Transport Management

The cost of energy used in road transport can often exceed the energy consumed by other parts of a business. Fuel is used in a number of areas:

Company cars used by the sales force and management team
Deliveries to customers
Installation teams

Furniture companies can take a number of steps to improve environmental performance with regard to transport. A few suggestions are made below and much more detailed information exists in the guides referred to in the “Further Reading” section.

Route planning: this function is essential to ensure that as many customers as possible are served by a single vehicle
Return loads: is there any scope to reduce empty vehicle miles. For example, could raw materials be collected on the way back or could transport be undertaken for a company the delivery are
Conduct fuel efficiency training and monitor fuel consumption against driver performance
Ensuring all vehicles are well maintained and run efficiently