make the fleet fullyelectrification. These initiatives are due in part to California's green initiatives and his own commitment to protecting the environment. “Companies that don't start practicing sustainable procedures will soon be left behind,” he said.

The Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP) and EquipmentmakersThe Association (AEM) is working together to identify the need for benchmarking and defining metrics to help contractors measure their sustainability goals.

John Meese, WM's senior director of operations support for heavy equipment disposal, defines sustainability as reusability. Since 2012, WM has capitalized on this by planning for multiple useful lives for each piece of equipment.Caterpillar (name)wheeledwheel loadersevery second of the fleet's useful life. Operations, maintenance and repairs are scheduled and performed with the understanding that every machine will eventually face a bare-bones rebuild and be returned to the field. meese estimates that he can rebuild and reuse WM's loaders and save up to 50% in new machine costs.

Mees“ approach is data-defined and well-thought-out. Based on maintenance and repair data, the company determines the future viability (i.e., ”reusability") of each vehicle, which is then slotted for rebuilding or removed from the fleet. Replacing used wheel loaders with newer Cat loaders improves technician productivity.efficiency, manages its parts availability and helps forecast consumable costs.

Where to start with fleet sustainability

The World Green Building Council defines the integration of all of an organization's sustainable practices and policies as coordination: the policy philosophy of one department needs to be coordinated with that of another department in order to put both into effective practice. Coordination requires each department to recognize how its actions affect the other departments as they all work towards life-of-equipment, cost-containment,renewable energyefficiency, among other goals.

Coordination is based on streamlining processes and using compatible metrics to measure progress toward goals. This means facility managers need to communicate with each department to clarify expectations and goals. Start by standardizing communication and terminology within the company for specific goals and metrics to help eliminate misunderstandings about direction and expectations. Look for measurable goals, set incentives and conduct regular reviews.

ISO 14001:2015, Environmental management systems, outlines a systematic approach that contributes to an organization's sustainability objectives and planning.ISO 14001:2015 provides support for terms and conditions, organizational roles and policies, planning actions and objectives, and operational performance assessment.

Sustainability software programs can centralize data for analysis and reporting. Programs can streamline workflow, track changes, ensure data traceability and validation, and allow other users to collaborate. Some software generates compliance reports and automatically submits them to designated agencies.