Most companies at the moment are being asked the same question which is “what are you doing to become more sustainable?” And as a transport company this does come as a bit of a challenge when using fossil fuels to power our lorries. As we touched on in a previous blog currently there is a mileage issue to using electric lorries for the type of general haulage we offer. But this could be an avenue for the future, especially with the development of electric and hydrogen vehicles.
But what can we be doing today to make Platts Transport more sustainable? Well the first thing that Platts Transport does is renew out our vehicles every 4-5 years. We currently have contracts with our suppliers to swap out our lorries for newer ones every 4-5 years – to ensure that engines are always up-to-date and most economical. Our Volvo lorries now include turbo–compounding which helps reduce fuel consumption, leading to better miles per gallon. Our Mercedes lorries are also helping us work towards our sustainability goals with an average return of 10 mpg, which considering our rural routes, is pretty good!
Another factor that Platts focus on is our tyre checks. Tyre checks are completed by a 3rd party company at Platts yard every week and are included as part of the 6 weekly checks that are performed on the lorries. As part of our drivers walk-round checks, drivers check our tyres everyday. Not only are these critical from a health and safety and compliance perspective, but they are also important from a fuel efficiency point. Did you know that tyres play a key part in fuel efficiency with an average of 20% – 30% increased fuel consumption from rolling resistance and defects in tyres.
At Platts, we take care in working with our drivers to get the best driving and efficiency, and our Transport Team monitor the driving styles of our individual team members, to make sure they are getting the best performance out of their trucks. This includes monitoring the trucks MPG (miles per gallon) and their driving habits. The Transport Team work with drivers to coach them how they can increase their trucks performance through looking at harsh breaking and the speed of the lorry of traveling. Our Transport Planner plots out routes for our drivers which use the best routes possible to maximise MPG. This can come as a challenge, as due to the nature of our sister company, Platts Agriculture -a large amount of our deliveries are to rural areas.
We are now supporting Platts Agriculture to offer a pallet collection service when delivering their palletised products to customers. We collect used and good-condition pallets from our existing customers on delivery to be reused again.
Platts Transport are always looking at the next way they can improve our carbon footprint and become a more sustainable company. Keep an eye on us for future developments, or get in touch with your suggestions, by email here.
Finally, why not watch Platts Agriculture’s latest video on sustainability for a flavour of how we’re working on our sustainability strategy across the group!