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July 9, 2008
UPS Makes the Case For Simple Steps
It's the end of the day at the end of the week and the parking lot on Hollywood Boulevard between Argyle and El Centro looks like a UPS Swap Meet. 10 Trucks are parked in a tight arrangement that allows the drivers to quickly reallocate or distribute the packages remaining on their trucks.
In light of the recent spate of City, County, State, Metro and Utility vehicles that have been left idling on the streets of our community, I went into the parking lot and rode through the "herd" of UPS Delivery Trucks.
Not one of them was running. The engines were silent. I recognized a couple of the Drivers from the neighborhood and so I approached and asked them a few questions.
I asked if UPS has a policy about idling vehicles. They all laughed. "Ah, yeah. Turn it off!" They laughed. Apparently it's a stupid question with an obvious answer. At least to them.
I asked if fuel conservation is ever discussed. They laughed again. "All the time. We have regular meetings. It's not just wasting fuel but it's air pollution. We are always talking about strategies to improve."
I asked what they could do to reduce fuel use and air pollution. They didn't laugh but got serious and started talking over each other. "Good route planning, pick your parking spots carefully and centrally and then get out and walk, making more deliveries per stop. You gotta use your brain and you gotta use your feet."
I checked and sure enough, UPS has a very simple policy on idling vehicles. Turn it off.
Sometimes the biggest impact comes from the simplest step. At UPS, the importance of fuel conservation is demonstrated throughout the ranks with drivers playing an important role.Idling: UPS drivers are trained to always turn off their package cars when they stop for a delivery, never idling at the curb or in a driveway. Even if the driver is out of the truck for a few seconds, the vehicle is always turned off.
When it matters, people will do the right thing. It's up to us to make it matter.
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now that the idleing situation has been overly addresses, can you turn your focus to the homeless couple that idles relentlessly next to my house in venice?
they idlely jibber jab about the wonders of crack and crank and make fun of the lowly people that live indoors...
can we idle them somewhere?
who cares about idleing for one minute? more gas is used starting and stopping your engine than a one minute idle.
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Stephen, I hope you know how much of a difference you're truly making in this world with these articles. I was wrong, they're NOT totally pointless, they really do matter.
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nicksm-
prove this
"who cares about idleing for one minute? more gas is used starting and stopping your engine than a one minute idle."
keep up the good work. this was an interesting read
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Great work Jedi Master Box. UPS even designs their routes sans left hand turns to cut down on fuel consumption.
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The Militant is down wit' da Brown.
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"...more gas is used starting and stopping your engine than a one minute idle."
Link nicksm?
I was told that idling for more than 5 seconds wastes more gasoline than starting up.
Did Devry Auto 101 lean ya that?
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nicksm:
Ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it. So if you are stopping for more than 10 seconds – except in traffic, turn off the engine.
Idling Myths and Facts
So turn off your engine! Save the air, save our tax money and save your own money!
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Nick, go troll another website. Seriously.
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It's good to see there are companies out there that are proactive. It's even better when they have educated employees who understand why there's a policy in the first place.
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Simply turn off the engine.
http://tinyurl.com/63j9xt
Really! Stop idling!
http://tinyurl.com/5bhxt4
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Go brown!
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Wow, i was always under the apparently false assumption that starting/stopping the engine wasted a lot of gas.
I was basing this on some hearsay and really hadn't thought it through.
This will completely change the way i get food from Del Taco. And there's a hell of a lot of idling going on in all drive-thrus.
maybe we should get drive through restaurants to post signs suggesting the harms of an idling car.
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I like brown. My robe is brown.
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Great point Anti. There actually is a movement to make drive-thrus illegal because of the harm to the environment and the harm to the people who live in those neighborhoods.
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oh yeah, and UPS uses CNG which is cleaner and safer.
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UPS has been able to save big by doing small things such as eliminating left hand turns and not idling.
their fact sheet
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"Nick, go troll another website. Seriously."
Naw pansonic! I love it when some one like nicksm makes an athouritative statement like that that, didn't research shit, and gets their ass handed to them.
Stick around nick. Seriously.
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Privatize local government and you will see no more idling...anywhere.
Contract it out baby...contract it out.
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Oh, and UPS Guys are for the most part - SUPER HOT!
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Good article. When ya gonna cover FedEx?
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Stephen, this post is 100 times better (more informative, interesting, gives us something to apply) than your last several posts about random cop cars and county cars idling. You have something important to say, but the whiny, sarcastic posts from the past were not getting it done. I'm all about this post.
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> BingosDingo
My friend works for Fed Ex and I believe it is the same (express at least. I assume the same for ground).
I like these posts too.