The UK’s Royal Mail says it is pushing to increase the efficiency of its delivery operations through an expansion in the use of telemetry in its vehicles.
The company is rolling out telemetry technology to an additional 11,000 small vans to encourage more fuel-efficient driving styles across the UK. The latest expansion will be using a system supplied by Trimble Telemetry.
The initiative, due to be completed later this year, will mean that the majority of the Royal Mail fleet is fitted with the technology aimed at further reducing its carbon emissions. Additionally, all new Royal Mail collection and delivery vans purchased moving forward will contain some form of telemetry technology.
Telemetry systems encourage more fuel-efficient and safer driving styles by monitoring the driver’s acceleration, speed, turning and braking patterns, and giving them positive feedback. Harsh braking and acceleration wears tires quicker and generally produces higher emissions. In the Trimble telemetry system, real-time feedback is provided to the driver on all of these points. This information is used to compile regular reports, which then create positive, tailored coaching for drivers in each delivery office.
Since 2019, Royal Mail says the systems have saved approximately 177,000 liters of fuel, leading to a reduction of 459 tons of CO2 e. James Baker, chief engineer and fleet director at Royal Mail, said, “As a company, we are committed to making changes to our operations that reduce our environmental impact. The wide-scale expansion of telemetry in our fleet enables us to ensure our drivers are given positive feedback and training on how to drive in the safest and most environmentally conscious way possible, while allowing us to continue to deliver letters and parcels safely, efficiently and responsibly.”