Monday, April 26, 2010

UPS Brings it by Bike

Guest post by Jennifer Shelby

In California and Oregon, a few UPS district managers made a decision on a local level to use bicycles with a trailer attached to deliver packages during the Christmas of 2009.

By making the decision to switch to bicycles, UPS could have saved $45,000-$50,000 in truck rental fees, maintenance, and fuel expenses. The bicycles took the place of 20-25 trucks that would have had to be rented for the extra workload of the Christmas season. Not only did this save UPS money (UPS declined to give actual figures), but it is predicted that just using bicycles in those few local markets will have an impact on the overall efforts of UPS to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

UPS has been looking for ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions since 2008; however, using bicycles are not in that plan presently on a corporate basis. In 2008, the fuel from delivery trucks accounted for 33% of the greenhouse emissions. Since that time UPS has implemented a software program that eliminated left hand turns. By eliminating left hand turns UPS saved 3 million gallons of fuel and 28 million miles.

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