Carrier Corp. is reducing fuel usage and global green house gas (GHG) emissions following a systematic analysis of its fleet of trucks and cars.

Carrier uses more than 3,000 vehicles for sales, service, and repair of commercial products. Through changes, Carrier was able to reduce emissions to date by more than 30% since 2006 through a variety of strategies, including right-sizing vehicles and monitoring driving patterns using global positioning system (GPS) data to removing unnecessary weight from vehicles.

Before right-sizing efforts began, Carrier service technicians used standard, one-size-fits-all vehicles. The business reality is that some need large trucks, while others carry less equipment and are better served by more compact vehicles that cost less and are more fuel efficient. Carrier changed its sales fleet as well, removing trucks and offering hybrids and smaller engine vehicles.

Carrier incorporated GPS technology in its service fleet, which provided visibility into driving practices. The system provides data for fuel economy performance across the country and has led to an average mile per gallon increase of nearly 7%. The GPS system is also being used as a dispatch tool to increase customer service. With their exact location known, service technicians can be deployed quickly in emergencies. Carrier’s GPS system generates data that has provided visibility to other savings opportunities, for instance, carrying unnecessary equipment in trucks increased both weight and gasoline usage; trucks now carry only the tools and parts that are required.

“Greening our fleet is another example of Carrier’s environmentally sound business practices,” says Erv Lauterbach, president, Carrier Building Systems and Services. “We've generated more than $1 million in fuel savings since 2008, and our reduction in GHG emissions since 2006 is equivalent to removing more than 3,000 cars from the road. We're committed to sustainability across our products, services and operations.”

“Green products start at green companies,” says John Mandyck, vice president, Carrier Sustainability & Environmental Strategies. “Greening our fleet is one way Carrier has reduced its greenhouse gas footprint by 33% since 2006. In addition to our broad portfolio of sustainable products and services, we’ve been greening our own company for two decades. That’s sustainability inside and out.”