Lightening up

From miles-per-gallon to gallons-per-gallon.

One of the main focal points of PBG’s efforts to reduce its environmental impact is the fuel consumption of its vehicles and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions. And no wonder.

Those vehicles–nearly 26,000 owned or leased by the company, plus more operated by third-party carriers–use about 41.4 million gallons of fuel each year. In doing so, they travel millions of miles, moving beverage ingredients, finished products, coolers, vending machines, recyclable materials and more.

All told, PBG’s vehicles support a system that makes, sells and distributes just over 2.6 billion gallons of products a year. That works out to 0.016 gallons of fuel–about a quarter cup–consumed for each gallon of product that’s produced. Nevertheless, PBG is out to trim that gallons-per-gallon (GPG) figure even more.

Lightening up

Well before fuel prices shot into the stratosphere, PBG was working on ways to reduce its transport fleet’s impact on the atmosphere.

Shelby Green is PBG’s Director of Fleet Operations. He credits his team for realizing that the route to reducing emissions was to look at PBG’s fleet of trucks and trailers as opportunities to reduce fuel consumption and replace iron and steel with product and raw materials.

So PBG began working with manufacturers of long-haul trucks and trailers to find safe and practical ways to reduce the weight of the company’s vehicles. “Every pound we remove means we can haul one more pound of product in each load,” Green explains. “That kind of efficiency adds up quickly.”

He is quick to emphasize how much work and analysis his team put into the project. “Obviously, our main concern is safety. From the outset, we did our due diligence to see how any change would affect safety. We pursued nothing that could potentially compromise the well-being of our drivers or those who share the road with them.”

So far, PBG has converted about a third of its fleet of 300 transport tractors and about 10 percent of its 5,500 transport trailers to the new, lightweighted designs. Studies in one PBG business unit using the new trucks show a 16 percent increase in payload capacity with an 11 percent increase in fuel economy, the perfect combination for delivering more gallons-per-gallon.

Saving even more

Meanwhile, other strategies also are helping PBG improve fleet efficiency:

  • Drivers have been trained in techniques that burn less fuel and generate fewer emissions, such as calibrating for different types of wheels, axles and load weights.
  • On-board electronics restrict truck speeds to highway limits and prevent long idling times.
  • Sophisticated computer programs automatically calculate the most time- and fuel-efficient routes.
  • More accurate loading of customer orders accelerates delivery and moves PBG trucks to the front of the line at busy loading docks–and gets them back on the road more quickly.

And fewer trucks are coming home empty. Under a new backhauling program, PBG employees across the company who’ve just delivered products are making an extra effort to pick up empty bottles, can lids, boxes, pallets and other materials that would otherwise require a special trip, and more fuel, to transport.

“When it makes sense, PBG trucks will backhaul freight for our raw material suppliers to increase the efficiency of our transportation network while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution,” says Jim Farrell, PBG’s Senior Director of Transport.

While these successes are helping cut down on carbon emissions, Green, Farrell and thousands of others across PBG are looking for more ways to operate more efficiently. Fortunately, the wheels of innovation are still turning.

Off-the-road efficiencies

Brilliant results

PBG is well into a program to standardize facility lighting from traditional bulbs to the preferred option of T8 high-efficiency fluorescent bulbs that are 40-50 percent more efficient. With so many of its facilities operating during the night, PBG’s potential savings are enormous. The company has invested $6.5 million in the changeover so far, with another $3 million planned for 2008. On top of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of taking 17,000 cars off the road, the company is saving $1.5 million per year on electricity costs. Another bonus: PBG plants and warehouses are brighter than ever, helping to keep its facilities safe and comfortable for employees.

Sustainable right-sizing

In 2007 PBG launched a new initiative to remove or redeploy underperforming full-service vending machines. This “Fix FSV” program helped retire 74,000 older and less energy-efficient machines. By right-sizing its equipment inventory to reflect sales volume, PBG not only makes its supply chain more efficient but also reduces electricity usage by approximately 798,000 kilowatt hours. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, that’s equivalent to removing 36,000 passenger vehicles from the road.

*Answer: (C) Improve both fuel economy and payload capacity

Some roads lead to hybrids

PBG is testing hybrid trucks for deliveries in urban areas where the reliance on more battery power can yield higher energy efficiency and lower emissions.

Hybrid vehicles have gained a strong foothold in the consumer automotive marketplace. But is there a place for them at companies such as PBG? Quite possibly–although don’t expect to see hybrid trucks hauling trailers of beverages along the highways. For that type of work, they’re much less efficient than conventional trucks employing energy-saving technologies and routing strategies.

But in Fresno, California, PBG is testing a hybrid truck for moving vending machines around the city. The relatively light loads, coupled with stop-and-go urban driving, could well create the kind of conditions where hybrid designs shine. Other pilot projects are planned for Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.

?Did you know...*

By working with manufacturers to trim the weight of PBG’s trucks and trailers, the company has converted a sizable part of its transport fleet to lightweight designs. According to one study, the lightweight trucks:

A  Increase fuel economy at a slight decrease in payload capacity
B  Maintain the same fuel economy but allow for heavier loads
C  Improve both fuel economy and payload capacity

What you can do

  • Look for ways to do more with fewer trips in your car.
  • Accelerate slowly and steadily.
  • Maintain tire pressure at the recommended level.
  • Walk, bike, car-pool or take public transportation whenever possible.
  • Save money by switching to lightbulbs and appliances that carry the Energy Star logo.
  • Insulate your home, and use energy-conserving doors and windows.
  • Use a programmable thermostat set to 68 degrees in the winter and 78 degrees in summer.