Behind the wheel sits a driver who has undergone ecodriving training. The result is clear when Ahola Transport gets the diesel bill.
Green cargo transport Ecological driving is second nature to Ahola Transport’s drivers jan sandvik
economical Green Wheels concept was launched. “Many of our customers ask to see emissions reports for every transport. We constantly strive to lower our emissions in relation to the amount of cargo carried. The driving style is the economic factor that we can influence the most”, says Hans Ahola, CEO of Ahola Transport.
Normally racing-circuit style driving is not recommended in traffic, but for Ahola Transport’s drivers that is ok. In the Green Wheels Challenge, which was organized by Ahola Transport and took place in conjunction with the Power Truck Show in Härmä in August 2013, the challenge was to drive as ecologically and economically as possible. No emergency braking or burnt tires whatsoever. Ahola Transport has been working consciously to reduce environmental impact since the 90’s, and in 2002, when the company was awarded the environmental certificate ISO 14001, the ecological and
70 coastline 2014–2015
“We constantly strive to lower our emissions in relation to the amount of cargo carried. The driving style is the economic factor that we can influence the most”, Niclas Blomqvist and Hans Ahola say.
In the last few years, every company driver has undergone eco-driving training. To measure the driving behaviour of every driver, the company has developed a tool based on four variables: overspeed, idling, rollout and wasted energy. The trucks have been fitted with equipment to measure these variables, and an index is calculated for every driver. The Green Wheels Challenge was organized to encourage the drivers to adopt a more economical driving style. The ten drivers who drove with the best index over three months qualified for the finals at Power Park’s racing circuit. It became an intense competition with 160 participants, which was finally decided in 25-year old Patricia Östman’s favour by a decimal margin. Routine was probably not
her main strength, but she showed great driving skills and a knack for ecological driving. The result of the campaign can also be seen in day-to-day traffic and in the smaller amounts of fuel used by the company’s fleet of lorries. “Even though the younger generation often finds it easier to adopt the new driving style, the force as a whole improved its index by 10 per cent. Driving behaviour is now second nature, since it was so rigorously practised in the qualifying stages”, Hans Ahola states. c
ahola transport www.aholatransport.com Tel. +358 20 747 5111 Business sector: Transport services Turnover 2012: €87 million Employees: 190 Export: 95% Major markets: The Nordic and Baltic countries, Central and Eastern Europe Quality assurance systems: ISO 9001, ISO 14001 Health and safety management: system: OHSAS 18001
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