OVERVIEW
Terpening Trucking Co., founded in 1916 and based in Syracuse, New York, is a fourth generation family owned and operated company. With a fleet of 73 tractors, the company delivers over 500 million gallons of petroleum products annually to almost 1,000 locations in nine states and Canada.
CHALLENGE
Having experienced 29% growth in sales and a 45% expansion of its fleet in the past three years, Terpening Trucking Co. sought to accelerate its fuel savings by focusing on helping drivers operate vehicles more efficiently.
SOLUTION
Terpening Trucking Co. selected the Vnomics that combines real-time driver coaching with comprehensive analytics to improve fuel economy. The in-cab system precisely monitors each vehicle’s actual fuel usage in real-time and compares it to the maximum achievable fuel economy for that vehicle under its current load and operating conditions.
With Vnomics, drivers are provided with real-time audio alerts for improper shifting, speeding and idling and fleet managers can access comprehensive fuel use analytics that provide fair and balanced scorecards that are well accepted by drivers.
Terpening Trucking Co. supervisors review driver performance alerts daily and immediately address adverse behaviors. Top and bottom driver scores are also displayed in the drivers’ break room to encourage friendly competition.
RESULTS
In the first two months after enabling Vnomics’, Terpening Trucking Co. realized a 9% improvement in fuel economy in its fleet of over 50 trucks. Today, with 73 vehicles hauling almost one million more gallons of fuel products annually than in 2014, the average MPG improvement stands at 9.8%.
The Terpening Trucking Co. fleet average of 5.36 mpg reflects an increase from 4.9 mpg in 2012. With an average monthly fuel usage of 79,000 gallons, the nearly 10% savings, at about $3 per gallon, equals an annual fuel cost reduction of $275,000.
Terpening Trucking Co. attributes the bulk of its fuel economy improvement to the Vnomics solution, which has helped drivers strive to achieve high scores for proper and fuel efficient shifting and driving practices, despite the addition of higher horsepower engines and the negative impact of winter fuel blends. Additionally, while two thirds of the fleet hauls permitted 12,000-gallon loads rated at 107,000 lbs GCW in tri-axle tank trailers, some trucks carrying 80,000 lb loads (8,000 gallons) are averaging from 6.8 to 7.1 mpg.