The recent delivery of a Smith electric truck to Toll IPEC in Brisbane for an initial three-month trial was a first in Australia and indicative of how IPEC’s parent company, logistics giant Toll, is committed to applying new technologies and practices to reduce the consumption of non-renewable resources and greenhouse gas emissions.
Toll’s express road freight division has put the truck to work on a local pickup and delivery run to the east of its Larapinta depot, closely monitoring performance and cost effectiveness in what is an arduous task for any vehicle.
According to Toll Group Environment and Energy Manager, Nick Prescott, the company will use data from on-board diagnostics to monitor the vehicle in real-time to gain a realistic understanding of performance and, importantly, cost effectiveness.
Initial reports are that the vehicle is providing “exceptional” operating capabilities, but the underlying factor is the fact it produces zero emissions. According to Nick, it therefore fits neatly into the company’s on-going ‘Smarter Green’ program aimed at seeking further ways to improve Toll’s environmental footprint.
“It is a shining example of the things we’re doing as part of our environmental program, which looks at the use of smarter fuels such as biodiesels, compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG), but only when it makes operational and economic sense to do so. The Smith electric truck adds to the many CNG, LNG and hybrid vehicles we already operate in Australia,” Nick says.
“Improving emissions, safety and energy consumption and reducing our operating costs also benefits our customers. We are keenly aware that Toll is a key component of our customers’ supply chains. Our scale and global focus, combined with our ability to deliver integrated transport solutions, mean that we have a significant role to play in working with our customers to develop smarter, more sustainable supply chain solutions to reduce carbon emissions and other key environmental impacts, and of course costs.”
Toll has set an ambitious target to reduce Australian greenhouse gas intensities by 20 per cent by 2020 compared to 2010 levels, and is working closely with suppliers and customers to secure better emissions outcomes for the future. The Smarter Green program has been established to support this goal, focusing on six key improvement areas covering planning, vehicles, fuel efficiency, driving, facilities and energy types.
Read the full story in the current edition of Prime Mover – out now.