Our Fleet
IFCO SYSTEMS is able to control the factors that effect the fuel consumed by our operations because we own our own fleet. With over 5000 units, we are able to provide our customers with the reliable, flexible service they demand, and the environmental responsibility they deserve.
After conducting a complete evaluation of the performance of our fleet in 2008, we were able to identify opportunities to reduce fuel consumption and act swiftly to make changes. Among the changes are tandem axle tractor conversions, speed and idle-time governance, and a fuel-efficiency best practices training program for company drivers.
By replacing most of our tandem-axle tractors with single-axle versions, we expect to increase tractor fuel efficiency by almost 20% per unit. We are also modifying the engine settings of our tractors, limiting speed to 65mph and idle time to just five minutes. The combined effect of these modifications is an estimated 17% improvement in fleet fuel efficiency.
Forklifts
IFCO purchases exclusively Yale Veracitor® forklifts. These forklifts are among the cleanest forklift engines available. In fact, they are certified at levels better than the 2007 EPA/Clean Air Resources Board (CARB) exhaust standards and already meets the 2010 CARB emissions standard. In addition to lowering greenhouse gas emissions, our forklifts also emit lower levels of carbon monoxide, making them healthier for our employees. For more details on the forklifts we use, click here.
In addition, our forklifts are powered exclusively by propane gas, an environmentally-friendly alternative to diesel or gasoline. Propane is endorsed by the US Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Program. For more details on propane, click here.
Tires
We purchase only retreaded tires for our fleet. According to the Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau:
Retreaded tires are one of the most environmentally friendly of all recycled products, containing one of the highest post consumer contents since the actual tire is being recycled...It takes approximately 22 gallons of oil to manufacture one average size truck tire. Since most of that oil is found in the tire casing, which is re-used in the retreading process, only about 7 gallons of oil are needed to retread that same tire.
A fleet using as few as 100 tires a year can help save 1,500 gallons of oil annually. Thanks to the retread industry in North America, hundreds of millions of gallons of scarce oil are saved every year, which helps to reduce our dependence on imported oil.
The federal government is a strong proponent of retreaded tires and there is even a Federal Executive Order (13149) MANDATING the use of retreads on certain federal fleet vehicles.
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