Companies don’t have to wait for those new fuel-efficient cars that President Obama’s talking about to cut operating expenses. They can chop those bills by 7% right now.

That’s what fleet managers report they’re getting within the first 12 months after adopting PHH GreenFleet principles developed by fleet consultant PHH Arval and the Environmental Defense Fund.

And, they’re doing it without huge investments in technology. Instead, the key is driver and management education. The GreenFleet program focuses on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and lo and behold, it cuts costs too. For example, PHH Arvel announced last week that its clients are:

• cutting fleet operating costs by 7%
• increasing miles per gallon (mpg) by 16%, and
• reducing GHG emissions by 14%.

The program helps management select the right vehicle for the job at hand. It also links driver behavior to cutting GHG emission and fuel costs and explains how speeding, excessive idling and unauthorized use of vehicles hurts a company’s bottom line. The motor pool gets training on vehicle maintenance.

Some big names have signed up for the program. For example, Owens Corning expects to reduce its operating costs by 8%, increase average mpg by 18% and reduce GHG emissions by 15%. For details, click here.

The announcement echoes results from this summer’s 2009 PHH Arval Green Survey that found  most private and public fleet managers see the green mantra as a tool to cut operating expenses during these tough economic times.

The 2009 PHH Arval Green Survey can be downloaded here. A Web broadcast explaining the GreenFleet program can be viewed here.

Tags: fuel efficiency, GHG emissions, GreenFleet, Owens Corning, PHH Arval