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Sustainability and Risk Management in Car Fleets

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Austrian Post has laid the right tracks for vehicle fleet sustainability in the haulage and logistics industry with its future-oriented strategy.

The discussion about the sustainability of the automobile industry is currently going in different directions. From e-vehicles to hydrogen or renewable energy fuelled transport, there’s a lot to consider:  The CO2 balance should not only consider local emissions, but also pollutants during production, the logistics chain, and recycling.  In various calculations it can be shown that an electric car has lower emissions than a combustion engine after about four years of operation. While other studies show that a medium-sized electric car in Europe emits about two-thirds less harmful greenhouse gases than a combustion engine. With pure green electricity, the values are even higher.

In addition to these considerations, the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in many countries is currently still under construction and is therefore often a factor that prevents companies purchasing e-vehicles for their fleets.  For example, if we assume the charging process of an electric car takes about six times as long as filling up at the pump, 100,000 public charging units would have to be available for Austria alone to satisfy the needs of business and the public. Currently Austria has only about 20% of this requirement.

Austrian Post has laid the right tracks for vehicle fleet sustainability in the haulage and logistics industry with its future-oriented strategy:

  • It is not only equipping its fleet for electric or hydrogen mobility, but it is also ensuring its vehicles can be charged or fuelled enroute.  Furthermore, to guarantee the fleet is still driving efficiently, it makes sure the routes are also optimised
  • Its use of muscle power or partial muscle power, leads to an even greater CO2 reduction.
  • In the light commercial vehicle sector, Austrian Post is only using electric vehicles, and for heavy transport, the company is experimenting with hydrogen.
  • The issue of noise pollution also plays a major role in the Post’s field of activity. By operating electric vehicles or using vehicles powered by muscle power, noise pollution is massively reduced.

With this future-oriented use of alternative mobility, Austrian Post has steered its fleet towards sustainability.

Common car fleet pitfalls to avoid.

For vehicle fleets, it is important to keep an eye on the overall risk costs. In addition to passing on the costs to insurance companies, risk-reducing measures are particularly useful. By analysing individual damage lists, one can determine the frequency of different types of risks and react accordingly. Based on our experience, we have identified the following recurring problems:

  • Distraction by mobile phone: Thanks to hands-free systems, talking on the phone is no longer so critical, but the transmission of text messages or the use of the mobile phone as a navigation device (e.g. looking at the mobile phone display for the correct route) have increased enormously.
  • Visual impairment: If the driver wears corrective glasses or contact lenses for long-sightedness for example, it can be difficult to read the directions on maps or satellite navigation systems whilst driving. Theoretically, unless he/she has bifocals, he/she may have to switch between reading glasses and long-distance glasses. This leads either to a distraction when switching glasses, or to reduced visibility when reading the device without glasses.
  • Utilising the right vehicle for the job: This is especially an issue in the commercial vehicle sector, where loads must be delivered efficiently and economically. If you provide a vehicle that is too large, it could cause manoeuvring and parking problems for the driver. According to our findings, manoeuvring and parking activities are the most frequent cause of damage for commercial vehicle traffic. Many vehicles are equipped with parking sensors or cameras, however, where time and little space are at stake, these helpers are often ignored. With smaller vehicles, parking and manoeuvrability become easier, but then the economic savings and efficiency are lost.

We have seen many such damages not only have an impact on the damage statistics and thus on the insurance premium, but also on other company costs. For example, an employee is unable to work due to an injury caused by an accident, or the vehicle is not available for transporting goods whilst it is repaired which leads to reduced efficiency and additional costs. Accidents because of causes such as these, and many others, can be tackled with effective risk management.

Abad_Garcia_Jose

Jose Luis Abad Garcia

Competence Center Manager Motor

T +43 664 888 447 99

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