FuelClinic.com Drivers Log Ten Million Miles and Save $65,000 in Fuel
Just a quick announcement – it’s been a while – but I wanted to congratulate our users who have logged over ten million miles of real-world driving data in the first version of FuelClinic.com – a site dedicated to helping motorists save money and reduce their fuel consumption. Together we’ve saved over $65,000 dollars and cut 450,000 lbs. of CO2 emissions. Awesome work!
City of Sanford’s FuelClinic.com Pilot Program Completes 1st Phase
Sanford, FL – The FuelClinic Fleet System (http://fleet.fuelclinic.com) pilot program with the City of Sanford, FL has completed it’s first phase, with the collection of driver behavior data from a selection of vehicles from the City’s fleet. The data-logging devices will be returned for analysis and processing using the driver behavior analysis software under development at Compendium Software Systems, LLC.
“The collection part of the first phase is done, and the data collected by the devices will be uploaded to our servers for processing. Based on what we find using our driver behavior analysis software, we’ll make recommendations to the City on ways it can cut it’s yearly fuel usage, helping the City to reduce expenses.” said Michael Bragg of Compendium.
The pilot program is being used to allow the City to evaluate the driver behavior monitoring system, and look for ways to save the City money by cutting it’s fuel usage and reducing risk. The system works by collecting data from the vehicles on-board diagnostic computer, providing the fleet manager a real-world look into how their fleet vehicles are being driven. In this first generation system, the devices are removed from the vehicle and the data is uploaded to a central processing server using a standard USB cable and a bit of software that handles the communications.
Once the data is uploaded, the processing of weeks worth of real world driver behavior data begins. The hub of this system is software that accepts driving data from a variety of devices and sources. It parses the data into a standardized format, and begins to look for trends that indicate inefficient or risky driver behavior. It then compiles reports to allow fleet managers to quickly identify problems within their fleet.
Compendium’s recent channel-partnership with Alert Driving provides clients with access to top-tier online training modules to help mitigate problems with driver behavior or fuel efficiency using proven training tools that are targeted, easy to administer, and affordable.
“Our whole goal is to make fleets of any size safer and more efficient, providing a substantial ROI to clients by getting more out of every gallon of fuel they purchase while at the same time helping reduce accidents and related costs” said Bragg. “We are cherry-picking the best practices and technologies already used in major fleets, and re-packaging them into right-sized systems that any business can afford.”
Eco-Driving Tip #4 – Anticipate Traffic Flow
When on familiar roads, drive in accordance with the next traffic signal or congested intersection that you’ll encounter on your trek. We’ve found this trick to be one of the most useful (and effective) of all. It’s hard to beat the almost-magical efficiency to be found in timing smooth transitions from one set of conditions to another.
Read more at -> Top 20 Driving Tips to Improve MPG
FuelClinic.com Fleet System adds AlertDriving Web-Based Driver Training and Hazard Perception Evaluation
ORLANDO, Fla., July 6 /PRNewswire/ — Compendium Software Systems, LLC, creators of the FuelClinic.com Fleet System ( http://fleet.fuelclinic.com ), is excited to announce their new channel partnership with Sonic E-Learning Inc., creators of AlertDriving.com.
This partnership will enhance Compendium’s FuelClinic Fleet System by adding a complete predictive behavior analysis and online driver training program to help clients green their fleet and improve driver safety.
“It makes perfect sense to partner with AlertDriving, who have been hugely successful in the larger fleet market,” said Michael Bragg, President of Compendium. “We are cherry-picking the best of the big fleet technologies, combining them with our core DriveMetrics driver-behavior analysis software, and creating a complete system unlike any other currently available to small and medium-sized fleet owners.”
FuelClinic Fleet System is a complete fuel & risk reduction program that monitors real-world driver behavior, reporting problems to managers who can then take action to correct behavior, improving safety and reducing costs, fuel use, CO2 emissions, and collisions.
FuelClinic Fleet System will now encompass true predictive behavior-driver analysis with a program called Hazard Perception Evaluation that is proven to predict driver behavior. It uses a proprietary algorithm to automatically identify individual driver deficiencies, then assign specific training modules to correct identified driver deficiencies that will reduce collisions.
AlertDriving is a complete Risk Identification and Risk Mitigation program that complements the FuelClinic Fleet System to become the most comprehensive fuel and collision reducing program available.
Compendium Software Systems, LLC is a software development firm and current clients of the University of Central Florida’s Business Incubation Program, located in Sanford, Florida. Compendium specializes in advanced information systems for use in driver-behavior analysis.
AlertDriving is a global leader in fleet risk management solutions with a web-based program available to any driver from any computer. Until recently only available to the largest fleets, this new channel partner arrangement with FuelClinic.com Fleet System will help make AlertDriving training solutions affordable and available to fleets of all sizes.
Compendium Software Systems to Provide Fuel Conservation Technology for Trial Use on City of Sanford Vehicles
SANFORD, Fla. (July 12, 2010) — Compendium Software Systems, LLC was recently awarded a contract to install its FuelClinic.com® Fleet System fuel conservation and risk reduction technology on select City of Sanford vehicles on a trial basis.
Michael Bragg, president of Compendium Software Systems, LLC, said the Sanford Economic Development Office played a big role in shaping the agreement.
Compendium Software Systems’ FuelClinic.com® Fleet System closely records real-world driver behavior and provides data analysis and reporting.
“FuelClinic.com® Fleet System provides a fuel efficiency report card for drivers and vehicles that will enable the city’s fleet of vehicles to achieve maximum fuel efficiency while reducing fleet risk,” Bragg explained. “The goal is to show how FuelClinic.com® Fleet System can help the City save money by reducing the fuel consumption of normal fleet operations.”
Bragg said the trial project will be conducted in two phases. Each phase will include data collection and analysis, he said.
Bragg said installation of the monitoring equipment will commence in July.
Compendium Software Systems LLC is a client company of the UCF Business Incubation Program and headquartered at the Incubator on West First Street in downtown Sanford. Compendium specializes in advanced information systems for use in driver behavior analysis.
FuelClinic.com Fleet System Adds AlertDriving Web-Based Driver Training and Hazard Perception Evaluation
ORLANDO, Fla., July 6 /PRNewswire/ — Compendium Software Systems, LLC, creators of the FuelClinic.com Fleet System (http://fleet.fuelclinic.com), is excited to announce their new channel partnership with Sonic E-Learning Inc., creators of AlertDriving.com.
This partnership will enhance Compendium’s FuelClinic Fleet System by adding a complete predictive behavior analysis and online driver training program to help clients green their fleet and improve driver safety.
“It makes perfect sense to partner with AlertDriving, who have been hugely successful in the larger fleet market,” said Michael Bragg, President of Compendium. “We are cherry-picking the best of the big fleet technologies, combining them with our core DriveMetrics driver-behavior analysis software, and creating a complete system unlike any other currently available to small and medium-sized fleet owners.”
FuelClinic Fleet System is a complete fuel & risk reduction program that monitors real-world driver behavior, reporting problems to managers who can then take action to correct behavior, improving safety and reducing costs, fuel use, CO2 emissions, and collisions.
FuelClinic Fleet System will now encompass true predictive behavior-driver analysis with a program called Hazard Perception Evaluation that is proven to predict driver behavior. It uses a proprietary algorithm to automatically identify individual driver deficiencies, then assign specific training modules to correct identified driver deficiencies that will reduce collisions.
AlertDriving is a complete Risk Identification and Risk Mitigation program that complements the FuelClinic Fleet System to become the most comprehensive fuel and collision reducing program available.
Compendium Software Systems, LLC is a software development firm and current clients of the University of Central Florida’s Business Incubation Program, located in Sanford, Florida. Compendium specializes in advanced information systems for use in driver-behavior analysis.
AlertDriving is a global leader in fleet risk management solutions with a web-based program available to any driver from any computer. Until recently only available to the largest fleets, this new channel partner arrangement with FuelClinic.com Fleet System will help make AlertDriving training solutions affordable and available to fleets of all sizes.
Poll: Has the BP Oil Spill Motivated You to Reduce Your Fuel Consumption?
A few weeks ago I asked “is the oil spill enough to change consumer behavior?” Kind of a rhetorical question… So let’s get a little more specific. Has this disaster motivated YOU personally to change your fuel consumption behavior?
If you want to learn more about reducing fuel consumption, there are lots of resources available to you. For starters, please take a look at our 20 Top Eco-Driver Tips. You may also be interested in any of the following resources:
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http://www.fuelclinic.com
http://www.ecodrivingusa.com
http://www.fueleconomy.gov
Video: Together We Are More Powerful Than Oil
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If you know of any other resources, please add them in the comments here. Write a brief description, include a link to the site. We’re looking for REAL solutions, and I’ll delete anything that appears to me to be a scam. (My house, my rules.)
As always, please leave you comments here, and “Like” our Facebook page. Thank you!
5 Top Driving Mistakes that Cause Crashes
GMAC Insurance is one of the largest insurers in the nation and has offices in many different countries around the world. Based on their years of collecting crash data, they offer the following key 5 mistake that lead to accidents most often, along with tips on how to make sure you avoid them yourself.
Source: GMAC Insurance
Multi-tasking While Driving – Driving Tip: When You Turn the Car On, Turn the Gadgets Off. No matter how busy your day is, when you’re on the road, focus only on driving. Catch up on other activities later and you’ll avoid unnecessary accidents.
Following Too Closely – Driving Tip: One Thousand One, One Thousand Two. Leave a two-second cushion between you and the vehicle ahead – it could save your bumper and your life. Make sure to double or triple that time when the weather is bad or the pavement is slick.
Failure to Yield on a Left-Hand Turn – Driving Tip: Check the Flow Before You Go. Look at the street you are turning into to make sure that no vehicles or pedestrians are in your path.
Incorrect Merging – Driving Tip: Yellow is for Yield. Accidents often occur when you are stuck behind a driver who interprets yield as stop. Don’t be the guilty party. Use the ramp as a means for merging into traffic, not causing it.
Backing Up – Driving Tip: Look Over Your Shoulder. Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear. Don’t rely mirrors alone. Look over your shoulder before backing up.
GMAC Insurance has an online written driving test with questions taken from state test across the country. A report on the 2010 test shows that fully 1 in 5 licensed drivers would not pass a written driving test if taken today.
The 2010 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test released today found that nearly 1 in 5 licensed drivers – roughly 38 million Americans – would not pass a written drivers test exam if taken today. Kansas drivers ranked first in the nation (82.3 percent average score); New York drivers ranked last (70 percent average score).
Take the GMAC online drivers test and see how you score. You can also find state averages for this year, as well as previous years.
Oil Spill: The Urgency of Doing
We can boycott and punish BP for their crimes… and it is a crime. And on election day we can hold the government accountable for it’s dereliction of duty in this disaster, but the next set of derelicts we elect may be no better. In between we can day-dream of a future when all of our cars are electric and run on sunshine and windmills.
But time is short, and we can “do better” sooner. We can take meaningful action now, every day, starting today.
Leonardo da Vinci inspires me with this quote:
“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”
We must do.
I day-dream about the impact of 3/4 million people waking up tomorrow, starting to work, and quietly deciding that today they will not compete with the other drivers on the road for position. Today they will not race to the next stoplight. Today they will try to maintain more distance in front of them to allow a little coasting before braking. Today they will move to the middle or the right on the highway and slow down 5 or 10 MPH. This week those people will go an additional 25 or 50 miles on a single tank of gas – possibly more, maybe enough to skip a fill-up for a day or two.
If all 750,000 squeezed another 50 miles from a full tank of gas this week, that’s 37,500,000 “carbon-free” miles traveled. At $0.12/mile avg. cost that’s $4.5 million dollars saved – ($6/ea) to be saved or spent elsewhere. Repeat that process each week, and you see it can add up to significant numbers very quickly. And that’s ONLY considering 750,000 people – imagine what would happen if each of them told two friends about what they are doing and impressed them to try.
It’s easy to do. You can track your personal per-tank mileage by setting your trip odometer at each fillup. If you want better data, keep your receipts and use a notepad, a spreadsheet, or a free website like FuelClinic to track your MPG over time, and look for ways to improve your score (see links below for additional techniques).
We all feel the urgency. We know what to do. The only questions is – are we willing? If you are willing, then you must DO.
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Learn more fuel-efficient driving techniques here:
http://www.fuelclinic.com
http://www.ecodrivingusa.com
http://www.fueleconomy.gov
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Video: Together We Are More Powerful Than Oil
Pensacola Beach – Before and After…
A few days ago I asked “The Big Oil Spill: Is it enough to change consumer behavior?” At the time most of the evidence of the scope of this disaster was still well hidden. Now it’s reaching a point where it can no longer be hidden, it’s rolling up on beaches everywhere, along with dead fish and birds.
People are taking photos, and sharing them online on pages like “Boycott BP” at Facebook (now with over 710,000 members). I took two images from one photographer (with permission to redistribute freely), cropped one to make the waterline match the other, and made this simple before-and-after .gif animation.
Photos courtesy of Diana Serden Stephens via Facebook – used with permission.
(If the animation isn’t working for you, click on the image to see it.)
So what do you say? Enough yet to convince you to try and reduce your oil consumption 10% to 20% by changing a few simple driving habits? It’s free.
More information here:
http://www.ecodrivingusa.com
http://www.fueleconomy.gov
http://www.drivingskillsforlife.com
Add your comments below, or at our Facebook page (click “Like” it once you get there).
Set These Road Rules With Your Teen Driver Today
Every year nearly 5,000 young drivers are killed in automobile accidents in the US, and a staggering 300,000 more are injured or maimed. Car accidents account for nearly 40% of the total number of deaths for teens ages 15 to 19, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
With summer starting, it’s a great time to set or reinforce some basic safety skills and guidelines for your teen driver:
Source: Ford Driving Skills for Life
School is almost out, summer will soon be here, and teens have a license to drive. Unfortunately, with the arrival of summer comes riskier teen driving behavior. No school means more time for cruising, piling lots of friends into Mom’s car, and later nights.
Parents! Talk to your teen about summer driving and set some rules. Here are a few to get you started.
- Buckle up! – Remind your teenager again and again how important that single little click can be. Statistics show that seat belt usage is lowest among teenagers, even though seat belts continue to be proven as the No. 1 life-saving device in accidents.
.- Don’t drink and drive – You may assume your teen knows this, but it’s worth a sit-down talk. Make sure your teen knows the dangers of driving under the influence – or getting into a vehicle with someone who’s been drinking.
.- No text zone – Remind your teen driver to avoid distractions such as texting, loud music and any activities that take their eyes away from the road for extended periods of time.
.- Passenger Limit – Always set a limit on the number of passengers allowed in the car.
.- Set a curfew – Make sure your teens know when you expect them home, and make sure they know it’s not debatable.
Parent-Teen Driving Contracts
Consider creating a Parent-Teen Driving Contract with your teen drivers. Parent-Teen Driving Contracts help establish your expectations with your teen driver, where driving privledges are dependant on safe driving behaviors you designate as important to your family. Research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (PDF) indicates that parents are the key to enforcing good driving behavior in young drivers.
“Parents are big influencers of their kids’ behavior. The more involved they are, the less likely kids are to engage in all types of risky activities associated with the teen years.“
The Success of Graduated Drivers’ Licensing Laws
Graduated Drivers’ Licensing (GDL) is becoming law in many states. GDL’s generally restricts nighttime, expressway, and unsupervised driving during initial stages, but lifts these restrictions with time and further testing of the individual, eventually concluding with the individual attaining a full drivers’ license. In states where GDL’s are required, accident fatalities for teen drivers has dropped by up to 30%. Even if you do not live in a state with a current GDL law, you can create your own Parent-Teen Driving Contract based on the same principles that make GDL’s successful.
It’s important to talk to your teen about the rules of the road, to clearly set your expectations of them, and outline the consequences of failing to meet your expectations.
Weaning America off of Middle Eastern oil is a four-decade long unkept presidential promise.
Seminole Voice: FuelClinic and CarChip Pro help create smarter, safer, fuel efficient drivers.
A very nice article yesterday in the local Seminole Voice paper regarding FuelClinic and the use of the CarChip Pro to monitor and improve driver behavior.
Daniel White’s truck is its own back seat driver. When he jabs the gas too harshly or brakes too abruptly, it tells him to take it easy. Now he says he’s a better, more efficient driver, all because of a little box that watches how he drives, then beeps when he’s driving too aggressively.
“It’s a nagging beep that teaches me to be a better driver; I call it my paradigm shift,” White said. “To me it’s just one of those ah-ha (moments); I get better gas mileage just by driving better?”
White is speaking about the CarChip Pro, a new Zippo lighter-size device that plugs into his truck’s on-board diagnostic port to record information about that way he drives, directly from the truck’s ECM computer.
The device can be set to a certain speed, and alerts drivers when the speed is reached, as well when they are accelerating too quickly or braking too harshly. The chip helps drivers become aware of their driving habits and trains them to become better drivers, while saving money on fuel, and decreasing carbon emissions.
Click over to read the rest.
FleetOwner: Counting carbon bears careful watching
Source: FleetOwner Magazine
A new report on this issue by ATRI – dubbed “The Synthesis of Carbon Accounting Tools” – involved the collection and analysis of carbon models and formulas, and interviews with environmental assessment and reporting organizations.
According to the report, there is a growing need for data and model standardization and identified areas where inconsistencies in the quantification tools and models exist.
“For many motor carriers, the U.S. EPA SmartWay Partnership truck model is the most widely recognized tool for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions,” said Tunnell. “This model calculates emissions generated from a company’s on-road vehicle fleet. However, an individual company’s carbon footprint encompasses more than just its on-road vehicle fleet.”
For example, quantifying the carbon emissions generated by office space and terminals, through metrics such as electricity use, could be misleading. “Although emission factors for the purchase of electricity are available for locations throughout the U.S., the greenhouse gas emissions generated from electricity purchased in one part of the country can be twice as high as the same amount of electricity purchased in another,” the report noted.
Facebook “LIKE” Buttons Now Active
A quick note to mention that a few days ago I added the Facebook “LIKE” button to the blog (you’ll see it between the title of the post, and the content), and will be adding it to other parts of FuelClinic sites over the next few weeks.
It’s a terrific way to share things you like with your friends on Facebook. When you click “Like” there will be a short note added to your wall so your friends can link over to read the blog or page you liked.
While you are at it, please become a fan of the FuelClinic Facebook community of eco-drivers.
Something Different: Patriotic Car Commercial
The Big Oil Spill: Is it enough to change consumer behavior?
I’ve been checking the ROV “spill cams” several times a day for a few weeks now. I think I need to stop. It’s too painful to watch and realize that 20″ diameter pipe is spilling enough oil and gas to be seen from space, and would cover an area from DC to New York.
Click to see live feed from BP
Searching for good news in all of this, I found a poll released about a month ago by a green-marketing firm The Shelton Group which indicates 1 in 5 consumers say they have decided to cut back on oil consumption due to the BP disaster in the Gulf.
May 6th: So when oil started gushing into the Gulf of Mexico we wondered: is this tangible and real enough to make Americans adopt conservation behaviors? Can we connect what’s happening in the sea now to our own demand for energy and daily consumption of it? If so, will we change our ways?
…50% of Americans said they plan to do nothing in response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. 20% said they planned to reduce their gas consumption in light of the accident and 14% said they planned to reduce their consumption of plastic products and products sold in plastic containers.
I wonder if those numbers are any different today, after a month of “spill cams”, growing oil slicks, and news reports of repeated failures at estimating the flow.
Every poll I’ve seen indicates that “saving money” is always a key motivator for American consumers to make a “green” purchase. In these economically challenging times, it’s even more understandable.
What about an ecological disaster on a scale we’ve not seen before this close to home? Is it enough to motivate you to want to reduce your oil consumption?
Add your comments below, or at our Facebook page (click “Like” it once you get there).
Controlling Fuel Costs “Key” for Fleets During Economic Recovery
Saving money on fuel is important for a family on a budget living in a mobile society where fuel prices continue to rise, taking a bigger and bigger bite out of an often shrinking monthly income.
Now consider that commercial fleet vehicles are driven further (on average twice as many miles per year), they have to drive to stay in business (not really an option to stop driving), and fleet size can range from less than a dozen vehicles to thousands. The “power of scale” creates HUGE incentives for companies to take control of their fuel spend and improve their fuel efficiency.
Fuel remains one of the most costly items on a fleet’s bottom line – typically ranked number two, right behind driver wages and benefits – so carriers are deploying an ever-widening variety of methodologies to keep fuel costs under tight control…
…During a presentation here at Manhattan Associates “Momentum 2010” user group meeting, Braslavsky and Nick Cook, vp & CIO for refrigerated carrier FFE Transportation, stressed that even tiny savings in fuel costs on a per-gallon basis can reap big savings for fleets.
CalArk, for example, operates 650 tractors and 2,000 trailers nationwide – consuming roughly one million gallons of diesel per month. Braslavsky said just saving one penny per gallon translates into $10,000 in savings per month on the company’s fuel bill….
…Such fuel and route optimization methodologies are going to become even more critical in the future, Braslavsky pointed out, as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 program kicks in.
“There was a time when it was taken for granted that you could tell a driver to get there and he’d make it – those days are long gone,” he said. “Now we must be really, really creative with the time constraints put on our drivers – and better routing is the key to that.”
He also said new functionality such as actual loaded weight is being added in as well to allow for even more accurate fuel accounting. “We all know pulling 80,000 pounds consumes more fuel than pulling 45,000 pounds,” Braslavsky added. “The next level of optimization is going to take that into consideration.”
Source: Fleet Owner
“Eco-Driving” training should be a part of any fleet’s effort to save fuel costs, since saving 5% is generally considered the minimal savings a fleet can expect with a fairly minor effort. Fleets that are more determined to change company culture and commit to fuel efficient driving at all levels save 15% or more.
The most successful are those innovative fleet managers have incorporated employee-incentive programs to reward drivers who deliver measured fuel-efficiency improvement. Of course you need to be able to track and measure driver performance – what you can’t measure, you can’t manage – or reward.
Military Continues to Test Alternative Aviation Bio-Fuels
Some additional information regarding how the DoD is exploring options to ween the military away from petroleum based fuels.
On Earth Day, 22 April, the US Navy conducted a test flight of an F/A-18 Super Hornet at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, run on a 50-percent mixture of a fuel refined from the crushed seeds of the flowering Camelina sativa plant. The flight of the Green Hornet, as it was called, followed an Air Force test a month earlier of an A-10C Thunderbolt II at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, fueled with a similar blend.
Both events had the purpose of testing the performance of biofuel/petroleum mixtures with an eye toward the eventual certification of the fuels for routine use. They also demonstrate the efforts of the Department of Defense to increase its use of renewable energy, not only for environmental reasons but also to protect the military from energy price fluctuations and dependence on overseas sources of petroleum.
The DoD spends $20 billion a year on energy and incurs $1.3 billion in additional costs for every $10 per barrel increase in the market price of oil, according to a report recently released by the Pew Project on National Security, Energy and Climate. In addition to vulnerability to price fluctuations, the DoD’s “reliance on fossil fuels also compromises combat effectiveness by restricting mobility, flexibility and endurance on the battlefield,” said the report. “Transportation of fuel to the combat theater is a significant vulnerability as fuel convoys are targets in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
Source: ISN Security Watch
Pressure-cooking Algae into a Better Biofuel
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Heating and squishing microalgae in a pressure-cooker can fast-forward the crude-oil-making process from millennia to minutes.
University of Michigan professors are working to understand and improve this procedure in an effort to speed up development of affordable biofuels that could replace fossil fuels and power today’s engines.
They are also examining the possibility of other new fuel sources such as E. coli bacteria that would feed on waste products from previous bio-oil batches.
“The vision is that nothing would leave the refinery except oil. Everything would get reused. That’s one of the things that makes this project novel. It’s an integrated process. We’re combining hydrothermal, catalytic and biological approaches,” said Phillip Savage, an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in the U-M Department of Chemical Engineering and principal investigator on the $2-million National Science Foundation grant that supports this project. The grant is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
“This research could play a major role in the nation’s transition toward energy independence and reduced carbon dioxide emissions from the energy sector,” Savage said.
Motorweek Uses CarChip to Measure Benefits of Eco-Driving Behaviors
The CarChip Pro was previously reviewed here on Fuelishness!
Since then we’ve been selling CarChip Pros to eco-conscious motorists, cautious parents of young drivers, commercial fleet operators looking to reduce risk, and even some government agencies exploring technologies to help reduce green house gas (GHG) emissions.
Each of our customers had one thing in common – all were looking for an inexpensive and versatile piece of hardware that can provide valuable insight into driving behavior. (You can read all about it and order one here, and if you are a FuelClinic member you’ll enjoy a generous $20 discount per unit. See details on the order form)
Recently found by a friend of FuelClinic – a segment of Motorweek that covers the benefits of fuel efficient driving (eco-driving) and they too are using a CarChip (older version) to compare results of two very different driving styles:
This clip from Motorweek proves there’s no absolute need to change your car if you want to save $$ and get better mileage. Simply altering how you drive can make an impact… in some people’s case, a significant one.
FuelClinic Facebook Fans
Goal: 500 new fans on the FuelClinic Facebook page by the end of May.
We’d like to grow our eco-driving community on Facebook, a place where drivers can socialize a little more than they can on FuelClinic right now. It’s also a great way for us to stay in touch, we repost most (of the good) Fuelishness! blog entries there, and add some content not found anywhere else – and Fans can post comments to our wall, etc…
It’s easier than ever to become a fan, you can just click the “Like” button on the Facebook box on the top-right side of each blog page, or searching for “FuelClinic” from the search box on Facebook.
Eco-Driving Research Document Library Launched
A quick note to announce the addition of the “Eco-Driving Research Document Library“.
Source: FuelClinic.com
We’re making a selection of our reference collection available online, gathered together in one place, to aid in public research and education regarding eco-driving initiatives and benefits, as well as related subject materials. This collection will grow in size and functionality as time permits. When available, we will link directly to the source for each document. If you would like to suggest a publication for this collection, please send details to feedback@fuelclinic.com.
Over the past few years of our own research we have collected hundreds of documents, whitepapers, presentations, and government reports from around the globe – all related to the topic I loosely refer to as “eco-driving”. Most of these resources are available scattered around the dusty corners of the internet, but were simply stumbled upon and would require expert Googling to find again. Other documents are being made available for the first time online via this library.
The current collection that we’ve placed online is a small sample of the total collection. As time permits we will continue to add select documents and other resources (like images and video) from our total collection to this online library, as well as add features like categories, “tags”, search, pagination, and comments.
We hope that this library will grow to be a valuable resource to anyone doing research on eco-driving and related topics.
“My name is Mike, and I help people save money…”
A few people who know me well have told me about a new Walmart ad that talks about Walmart’s recent work improving efficiency in fleet operations by packing trucks more efficiently and paying more attention to routing, all in an effort to rollback prices for customers.
The funny part (for my friends) is at the end when the driver stands by his truck and says “My name is Mike, and I help people save money…” It’s funny because my name is Mike too, and I’ve been helping people save even more money though better driving habits.
Back to the commercial. I think it’s great, and a sign of the times that the world’s largest retailer, with one of the largest fleets in the world, is spending millions to educate people to the benefits of efficient fleet operations. Fuel prices are on the rise again, and the importance of efficient fleet operations is more important than ever, as our economy continues to recover from it’s recent with no real change to our oil dependency.
I’m only disappointed that Mike doesn’t mention the incredible savings Walmart could be realizing through a comprehensive driver efficiency improvement program that includes eco-driving fundamentals.
Imagine what 5% of their fuel spend must be? With additional computer-based training and strong corporate buy-in, take that 5% number and triple it… that would be some sizable “rollback”. Maybe I should try to get in touch with them.
Eight Million Miles, and a Million Dollars Later
Just a quick note to acknowledge another set of milestones for the FuelClinic.com community.
As of this week, FuelClinic.com Eco-Drivers have logged over eight million miles of driving.
As a group we’ve spent over a million dollars buying fuel, have saved somewhere in the neighborhood of $55,000 by improving our efficiency, cutting about 371,000 lbs. of GHG emissions.
While these are impressive numbers, there is a lot more work to do. As always, try to apply several of our efficiency-boosting driving tips in your daily commute to better your scores. And stay tuned.
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