You just ordered a last-minute item that must arrive by its estimated delivery date. Without a fleet manager, your delivery would either be delayed or not even delivered- as managers are responsible for planning the logistics of their fleet’s transportation. There is a lot more responsibility in being a fleet manager than ensuring items get delivered on time and are in charge of anything and everything in a fleet, so let’s break it down.
What is ULEZ?
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is a traffic pollution scheme designed to help reduce exhaust gas emissions of diesel-powered commercial vehicles across London, United Kingdom.
Why do we need ULEZ?
Transport for London reports that London’s current air pollution levels are increasing people’s risk for both heart and lung disease and asthma. Road transportation is one of the biggest contributors to this air pollution.
“Around half of emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) come from transport. They contribute to illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM) – pollutants which make chronic illnesses worse, shorten life expectancy and damage lung development,” the study reported.
What are the ULEZ standards?
The standards include:
- Euro 4 (NOx) for petrol cars, vans, minibuses and other specialist vehicles
- Euro 6 (NOx and PM) for diesel cars, vans and minibuses and other specialist vehicles
- Euro VI (NOx and PM) for lorries, buses and coaches and other specialist heavy vehicles (NOx and PM)
- Euro 3 for motorcycles, mopeds, motorised tricycles and quadricycles (L category)
What does this mean for my fleet organisation?
For fleet management organisations, the ULEZ standards mean you should start opting more more modern, low emission vehicles. If your fleet vehicles are in the older category, they may not be compliant with the established standards. There asre several tactics you may try in order to achieve and maintain compliance, with the trickiest option being to simply move your green vehicles into the ULEZ zone and your out-of-compliance vehicles out of the zone.
For long-term success in green initiatives, you should develop a strategic replacement plan for your older vehicles. This plan should answer the following questions:
- Do you have a capital plan that identifies all your compliant (Euro 6 vehicles) and how many non complaint vehicles will be running into London and a charge?
- What about the resell value of those old trucks ? Do you know what will be worth?
- When is the optimal time to replace an older vehicle?
If you cannot easily answer these questions, AssetWorks Capital Asset Management (CAM) can help. CAM is a comprehensive asset life-cycle-based management system, designed to help asset managers find ways to minimise capital expenditures and operating expenses by maximising the useful life of an asset. With CAM, organisations in the United Kingdom can reduce the cost of ownership and operation of their assets, improve operational efficiency and achieve sustainability goals laid out in ULEZ.
