Delivery businesses and courier companies everywhere are making an effort to be more environmentally conscious.
For example, the Atlanta-based Green Express recently switched out their gas guzzlers for a fleet of Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles.
Going green isn’t just for “the common good” or anything altruistic like that. It’s a shrewd business decision.
How much money do you spend on gas right now? Fuel-efficient cars will reduce that amount significantly.
Eco-consciousness helps your bottom line in other ways, too. Employees tend to work harder when they believe the company they’re working for is virtuous. A UCLA study found that employees at eco-conscious companies are 16% more productive than employees at companies that aren’t eco-conscious.
Want to reap those benefits yourself? Follow these five tips:
1. Hybrid Cars
The most obvious way to go greener is to transition to more fuel-efficient vehicles.
You don’t need to drop $100,000 on a tricked-out Tesla to save money on gas. There are a number of hybrid vehicles that are actually affordable.
For example, the Honda Insight, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, and Ford C-Max Hybrid are all relatively inexpensive, especially if you buy them lightly used.
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2. Optimized Routes
Route optimization software guarantees that every route you give your drivers is the most efficient route possible. That way, your delivery business won’t need to use as much gas to visit all your customers.
3. eSignature Software
Before you invest in a particular route planning program, make sure it has an eSignature feature.
Collecting confirmations with paper slips is bad for the environment. Think of how many customers you visit over the course of a week, a month, a year. That’s a whole lot of paper!
With eSignature software, your customers can sign for deliveries directly on your driver’s mobile device. Your delivery business won’t need to use any paper to collect confirmations. If trees could talk, they would thank you.
4. Sustainable Packaging
Do you box up items yourself? If so, consider using lighter packaging materials to reduce waste.
You might not be able to skimp on packaging when you’re dealing with particularly fragile items, but you should do it whenever you can.
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5. Office Measures
Making your delivery business greener involves more than just your vehicles. There are also changes you should make in your office in order to be more eco-conscious.
Start with lighting. LED lights uses 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent lights. The US Department of Energy estimates that by 2027, widespread use of LED lighting will save the United States over $30 billion. You’ll be able to make your electricity bills much more affordable.
Also, next time you need to get more furniture for your office, buy second-hand instead of new. It’s less expensive and less wasteful.
Of course, the total savings of going green won’t be realized immediately. The upfront costs (such as buying new vehicles and switching from incandescent to LED lighting) can be pretty steep. Thankfully, the US Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, National Science Foundation, and other organizations offer environmental grants and loans to help offset these expenses.
Do you have any questions about how to make your delivery business greener? Let us know in the comments section below.
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