The Minnesota Department of Transportation recently received a 2018 Government Green Fleet Award from the 100 Best Fleets in the Americas for its excellence in effective and efficient fleet operations. MnDOT was the only state department of transportation recognized this year.
The award was based on criteria that includes fleet composition, fuel and emissions, policy and planning, and fleet use. The criteria are the factors that help improve air quality, reduce emissions and increase fuel efficiency and usage.
MnDOT holds a Sustainable Fleet Accreditation from the NAFA Fleet Management Association, which submitted the nomination form on behalf of MnDOT.
“MnDOT continues to look for ways to lower operational costs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Tim Sexton, chief sustainability officer. “This award clearly reflects how MnDOT’s office of maintenance and the fleet management staff have become national leaders in this area.”
The agency’s fleet consists of vehicles and fuels used to perform maintenance, snow plowing and other employee duties across the state. MnDOT currently owns more than 4,000 on-road vehicles, including 38 hybrid vehicles and four electric vehicles.
“Hybrid and electric vehicles have lower operations and maintenance costs than conventional vehicles, which saves money and helps us make progress toward our goal to reduce fossil fuel consumption,” said Bob Ellingsworth, maintenance fleet manager.
Other strategies MnDOT uses to achieve fleet sustainability include:
- Eliminate unnecessary idling
- Optimize vehicle lifecycle standards
- Use the “right size” concept to use the right vehicle for the job to improve fuel efficiency
- Expand use of alternative fuels
For more information about the award, see http://the100bestfleets.com/.