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Major truck fleet operators increasingly have to think about how to make their operations as environmentally friendly as possible, in addition to all the other issues they have to face. To some extent it is straight forward. If you have sold your old vehicles and purchased Euro 4 or Euro 5 vehicles your fleet will be as clean as possible. But it is more difficult if you want to go further and use biodiesel. Many operators are looking at using this but it is hard to get supplies outside urban areas  and each truck manufacturer seems to have a different rule on what percentage of biodiesel can be used. In addition it is expensive and decreases service intervals.

There are also new options. The Smith Newton electric 7.5 tonners being used by TNT Express and Ceva seems excellent for urban delivery, particularly as they are exempt from the London congestion charge and can park for free in Westminster. The new Modec electric vehicles being used by Tesco also offer a route to being environmentally friendly (although of course electricity has to be generated somewhere). Trucks with hybrid engines will also soon be available.

Fleet managers need to consider these various approaches to going green. But unfortunately alternative fuels have a bad history with Government encouraging them one moment and then losing interest. If this Government is serious about the environment it should give some serious, long term, encouragement to help us go green, be it incentives for Euro  5 or for getting old vehicles off the road. At the moment it is all stick and no carrot.

Derek Wright is Managing Director of Schmitz used trailer division Schmitz A1.