Global Logistics and Supply Chain Strategies - March 2008 - (Page 35)

Freightliner sleeper include an auxiliary power unit to reduce idling, lower wind resistance, an automated direct drive transmission and fuel efficient drive tires. The Great Dane and Utility trailers feature weight-saving designs and materials, side skirts, low rolling resistance tires, gap reducers, and automatic tire inflation systems. Stonyfield Farm, Londonderry, N.H., is the first customer to order RydeGreen vehicles, which will be part of the dedicated fleet that Ryder manages for the dairy and food company. “We have so many capabilities with this dedicated fleet that we will be able to help Stonyfield have an even more positive impact on the environment than they already have,” says Mark Swenson, vice president of business development at Ryder. “The onboard computer technology is tremendous as far as monitoring drivers’ patterns of shifting, hard braking and fuel economy,” he says. “All that is electronically captured so we can understand how drivers are performing and improve our driver training.” Railroads also are working with OEMs on equipment. BNSF and GE are researching a hybrid locomotive that would store “Retiring old locomotives is an important part of what we do at BNSF. The key is to have the discipline to take the old ones out of the fleet.” — Mark Stehly of BNSF and reuse braking energy now dissipated as heat. “If we can figure that one out, we could save somewhere in the vicinity of 10 percent on fuel costs. We are not quite there, but we hope to have a workable design ready by 2009,” says Stehly. Regular new diesel locomotives are 15 percent more fuel efficient that old ones, “so retiring old locomotives is an important part of what we do at BNSF,” says Stehly. “The key is to have the discipline to take the old ones out of the fleet.” One of BNSF’s more productive initiatives is the use of low-torque bearings on freight cars, he says. “This basically reduces friction between the wheel and the rail by as much as 50 percent and helps the wheels roll more easily,” he says. “Over the length of a full train, it can reduce the total train drag by maybe 1 percent to 2 percent. For one change, that’s a big deal.” Another fuel-saving technique is to lubricate track curves with rail-friction modifiers. This controlled lubrication mitigates the extra friction that occurs around curves caused by the wheels on either side of an axle having to move at the same speed, even though the outside wheel is traveling a greater distance than the inside wheel. This lubricant, which is being used by a number Let us harness them for you. Your distribution facilities can actually make facilities by ProLogis give you the advantage of green design features that reduce carbon emissions. ProLogis has been at the forefront of global sustainability in industrial real estate for several years. Continuing that leadership, we are now constructing all our new facilities in the United States according to the standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council for LEED® Learn how our leadership in sustainable development can help the winds of change blow in your favor. Visit us at www.prologis.com/08. Green has always been our favorite color. Multi-level distribution facility - Amagasaki, Japan ©2008 ProLogis. All rights reserved. www.prologis.com/08 GLOBAL LOGISTICS & SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGIES 35 http://www.prologis.com/08 http://www.prologis.com/08

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Global Logistics and Supply Chain Strategies - March 2008

Global Logistics and Supply Chain Strategies - March 2008 Editorial GL & SCS Exclusive FastForward Up Front The Green in Green Think Inside the Box Have a Second Look Can't Happen Here Opinion: Stay in the Black as Your Workforce Fades to Gray Opinion: Four Critical Steps to Managing Change in the Supply Chain Industry Voices

Global Logistics and Supply Chain Strategies - March 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.