Month: April 2023

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At American Airlines Hangar 2 on the north side of Chicago O’Hare International Airport, a team of aspiring aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs) from the Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) Chicago campus have been hard at work practicing for the 2023 Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC). Under mentorship from two seasoned American Airlines AMTs, the team has been preparing to go head-to-head with other student teams from across the country in more than 25 events. American is sponsoring the AIM team as part of its ongoing partnership with the school to train the next generation of aviation maintenance professionals.

This year’s AMC, held in Atlanta April 18-20, is in conjunction with Aviation Week’s MRO Americas and brings together teams from schools, airlines, military, general aviation, repair and maintenance organizations and space to compete against each other in real-life maintenance scenarios. In addition to the AIM student team, American is sponsoring six teams of aviation maintenance professionals from around the system along with two additional student teams.

Sustainable solutions are often written off as too expensive or out of reach for business leaders. What’s more, businesses are creatures of habit — they have their processes and stick to them. But as the energy transition demands fleets take on new and diversified energy sources and responsibilities, sustainability has grown to mean so much more than just protecting our environment.

For fleet managers looking to pursue fleet sustainability that also accounts for longevity and efficiency, here are six ways fleets can embrace holistic sustainability in the face of the changing transportation landscape.

1. Try alternative fuels:

Alternative fuels such as electricity, hydrogen, and biofuels offer significant environmental benefits compared to traditional fossil fuels. Electric vehicles, for example, have no tailpipe emissions and are becoming increasingly cost-competitive with traditional vehicles. Fleet operators can also consider using hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, which emit only water vapor, or biofuels made from renewable sources such as waste cooking oil or plant-based materials.

2. Use fuel-efficient vehicles: 

Another way for fleets to reduce their environmental impact is by using fuel-efficient vehicles. This can include hybrid electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, which combine the benefits of electric power with the range of traditional fossil fuels. Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles also offer a sustainable option. In addition, fleets can also consider using vehicles with advanced fuel-saving technologies, such as aerodynamic designs, low rolling resistance tires, and engine start-stop systems.

3. Adopt Mobile Fueling:

According to GeoTab, each fleet vehicle drives an average of 2.2 off-route miles for each gas station trip. At an average of 183 gas station visits annually per fleet vehicle (according to Booster’s customer data), those miles pile up to create significant emissions.

Booster’s mobile fueling service significantly reduces these emissions through the elimination of individual gas station trips. Mobile fueling omits the need for the gas station errand by delivering fuel directly from the terminal to fleet vehicles wherever they park overnight. In fact, Booster’s mobile fuel delivery service can save up to 587 lbs of CO2 per diesel vehicle annually by reducing gas station trips. 

4. Optimize routes and schedules: 

By optimizing their routes and schedules, fleets can reduce their energy consumption and environmental impact. This can include using software — like Booster’s proprietary routing software — to optimize delivery routes to minimize idle time, reduce fuel consumption, and increase productivity. Fleets can also consider scheduling deliveries during off-peak hours, when traffic is lighter and energy demand is lower. 

5. Implement driver training programs: 

Driver behavior has a significant impact on fuel consumption and emissions. Fleet operators can implement driver training programs to encourage more fuel-efficient driving practices, such as avoiding rapid acceleration and excessive idling, maintaining a consistent speed, and reducing unnecessary weight in the vehicle.

6. Monitor and analyze data:

Finally, fleets can be more sustainable by monitoring and analyzing data on their fuel consumption and environmental impact. This can include using telematics devices to track vehicle performance and identify areas for improvement, such as reducing idling time or improving fuel efficiency. Fleets can also use data analytics tools to analyze fuel consumption patterns and identify opportunities to optimize routes, schedules, and vehicle usage.

For fleets needing easily accessible data, Booster’s fleet data portal offers actionable insights into gallons pumped, emissions saved, dollars spent on fuel, and more.

Cleaner, Greener Fleet Solutions

As the entire economy continues to adopt cleaner, greener solutions, fleets are doing the same. Not only will this lighten their impact on the environment, but it will also help them to achieve longevity and efficiency in their business and fleet operations. Along the path of the transportation sector’s energy transition, data analysis, alternative fuels, and mobile fueling will be key methods of boosting sustainability.

Enbridge’s goal to be the “first-choice partner” for Indigenous Nations interested in pursuing energy infrastructure opportunities is taking shape.

Listening. Learning. Adapting. Understanding that the word “partnership” may mean something different to each and every Indigenous Nation on the continent. Understanding the need for deeper, better relationships between project proponents and Indigenous groups than anything seen in the past.

Greg Ebel, recently appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of North America’s leading energy infrastructure company, shared this hopeful and plausible vision today in Vancouver at the sixth annual Values Driven Economy conference, presented by the First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC), where he spoke in front of leaders of more than 130 Indigenous communities across Canada.

The FNMPC’s mandate includes working toward the economic well-being of members by focusing on environment, benefits and ownership opportunities from major projects. A fireside chat with Ebel, who became Enbridge President and CEO in January following the retirement of Al Monaco, was among highlights of the first day of the conference. Today’s discussion alongside Mark Podlasly, Director of Economic Policy at FNMPC, was entitled Examining Today’s Highest Standards of Indigenous-Industry Partnership.

Over the past several years, Enbridge has pioneered a structure for Indigenous equity ownership in major infrastructure projects. The efforts and the lessons learned have helped define the company’s values, Ebel said.

“We want to build partnerships with Indigenous Nations. We continue to listen to and learn from Indigenous leaders and communities, and that’s informing how we engage communities in B.C. and across North America,” he said.

Momentum is building. Clear commitments and actions are laid out today in Enbridge’s Indigenous Reconciliation Action Plan, a document that charts the company’s journey of reconciliation. Of the company’s more than 12,000 employees, nearly all had undertaken the company’s Indigenous awareness training by the end of 2022.

And equity ownership agreements have successfully been forged:

Partners in Enbridge’s proposed open access CO2 transportation and storage hub (the Wabamun Hub) near Edmonton include four Treaty Six First Nations that could own up to a 50% interest in the project.No less than 23 Indigenous Groups—through Athabasca Indigenous Investments—now own an 11.57% stake in seven Enbridge-operated pipelines in Alberta’s Athabasca region, an agreement reached over an industrious six-month span last year “through a lot of listening and flexibility” culminating in what Ebel described as “one of our most proud moments as a company.”

Enbridge, working hard to lead the energy transition, is open to more equity partnerships across North America, Ebel said, reiterating the clear understanding that every one of them may be different.

“We won’t assume that everyone wants the same thing,” he said. “We see ourselves as leaders in the energy transition, and (see) Indigenous partnerships as critical to achieving that transition.”