Understanding Green Transportation and Its Significance

As businesses digitize and expand their reach across geographies, logistics management has expanded its network to reach the last mile of the supply chain. Transportation is the wheel that propels this machine. 

However, according to Environmental Protection Agency, road transport is the major contributor to global warming and accounts for about 28% of annual greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.

According to the CDP, companies will lose $120 billion by 2026 due to supply chain disruptions caused by environmental risks.

So, if you want to compete in changing market, sustainability is critical, and green transportation is one way to reduce environmental impact.

Along with it, green transportation will save you thousands of dollars are they work on renewable resources like electricity which are way cheaper than gasoline.

In this article, we’ll discuss in detail the different modes of green transportation and how you can use them in your business.

So, without further ado, let’s get started.

What is Green Transportation?

Green transportation encompasses all environmentally friendly modes of transportation. Green transportation refers to a company’s practices to ensure that its vehicles and other modes of transportation are environmentally friendly.

Amazon recently made a significant contribution to green transportation by implementing electric vehicles as part of its effort to achieve carbon neutrality. Another example of green transportation is reduced mileage between stops for drivers on multiple routes.

Green transportation may differ slightly from one business to the next. A floral business, for example, may scale its delivery operations to account for seasonal fluctuations, whereas a plumbing business may use schedule optimization to increase efficiency. However, at its core, green transportation assists businesses in becoming more sustainable.

The Significance of Green Transportation

Although initially expensive, businesses that invest in green transportation technologies will save money in the long run. Green vehicle conversion can save up to $750 in fuel costs for every 15,000 miles driven. 

Electric vehicle owners also benefit from lower maintenance costs. These long-term savings multiply exponentially for businesses that manage large fleets with high fuel and maintenance costs.

Businesses that go green will benefit financially from shareholder investments and investing in sustainable transportation technologies as sustainable investing becomes more popular. 

Depending on your company’s green transportation initiatives, tax credits such as the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit may be available.

Going green will increase the efficiency and productivity of your business. Route optimization and other green transportation strategies benefit the environment and your bottom line.

Modes of Green Transportation

The existing modes of transportation use fossil fuel, oil, and gas to power vehicles, leading to pollution and various human health problems.

Promising innovative technologies may be the ultimate solution, but we can play an important role by utilizing eco-friendly modes of transportation that are currently available. Let’s look at some of the green transportation options available today.

For delivery industry

1. Bicycle

Bicycle may not be the best option for all products, but they may be ideal for a delivering letters and newspapers across the neighborhood. There is no gas, no pollution, and the delivery person even gets a workout.

2. Electric bikes

Electric bikes are excellent green modes of transportation because they  do not release harmful emissions like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Only light peddling is required with an electric bike. However, the speed of electric bikes is strictly regulated by law.

Electric bikes are a great option for delivering in downtown cities like New York.

3. Electric vehicles

Electric cars and trucks offer significant cost savings for businesses, particularly fleet vehicles that travel up to 100 miles per day on a regular basis. Although electric vehicles are expensive to purchase, they have significantly lower operating costs than gasoline or diesel equivalents. 

This makes widespread ownership more practical, reducing pollution, and saving you money.

4. Hybrid vehicles

Hybrid vehicles draw power using an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors, which use energy stored in batteries.  The hybrid car’s battery cannot be charged by plugging it in. Instead, the internal combustion engine and regenerative braking charge the battery. 

Greenhouse emissions from hybrid cars are extremely low; emissions can range from being 26% to 90% lower than emissions from standard vehicles. These vehicles provide a great mileage and can be beneficial for your business.

For personal use

1. Green trains

With most governments across the world now more committed than ever to supporting green transportation, trains are becoming more environmentally friendly, with hybrid locomotives and other innovative green technologies. 

Modern electric trains use electrified third rail, overhead lines, or energy storage devices such as fuel cells and batteries. The advantage of these electric trains is that they can reach speeds of more than 200 mph while remaining incredibly safe.

2. Carpooling

If you and others are going to the same location, you can share the ride . It reduces the number of cars running on the road significantly, lowering harmful emissions and traffic.

Some states, such as Arizona, have made this practice a part of their laws and regulations. There are special lanes designated for carpooling. Carshare apps like Uber are also adopting them.

3. Public transport

Generally, public transportation follows the same model as carpooling. Many countries are focusing on developing public transportation such as electric buses or metro in the cities to fight congestion and pollution. 

The vast majority of people in urban areas prefer public transportation as the cities have fewer parking lots; on the other hand, the public commute can save time and money.

4. Walking

Walking contributes to zero emission of any greenhouse gas. You can save money by walking to your local destinations. It helps clear your mind and does not require any planning. If you require additional support, purchase stable walking shoes and shoe inserts. Get your legs moving with family, friends, or solo stroll to help the environment.

Benefits of Sustainable Transportation

Green transportation and supply chain management requires a holistic approach characterized by environmentally friendly and socially responsible methods that address environmental, economic, and social issues. Not only will it benefit people and the environment, but it will also benefit your company.

1. Promotes health

Energy sources derived from fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, and oil emit toxic gases leading to an increase in cancer and other cardiovascular diseases.

Sustainable transportation promotes community health by lowering emissions and air pollution. If more people used public transportation or green vehicles to commute, pollution levels would plummet, allowing people to breathe easier and live longer.

2. Contribution to sustainable economy

Investing in sustainable transportation plays a significant role in creating new jobs. Building infrastructure to support public transportation, developing greener alternatives to diesel-fueled vehicles, and staffing these new modes of transportation will generate more jobs in the transport sector.

3. Cost savings

Using green transportation modes such as bicycles, multiple-occupant cars, and electric motorcycles will save you a lot of money on out-of-pocket expenses associated with purchasing gas at the pump.

4. Customer loyalty

As customers are becoming more aware of global warming, there is an increase in customer demand for environmentally friendly products and services. Customers also expect corporations to actively work to reduce their carbon footprint due to the environmental impact of large businesses. 

As a result, they prefer environmentally friendly businesses to those that do nothing to combat climate change.

5. Time savings

Route optimization software helps you become more environmentally conscious by streamlining your workflows and automatically identifying ways to reduce your environmental impact. ESG-driven systems, for example, track your company’s performance based on social and environmental factors to determine how green it is. 

Other tools, such as Upper Routing Planner, optimize the distance for you, saving time and fuel.

How Upper Can Help with Sustainability

Upper Route Planner, as an automatic route planning software, will automatically route you to your destination. It reduces the distance traveled to reach those stops. Upper Route Planner’s planning algorithm optimizes routes to accommodate more deliveries in less time, increasing the efficiency of your deliveries and saving you fuel and time.

When you have a planned route with proper navigation, you won’t have to deal with frustrating situations like taking the wrong route, getting stuck in traffic, spending more time at work, etc.

Consider a 7 days FREE trial of Upper Route Planner.

Conclusion

Eco-friendly methods will become an increasingly important topic as fuel prices rise and consumers emphasize combating global warming. Businesses can cut emissions by investing in all-electric vehicles, particularly road transportation, which accounts for a significant portion of global warming.

Although replacing an entire fleet requires significant investment, you can replace older vehicles with fuel-efficient ones and integrate route planning and route scheduling tool that will save fuel and greenhouse gas emissions from your vehicles.