ECOeffect Magazine Issue 2

Find out about training at www.ECOeffect.org

In this issue TRAINING THE TRAINERS

Romania kicks off

DEMO TOUR

Czech Republic report 4

CERTIFICATION

Driver Competence

Issue 2 Autumn/Winter 2012

The Magazine For Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Most Comprehensive Eco-Driving Programme

Training the trainers A first look at these key sessions

SUCCESS STORY

Ernst Express, Sweden 7

INTERVIEW

Gerard Reijers, HSF 10

Romania

Programme launch and first demo-tour in Romania

EU-supported programme looks to improve professional training quality for trainers and drivers, reports Ioana Ciorzan

NTRR, the National Union of Road Hauliers from Romania, launched the ECOeffect Programme on 26 July 2012, at Rin Grand Hotel, in Bucharest. Mr. Radu Dinescu, UNTRR Secretary General, thanked the guests for participating in this event and stressed the European Union emphasis on promoting eco-driving and increasing road safety. Following the success of the UNTRR’s first programme and the hauliers’ demands to be involved in professional training programmes for drivers, UNTRR responded positively to the IRU initiative to participate in the ECOeffect programme, along with Czech Republic and Poland.

A ROMANIAN PARLIAMENT PERSPECTIVE

Mr. Sorin Bota, a senator in the Romanian Parliament, made a short presentation of the Romanian Parliament’s vision for a competitive and sustainable transport system, in line with the objective of the European White Paper to reduce CO2 emissions by 60%. Addressing road hauliers’ concerns, Mr. Bota underlined the Romanian Parliament activities concerning the main objectives of the policy in road transport field, among them opening up the road transport market, setting up equal competition conditions and sustainable mobility. Among the objectives of road transport single market within the EU, the White Paper “European Policy

Tutorial sessions are designed to educate, inform and stimulate in the Transport Field” represents an important landmark in requiring road transport to reducing emissions by 60% by 2050. National policy concerning the transport infrastructure is focusing on the development of national transport infrastructure by connecting to the European transport network that will allow the rapid integration of the Romanian economy to the European market.

ROAD TRANSPORT WORKERS AND REGULATION

The representative of the General Directorate of Transport Regulations, Mr. Sorin Sîrbu, presented the regulations in force that were fully aligned with the European policy even before Romania joined the EU, focusing on the Regulation (EC) No. 1071/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October

2009 establishing common rules concerning the conditions to be complied with to become a road transport operator and repealing Council Directive 96/26/EC that linked the role of the road transport operator to the designation of a road transport manager for every road transport undertaking. Mr. Sîrbu stressed the signing into national law of all subjects of the Regulation that focus on the training, and other terms related to

accounting, business plan and management in general. By this Regulation the EU wants to harmonise all the conditions under which road transport operates in order to have fair competition, in view of liberalisation of road transport market.

REAL SOLUTIONS FOR ROAD HAULIERS TO REDUCE EMISSIONS AND FUEL CONSUMPTION?

Prof. Dr. Eng. Mircea Oprean, from the Polytechnic

Operators can use eco-driving training to reduce not only fuel consumption and costs, but also CO2 emissions

ECO news For full versions of these stories go to www.ECOeffect.org/ latest-news/

By completing the Train-the-Trainer modules, drivers become equipped to save time, fuel, money and, ultimately, lives University from Bucharest made a particularly interesting presentation of biofuels and clean technology development that sought to answer the question whether there are real solutions to road transport’s aims in reducing emissions and fuel consumption.

ECO TRAINER FOR FLEET COMMERCIAL TRUCKS AND LIGHT VEHICLES

Sharing valuable information on the European experience in the field, Mr. Gary Bridgeman, Project Manager, IRU, presented the advantages that transport companies might benefit from together with their employees following the training courses on eco-driving.

ECO-DRIVING AND THE CERTIFICATE OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE FOR DRIVERS (CPC)

Hedi Maurer, from Panteia, a Dutch transport training and research organisation, spoke about the necessity of harmonising professional competence within the EU Member States, their mutual recognition and the necessity to include eco-driving in the curricula of the programmes for drivers obtaining the highly important CPC.

CREATING AN ECOEFFECT

Joakim Gudmundsen, from ECOeffect partner GoGreen, a consultancy company from Sweden specialising in ecotraining programmes, presented the model on which road transport companies in Sweden are assessed concerning fuel consumption and driver behavior while driving, and after proper training using incentives for those drivers to follow a long-term monitoring period.

DIPLOMAS AWARDED BY THE IRU ACADEMY AND UNTRR

The graduates of the first “Train-the-Trainers” session in Romania were granted the IRU Academy Diplomas which were presented to the proud recipients by Mr. Constantin Isac, UNTRR President and Mr. Radu Dinescu, UNTRR Secretary General: Nicolae BĂLCESCU – Mercedes-Benz România Beniamin DELAMARIAN – Lagermax Autotransport Ionel POP-DILĂ – H.ESSERS Marian DINU – Poşta Română Florin IUHOŞ – UNTRR Arad Mihail OŢOIU – MercedesBenz România Cătălin TOMA – UNTRR București Cristian SIMIONESCU – Comdivers Auto RO

Constantin VLĂSCEANU – International Lazăr Company

IMPROVING PROFESSIONAL TRAINING QUALITY

Finally, Mr. Constantin Isac, UNTRR President stressed the importance of training from two perspectives – the reductions in fuel consumption and its monitoring and contribution to cost savings during the current economic crisis – when careful monitoring is required. An economy in fuel consumption between 5–15% can improve the economic activity of a transport company with what might work out at a reduction on between 2–6% in total costs. Special emphasis should be placed on the role of partnership between associate members and UNTRR, based on the idea that UNTRR is a qualified partner in the field, loyal to them and without political affiliation and is always interested in road transport development. In its relations with authorities, UNTRR is a credible and representative partner at branch level, but in order to address any problems carriers face, they must be disclosed to UNTRR. All presentations made at the demo-tour are available on the UNTRR website, www.untrr.ro.

A European Fuel-Saving Trick Is About to Catch On In the U.S. In Europe, about half of new vehicles sold come equipped with technology that shuts down the engine when a car is stopped, and starts it up automatically when the driver hits the accelerator (or takes a foot off the brake). It’s a neat fuel-saving trick, but in the U.S., this stop-start technology is installed on less than 5% of new vehicles sold. Executives with German auto parts maker Robert Bosch GmbH says that’s about to change. The Obama administration’s new fuel economy rules for the first time give auto makers in the U.S. credit for so-called “off cycle” fuel savings, which means that avoiding petroleum consumption by shutting down cars stuck at stop lights could give a car maker a 4-5% boost under the Corporate Average Fuel Economy scoring system, says Ulrich Muehleisen of Bosch’s North American unit. That’s a big deal for car makers for whom every tenth of a mile per gallon improvement is turf worth fighting for. By 2016, Mr. Muehleisen predicts, about half the new vehicles offered in the U.S. will have some form of stop-start technology installed. New Technologies can make Trucks Eco-Friendly Trucking is not renowned as the most environmentally-friendly mode of transport. However, recent technologies, fuelled by research and investment can provide some much needed relief to a truck fleet owner’s environmental concerns. Reducing a truck’s carbon footprint has a lot to do with prolonging its lifespan, or more accurately put, the life span of its components. Also, saving up on fuel is an essential part of being environmentally-aware. While some might argue that trucks are – and always will be – massive gas-guzzlers, the list below suggests that

Demo Tour

Tour of Duty: ECOeffect comes to Brno

Eva Šindelářová reviews the first ECOeffect demo tour in the Czech Republic and looks at the prospects ahead

o comply with ECOeffect’s sustainable target of disseminating the benefits of product by selling to customers, CESMAD Bohemia has focused upon the Czech transport companies as the main target group. We consider the haulage companies as the most frequent potential clients and customers in both types of ECOeffect training, TTT (Train-theTrainer) and EDP (ECOeffect Driver Programme). CESMAD Bohemia paid secondary attention to the other potential customers and interested authorities The essential idea of effective driving is very well known in the Czech Republic, particularly among professionals within the road haulage industry. Professional training in eco-driving and Safety driving has been provided for more than 10 years. The training courses consist of theoretical learning and practical driving, both in traffic situations or on a training/test track. The transport companies, namely the medium-sized and large companies are very interested in this way of saving costs. Particularly in the last couple of years when fuel prices, fees and charges (taxes and tolls) rapidly increased.. Drivers typically obtain the base knowledge of ecodriving techniques within their own company to coincide with the acquisition of a truck. They would usually receive one day’s training provided free of charge by the dealer. A

Drivers from all over the Czech Republic came to Brno to experience the Demo Tour part of the course would be to learn how to use and operate any new technology found in the truck.The implementation of the ECOeffect project started within very competitive circumstances in the Czech Republic. We have a number of projects (one on national level, three on the regional level) in the implementation phase within the same period 2011–2013. These projects are focused on the education of employees in the road transport sector and part of the courses are focused on eco- and safe-driving training. Only one course additionally provides the train-the-trainers module but all of these competitive courses mentioned above have one distinct advantage over ECOeffect. They are completely supported by the European Social Fund and the clients do not pay for the training. More than 770 drivers will be trained this way within the period 2011–2013. The training

courses mentioned above are aimed primarily at drivers and for the most part the trainers themselves are a secondary concern.. The current situation in the area of eco-driving training in the Czech Republic makes the starting position for both the ECOeffect project promotion and implementation and the sale of the ECOeffect training system rather difficult. With regards to this situation CESMAD Bohemia had to be careful to select and contact the right potential clients/customers. The choice is limited by the number of requests received from trainers for the

ECOeffect Train-the-Trainer programme. They have to have experience with ecodriving and have to assume the position for dissemination and transmitting skills and knowledge to the drivers. Moreover the trainer’s home company has to fulfill some experiences of technical and technological standards. The second limit relates to the fact that a potential customer can be the only company seriously interested and willing to put investments beyond the most basic eco-driving courses. Such potential customers can be found among the large and middle-sized companies.

DEMONSTRATING THE PROJECT

The ECOeffect Demo Tour is an event organised with the objective to introduce the ECOeffect project and its training system as a product for the Czech market. CESMAD Bohemia in its role as a project partner for the Czech Republic held the first Demo tour in Brno, in 18 September 2012. The main organiser of the event was the ECOeffect project team from CESMAD supported by the other project partners. A very essential part was played by a team of certified trainers from CSAD JIHOTRANS, the Czech pilot company, who provided the demo drives. One very important component for the successful organisation of the Demo Tour was the clear and simple definition of the ECOeffect system/product used in promotional materials and in the invitation card. The

ECO news performance, mileage and fuel consumption can be improved with a bit of effort and mindfulness. To boot, recent scientific discoveries unveiled by Siemens, suggests that trucks can be rendered almost completely eco-friendly.

most important moment was to define the ECOeffect product and to differentiate it from the other products that occupy the current eco-driving product space in the Czech market. At the end of July and in August 2012 CESMAD Bohemia addressed directly more than 300 road haulage companies by email, enclosing the invitation for the event and then some 150 selected companies were contacted by telephone in the middle of August. This way the companies could get more detailed information about the event. We also took out an advertisement in Transport Magazine (issue 8, August 2012) and in the weekly publication Dopravní Noviny. An invitation with the information and electronic registration form were also published on the web site of CESMAD Bohemia (www.prodopravce.cz). The total number of a mandatory registrations reached 32 registered companies and 52 registered delegates. The main purpose of the registration was to make a schedule of demo drives for participants provided by certified trainers and the truck from CSAD JIHOTRANS. The definitive participation in the Demo tour was 24 companies. The event itself had been organized together with another event, the Open day for dealers of the truck and vehicle brands, which also provided a natural link and the possibility for other visitors to come and see the

Demo Tour. The event was organized in two parts, the theoretical part represented by an introduction and presentation of the ECOeffect ehtos and the ECOeffect system as a product. This was followed by the practical part in the form of the Demo Drives provided by certified trainers and a training truck on the fixed training route in the Brno traffic. The Demo Drives continued throughout the whole day. All participants got the chance to get practical experience, ask questions and to see specific evidence of saving time, fuel and money due to driving the right way.

PUTTING THEORY INTO PRACTICE

The closing part of the theoretical introduction of the ECOeffect system was concerned with the price list explanation, followed by a discussion after the lunch break. Among the discussion points were the prices of the particular parts of the course: the train-thetrainer three-day course as a unit provided by software and hardware equipment, the one-day EDP driver training and the charges for sharing the EETS (ECOeffect training system data base) and accreditation fee both within and outside the scope of the project period. The issue of price became the most discussed topic among the participants, with the link between EDP training and driver monitoring during a typical day on the road also the subject

of much conversation. All participants were asked to fill out an evaluation form focused on how much they were interested in the ECOeffect system, what they though about the implementation of the ECOeffect system in their company and how much they are willing to invest the money required for such a system. The form also asked how much they were satisfied with the organization of the Demo Tour event itself. At the time of writing we have got back 20 evaluation forms – 19 participants declared an interest in the system, but they asked for more detailed information. Only the participants from the larger companies declared an interest in buying the system. We have to admit that these questions and few more very important queries were not, perhaps, answered by the ECOeffect team members sufficiently or clearly enough. We learned that in the following period of the project implementation we have to focus our attention on the detailed elements of the ECOeffect system and its sale. We have to know how to answer the questions of a potential customer clearly and simply… and to be able to give an answer immediately. Each customer of the ECOeffect product will need individual business care. At the end of October 2012 CESMAD began business negotiations relating to buying the system in eight transport companies within the Czech Republic.

Renault launch new driving programme Truck Fuel eco-driving, the new application developed by Renault Trucks, enables anyone to practice eco-driving an HGV on their SmartPhone or tablet. This is a serious game for learning how to anticipate the characteristics of the road and reduce consumption without compromising efficiency. The Truck Fuel eco-driving game developed by Renault Trucks and unveiled on video simulators at the IAA Motor Show in Hanover is now available for SmartPhones and tablets. Based on the type of conditions truck drivers actually have to cope with on the road, this application puts the player behind the wheel of a Premium Long Distance pulling a 40 tonne load, with the objective of driving it as fast and as economically as possible. Ten missions, with 10 different levels of difficulty, take the player over routes in urban or periurban areas, on motorways or combinations of these environments. At the beginning of each mission, players are given a set of specific objectives. For example, they are asked to manage their consumption when going uphill and downhill or when negotiating city traffic. Volvo offers fuel saver advice Volvo Trucks’ newly introduced Fuel Advice service helps haulage firms reduce their fuel costs by appointing a fuel advisor to assist them with both planning and follow-up of their fuel consumption. The results are long-term, with savings as high as 5 per cent, the company says. Fuel costs represent between 25 and 35 per cent of total haulage firm costs. At the same time, the hauliers’ profit margins are often very small, which means that every saving makes an important difference.

Certification

Measuring competence A review of the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence in Europe and the role of eco-driving by Dr. Hedi Maurer1 and Patrick Philipp2

irective 2003/59/ EC regulates the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers of certain road vehicles for the carriage of goods or passengers. In September 2008 the legislation came into force for bus and coach drivers (holding a category D, D1, D+E or D1+E licence) and in September 2009 for lorry drivers (holding a category C, C1, C+E or C1+E licence). The Directive requires the drivers to hold a Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) in addition to their vocational driving licence. Bus and coach drivers who hold a relevant vocational licence gained before 10 September 2008, and lorry drivers who obtained their licence before 10 September 2009, do not need to take the initial qualification. The CPC affects all professional drivers of lorries over 3.5 tonnes as well as buses, coaches and minibuses with more than 8 passenger seats unless they qualify for an exemption. This article gives some information on the content of the Driver CPC in the European Member States and the contribution of the ECOeffect training.

WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE DRIVER CPC? The overall aim of the Driver CPC is to update and accredit the skills and knowledge of professional bus and lorry drivers. This will positively affect the road freight and passenger transport sector through better staff performance. It

further improves road safety and the environmental impact through a more economical vehicle usage and reduction in fuel consumption and vehicle wear and tear.

THE DIRECTIVE 2003/59/ EC COMPRISES THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE AND KEY OBJECTIVES:

Concerning the Initial Qualification each Member State can choose between two options, either combining

to pass Initial Qualification Tests, which will assess their knowledge and skills of the subjects outlined in the Directive (Annex 1). Periodic Training keeps professional drivers up-todate with guidance and best practices in relation to their work. Driver CPC Periodic Training refers to the 35 hours of training that professional bus and truck drivers must complete every five years to keep their Driver CPC valid.

“Periodic Training keeps professional drivers up-todate with best practices in relation to their work “ both course attendance and a test or a test only. The purpose of the Initial Qualification is to raise the standard of new professional bus and truck drivers throughout the EU. All new professional drivers need

In successfully completing the tests and/or training required, drivers will be granted a Certificate of Professional Competence (“Driver CPC”), which will be valid for five years. All EU Member States have

Figure 1: The Driver Qualification Card

E L P M A S

committed to complete periodic training in 2015/2016 for category D and Category C respectively.

HOW IS THE QUALIFICATION RECORDED?

The CPC qualification is recorded either on the driving licence (code 95) or through the issuance of a separate driver qualification card (DQC), (see Figure 1). Some Member States, eg Finland, have chosen both options, code 95 on the driving licence and the Driver qualification card. Drivers are obliged to always carry evidence of their Driver CPC status while driving professionally. Otherwise they will be liable to penalties. This applies to drivers who are either nationals of a Member State or nationals of third countries who are employed or sub-contracted by a company established in a Member State.

WHICH SCHEMES FOR CONTINUOUS TRAINING APPLY IN THE DIFFERENT EUROPEAN COUNTRIES?

The periodic training comprises 35 hours every five years, given in periods of at least 7 hours. There is a wide variety of how the periodic training is implemented (see Figure 2): from 7 hours per year during 5 years to a 35hour unique session periodic training. In Germany for example, the organisation of the 35-hour PT is under the responsibility of each federal State (Bundesland). In France, the organisation (21h + 14h) is possible but rarely proposed.

ECO news

Figure 2: Implementation of the periodic training in different Member States

WHICH ROLE DOES ECO-DRIVING PLAY IN THE DRIVER CPC?

The current EU White Paper on Transport (European Union 2011, White Paper on Transport) highlights the relevance of eco-driving in the context of professional drivers’ qualification. It outlines to “include ecodriving requirements in the future revisions of the driving license directive and to take steps to accelerate the deployment of ITS applications in support of eco-driving”. Annex 1 of the Directive 2003/59/EC identifies various objectives that are related to eco-driving: optimising fuel consumption, minimising wear and tear, making better use of speed and gear ratio, making use of vehicle inertia, using ways of slowing down and braking on downhill stretches. ECOeffect supports these objectives by promoting the introduction of ECOeffect (eco-driving) training into

the CPC periodic training. To this end, the ECOeffect project under the aegis of the International Road Transport Union (IRU) has initiated meetings with National Authorities in Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic. The training helps drivers to drive more economically, to reduce fuel and vehicle costs and to improve road safety.

WHICH IMPACT DOES ECOEFFECT AIM FOR IN THE DRIVER CPC?

An objective of the ECOeffect project is to introduce the ECOeffect (eco-driving) training into the CPC periodic training in the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and other Notes 1 Panteia, Bredewater 26, P.O. Box 7001, NL 2701 AA Zoetermeer, The Netherlands Tel: +31 79 322 24 60 h.maurer@nea.panteia.nl

European Countries. This shall be achieved through: • Promotion of the project on the local markets • Direct meetings with National Competent Authorities, The role of the IRU Academy is to ensure compliance with high, internationally recognized quality standards of the ECOeffect training. The implementation of the CPC in the European member states is analysed by the ongoing European project STARTS. For more information, please visit: starts.iru.org/en_home For more information on ECOeffect, go to www.ECOeffect.org IRU Academy, 3, rue de Varembé, B.P.44, CH1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland Tel: +41-22-918 20 51 patrick.philipp@iru.org 2

“In order to succeed in cutting the haulage firm’s overall fuel consumption, the part played by the drivers is vital. Our driver training courses in ecodriving have proven themselves to be effective, but without professional follow-up the results are often short-term,” says Mikael Lidhage, Fuel Management Director at Volvo Trucks. That is why Volvo Trucks is now launching Fuel Advice, a personal fuel advisor whose aim is to help hauliers cut their fuel costs whilst at the same time maintaining these improvements in the long-term perspective. The service consists of three modules: Fuel Coaching, Fuel Management Toolbox and Fuel Management Support. The system requires that the haulage firm also appoints a specialist who is responsible for fuel efficiency and who handles all contacts with Volvo’s advisor. High fuel prices encourage eco driving More than a third of drivers keep their speed at a moderate pace in order to curb fuel consumption, according to new research released by Autoglass. Prices at the pumps have led to a change in attitudes towards driving, with close to half (45%) of male drivers choosing not to accelerate as aggressively as they would have a decade ago. A similar number (42%) of female drivers polled prefer using fifth gear as much as possible, to be fuel-efficient. The research also found more than half (56%) of motorists polled would like to own a more fuel-efficient car, if they had the option. However, despite current financial pressures, more than two-thirds (73%) would not consider teaming up with their friends or family to share a car. ECO Stars fleet recognition scheme expands The ECO (Efficient and Cleaner Operations) Stars scheme, which recognises fleets’ environmental achievements is now operating in South Yorkshire, Mid-Devon, Gedling (Nottinghamshire),

ECO news

Success Story

Education through motivation

Joakim Gudmundsen on how a Swedish company have been a fuel efficiency success

rnst Express is a trucking company based in Avesta in Sweden. The company’s focus is diversified, delivering steel, chalk and gravel as main deliverables. The company owns 34 trucks and have 44 drivers. They mainly drive with heavy loads and the trucks weigh around 60 tons. The environment is an important issue for the company and they invest a lot of money in this area. Ernst Express started to work towards reducing their fuel consumption with a new system of following the consumption on each truck in cooperation with Preem. It is a two-card fuelling system, where one card is for the truck and one card is tied to the driver. With this system in place the company started to measure their consumption for 12 months. Just by taking this simple measure, fuel consumption dropped by 4%.

THE EDUCATION PROCESS

It was now that Ernst Express’s drivers began being educated in the ways of ecodriving. All 44 drivers were signed up for the education programme and the company hired a part-time fuel-efficiency coach who managed the fuel reports and worked with communication and support for the drivers. The company also set a motivation system in place for the drivers. This saw 25% of the earnings in fuel consumption placed in a pot that all drivers that reduced their consumption could take contribute to. The drivers

Using eco-driving techniques Ernst Express drivers have saved the company over €120,000 in just one year that didn’t reduce their fuel consumption were, therefore, without incentives. The fuel-efficiency coach helped the drivers that didn’t do so well with their driving and

importance of doing this in the right order, starting by conducting the study of the present consumption before starting the education. “This is really important”,

after a while all the drivers took part in the earnings motivation scheme.

he says. Then the follow up work must be performed as well as the communication to and with the drivers on a regular basis. Andersson also talks about the importance of the motivation system as a driving force in the project.

“The initial investment has paid for itself several times over in the first year “

A HUGE REDUCTION

Just 12 months after the education programme commenced, Ernst Express had reduced their consumption by a hugely impressive 10%, which meant a saving of €120,000. The cost for the eco-driving education was just €12,000 which meant a return on investment (ROI) in less than 2 months. “This investment has paid off several times in just a year,” says Hans Andersson, fuel-efficiency coach at Ernst Express. He emphasizes the

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL ECO-DRIVING PROJECT:

• Start with measuring the current fuel consumption • Build up a system for communicating the figures to the drivers • Set a motivation system that suits the company • Set a plan for follow up and decide who is doing what • Perform the education.

Thurrock, Edinburgh and Falkirk. The scheme is aimed at HGV, LGV, bus and coach fleet operators and is free to join. More areas are expected to join the scheme in the coming months. Each new member is provided with a ‘road map’ action plan to help them progress to higher ratings levels. Advice is offered on fuel management, developing driver skills, vehicle specification and maintenance, use of IT support systems and fleet performance monitoring. ECO Stars claims new members could cut their costs by up to £2,300 per vehicles. The art of eco-driving A German automotive engineer claims to have helped design software that will enhance a driver’s skills while saving on fuel. “The foot of the driver has one of the biggest impacts on realworld fuel economy of a vehicle and was the starting point for the development of EcoMode,” said Thomas Schick, an engineer with the Ford of Germany’s Core Vehicle Integration. “This is a useful tool that creates awareness between personal behaviour and fuel consumption and offers hints on how to improve. Applying those hints and recommendations is all up to the driver.” EcoMode is a software application aimed at helping coach customers in the art of eco-driving – and then rewards those that practice more fuel-efficient driving skills with in-car kudos displayed on the instrument cluster. It is available on the new Ford Focus. ACEA call for newer and cleaner trucks At the International Motor Show in Hanover, the commercial vehicle members of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) cautioned that the benefits of the latest emissionreducing technologies will not be felt unless new vehicles are actually put on the roads. The introduction of EURO VI has been a major achievement

For Drivers, Fleet Operators and Training Centres, the ECOeffect training programme increases your competitiveness By applying for the ECOeffect course Drivers will: • • • •

get a qualification at EU standards be less stressed and more productive be safer in any situation on roads meet their employers’ requirements

Fleet Operators will: • • • •

receive practical guidance on how to increase performance and quality of their drivers strengthen their market position in Europe save fuel and money increase their social responsibility and image of the company

Training Centres will: • • • •

be accredited by IRU Academy improve their training methods, knowledge and skills of trainers meet the latest EU requirements provide an official, EU-recognised CPC - Certificate of Professional Competence for Drivers

Find out how now! WWW.ECOeffect.ORG Certified by media

Interview

Making a difference Gerard Reijers is the Dutch director of HSF Logistics, ECOeffect’s new Polish partner. Here he talks to Kevin Borras about what drove his company to get on board

HSF Logisitcs are the newest ECOeffect partner and director Gerard Reijers is paying special attention to the road safety aspect

irstly Gerard, welcome to ECOeffect! ECOeffect’s motto is “save time, save fuel, save money” - were these the motivating factors behind HSF becoming an ECOeffect partner? Gerard Reijers: Yes, in the first place they were mostly motivating factors, but also protection of the environment meaning the

lower emission of exhaust fumes and an increased safety in road transport as a whole. This is especially true when performing transport services, the trucks are heavily loaded and it is necessary to give special attention to driving safely. What difference can ECOeffect make to the Polish haulage sector? GR: ECOeffect is able to

change people’s opinion about Polish drivers. It is able to show that Polish drivers are effective, professional and care about the good quality of their work. ECOeffect easily proves that the Polish transport sector equals the standards of the so-called “Western countries”. Another aspect is the reduced basic costs of the vehicle exploitation.

There are plenty of other eco-driving courses available to fleet operators - what do you think are the unique selling points of ECOeffect? GR: The unique selling point is that ECOeffect focuses not only on fuel savings, but also on driving style technology. Other courses mainly concentrate on the fuel aspect. The lowered fuel consumption is obviously important but

ECO news what counts is the final result and the whole package of the trainers’ guidance.

for the commercial vehicle sector, with pollutant emissions being slashed to near-zero levels. Compared to EURO V - which itself achieved a major reduction in emissions compared to Euro III and IV - NOx emissions have been reduced by a further 80% and particle mass emissions (including ultra fine particles) have fallen by a further 67%. This is in addition to the introduction of a massively more complex suite of new tests. Europe must now make the most of the solutions brought to market by EURO V and EURO VI by helping to encourage fleet renewal. This would not only greatly and more quickly improve air quality, but would also stimulate the economy.

One of the ”unsung” benefits of ECOeffect is that the more efficient driver will be happier and more likely to stay with his company – how important do you think this element is and should we make more of it? GR: A good driver after he or she has undertaken ECOeffect training is more loyal, because they receive a tool that enables them to contribute to the savings their company is making. This makes the driver feel secure and comfortable, especially in the present difficult economic climate. The company gives drivers stability and they create a part of the team. With such a group of drivers it is also possible to motivate them to compete against each other in the area of results and quality. Can you give us specific examples of how drivers in your Dutch or Polish fleets have improved their performances after taking ECOeffect courses. GR: First off all it is striking that the drivers with years of experience in this profession substantially improve their driving results. For example, when I look at the EETS results before and after the training of a driver I see that one driver who had worked for HSF for three years recorded a difference in total fuel consumption of 25% and another driver lowered

“It’s possible to motivate drivers to compete against each other” his gear shifting by 50%. Every driver’s result is an interesting chart to analyse. Can you estimate how much in lost revenue Poland could recoup if more drivers took ECOeffect courses? This would be the result of adding the saved time, the saved fuel and the saved money from the ECOeffect motto! GR: Each driver in Polish conditions may save around

PLN6,000-8,000 yearly (€1,5000-2000). Another PLN4,000 can be saved on tyres, gearbox, engine and brakes – the so-called amortisation costs. With savings like that possible per driver, it’s hard to argue against ECOeffect being Europe’s most comprehensive eco-driving training programme. The statistics rather speak for themselves.

Polish ECOeffect Demo Tour, Warsaw, 25 January 2013. Reserve your place now! www.hsflogistics.pl/rejestracja

5 Eco-Friendly Ford Trucks Ford is planning to add hybrid pickups to its lineup in the near future. A few of the Ford’s future and past electric and hybrid trucks can be seen below. Ward’s Auto has reported that Ford is collaborating with Toyota on developing a hybrid F-150. The $100,000 add-on is meant to help companies cut how much they spend on diesel fuel. Odyne Systems estimates that its hybrid F-750 can save up to 1,750 gallons of fuel per year. Fleets Investing In Green Truck Driver Training Fleet management and trucking company owners should consider investing in eco-friendly driver training for their fleet truck drivers. Running a green fleet will decrease the fuel costs, vehicle emissions, reduce fleet vehicle wear and tear, and improve a company’s image. Eco-safe truck driver education courses teach drivers how to eliminate identify and eliminate poor driving habits that waste gas and produce harmful CO2 emissions. Typically drivers who complete eco-friendly training usually see an improvement in MPG of between 10% and 25%. In addition, green driver training courses can dramatically improve fleet safety with the effect of reducing fleet accident rates and the associated costs.

ECOeffect partners

Training

Measurable results online

Reporting tool enables the monitoring of results achieved by ECOeffect customers

he ECOeffect programme’s success is founded on keeping the trained drivers engaged by regularly assessing and monitoring their personal improvements in ecodriving, writes Lizzy Evens. During a practical training session all key topics of the eco-proactive driving curriculum are covered. ECOeffect certified trainers will use the EETS (ECOeffect Training System) to evaluate objectively the driver’s competences in real-time. The EETS is a proprietary eco-drive software developed by Key Driving Competences (Belgium) and available to ECOeffect programme members.

After the practical training, the evolution of the drivers competences will be monitored by analysing the fuel consumption and CO2emissions. In order to enable the ECOeffect customers and the project management team to follow-up and measure the achievements in relation to set objectives, a reporting tool is available at www. ECOeffect-reports.org.

BEFORE AND AFTER

Each ECOeffect customer has his own access to this webtool in order to report their monthly refuel data for the ECOeffect trained drivers, sourced by their fleet management system in place. The improvement of driver competences is

measured as savings in fuel consumption after training compared to consumption for each driver before training. Clear graphs visualize the savings on company level and statistics represent the combined results achieved per country. Lastly the webtool aims to provide evidence of the business benefits of ecodriving. This knowledge on proven results may help companies to set up an adequate incentive policy for their drivers in order to guarantee the long term winwin effects of the project. Currently, first savings of 4322.5 kg CO2 were seen at HSF Logistics in a 4 month period with over 130,000km travelled.

Česmad Bohemia,

Czech Republic Eva Sindelárová (eva.sindelarova@ cesmad.com) www.cesmad.com ERTICO, Belgium Carla Coppola (c.coppola@mail. ertico.com) www.ertico.com

HSF Logistics, Poland Aleksandra Winiecka (o.winiecka@hsf.nl) www.hsf.nl GoGreen, Sweden Joakim Gudmundsen (joakim@gogreentm.se) www.gogreentm.se H3B Media, UK media Kevin Borras (kevin@h3bmedia.com) www.thinkinghighways. com IRU, Belgium Anna Lipinska (anna.lipinska@iru.org) www.iru.org IRU, Switzerland Monika Lacna-Nowak (monika.lacnanowak@iru.org) www.iru.org

One aim of the training is to reduce consumption, as shown here

Average consumption before training Average consumption after training

Key Driving Competences, Belgium Lizzy Evens (lizzy. evens@keydriving.be) www.keydriving.be NEA Panteia, Netherlands Hedi Maurer (h.maurer@nea.panteia.nl) www.nea.panteia.nl

ECOeffect Issue 2 Published by H3B Media Editor: Kevin Borras Deputy Editor: Anna Lipinska Designer: Barbara Stanley

Contributors: Ioana Ciorzan, Delia Costescu, Lizzy Evens, Joakim Gudmundsen, Gareth Hayward, Roxana Ilie, Monika Lacna-Nowak,

ECOeffect Consortium 2012 Printed by CMYK (UK)

UNTRR (National Union of Road Hauliers from Romania), Romania Roxana Ilie (roxana.ilie@untrr.ro) www.untrr.ro