Authors Judy Agnew and Aubrey Daniels have published a book that lays out the case that just because a trucking fleet puts the latest safety gadgets on its trucks, that alone does not make it safe.

In fact, the book, “Safe By Accident: Take the Luck Out of Safety: Leadership Practices that Build a Sustainable Safety Culture,” makes the argument that human behavior needs to change to truly create a culture of safety. Using science-based solutions, the authors have come up with seven steps companies can take to increase safety.

One point they make is to get rid of most traditional practices such as incentive programs, safety signs, and punishment. These things, especially the overuse of signage, simply clutter the process and cause employees to tune out more important messages. Instead, use signs that direct specific behavior, such as “shut off engines,” “set brakes,” “chock wheels,” they say. more

In his proposed budget presented yesterday, among the many programs President Barack Obama has proposed eliminating is the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant program, administered through the Environmental Protection Agency.

Talk about short-sighted thinking. According to the Administration, “the marginal benefit of these individual retrofits is small given the large universe of existing diesel engines, and the grants only push forward in time reductions to emissions that would happen anyway, as the inventory of existing diesel engines turns over.”

The Administration also argues that the program has “largely succeeded” but because the program “retrofits and replaces newer engines, its cost effectiveness decreases, because the same amount of grant funding results in less substantial emissions reductions.” more

I received an email the other day from a Mark Theis with the subject line, “FW: Thank you.” Intrigued, I opened and read Mark’s introduction.

Mark, the safety director at Long Haul Trucking in Albertville, MN, just wanted to pass along to members of the media a letter the company received about one of its drivers, a John Crozman. Seems that John went out of his way to help a couple in need that was stranded on the side of a highway during a snowstorm in Summit, SD. more

For those fleet managers that know they have to green their fleet to reduce its carbon footprint and ultimately be more competitive, yet are not sure how to get started without taking on significant cost, Thermo King has an answer.

Really, it’s 50 of them.

The company has created a document entitled “50 Ways to Green Your Fleet.” It includes 50 tips and suggestions on things, however big or small, a fleet can do to make itself greener.

(See the whole list here)

The list includes such big-ticket items as using EPA-certified engines, refrigeration units, APUs, and improving the aerodynamics of your tractor and trailer. But it also includes not-so-expensive chores such as reducing idling time, obeying speed limits, avoiding quick accelerations, and training technicians to maintain equipment properly. more

Casella Waste Systems is testing a dual-fuel refuse truck from GreenMan Technologies’ subsidiary American Power Group (APG).

The test vehicle, a 2003 DT530 8.6-liter, 275 hp. International, runs on compressed natural gas or diesel fuel, operating with a fuel savings of 25-35%, APG said. The system works by “seamlessly displaying 40-70% of the normal diesel fuel consumption with CNG, LNG, or bio-methane.”

According to APG, the system is non-invasive to the OEM’s engine and operates within all OEM “performance controls” and can return to 100% diesel operation at any time. The introduction of natural gas does not impact the diesel engine, its components, or torque, APG said. more