Fleet Maintenance - 50

MANAGEMENT
» Addressing the impact we have on the
environment in a positive way can make
future generations feel proud of our efforts.
Dreamstime

It's first important
to recognize that we
are all in the same
lifeboat and any actions
we take will help.

Are you a good
global citizen?
Your involvement in the
transportation industry is key to
sustainable operations for your
business, and for the planet.

Good citizens, and good companies, don't
waste resources. To be sustainable for our
kids and for their kids - and all future generations - we need to minimize waste. One way
to become more sustainable is to become an
expert on being lean, both in our professional
and personal lives. If you want some pointers,
and there is anyone still alive from the old
days, ask them. In my grandparents' generation, waste was a sin.
We can certainly have an impact at home,
but our companies can have an even bigger
effect. Addressing that impact in a positive
way can make future generations (and you)
feel proud of your efforts. It's first important

By Joel Levitt

PRESIDENT, SPRINGFIELD RESOURCES
Springfield Resources (maintenancetraining.com) is a
management consulting firm that services a variety of
clients on a wide range of maintenance issues. Levitt is
the president of the company and has trained more than
17,000 maintenance leaders from more than 3,000 organizations in 38 countries. He is also the creator of LaserFocused Training, a flexible training program that provides
specific, targeted training on your schedule, online for one
to 250 people in maintenance management, asset management, and reliability.

50 Fleet Maintenance | October 2019

to recognize that we are all in the same lifeboat
and any actions we take will help.

Acknowledge the issue

We had better get with the program. It sounds
like climate change will be bad for whole
sections of our country and the world. While
I believe in climate change science, it should
be clear to even disbelievers that the weather
is getting more severe, and drought and flooding patterns are changing (not for the better).
This increasingly rapid change could turn out
to have monstrous consequences. For example, a United Nations report released earlier
this year, titled "Global Assessment Report on
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services," advised
that a million species may risk extinction due
to climate change. Pretending it is not an issue
is ignorance.
While driving in Florida, from Fort Myers to
Miami on Route 75, my new fancy GPS showed
we were at a three-foot elevation above sea
level. At the time we were a good distance from
the coast. But, three feet is not very much when
you consider the melting going on at the North
and South Poles and the potential for rising sea
levels. Other coastal places and some islands
are at even greater risk.
For now, the battle is up to us. I'm afraid there
is not much leadership at the government level
on this issue currently. I'm not sure why our
"leaders" (with a few exceptions) are acting so
ignorantly but we, in our business life and at
home, are compelled to be thrifty.
Specifically, in the transportation industry, we can look forward to higher diesel
prices, accelerated infrastructure deteri-

oration, disruptions to routing, catastrophes (that we have to drive around or get
through), disruptions to supply chains,
increased emergency preparation, and other
issues we have yet to discover.

Past examples

We have to do our part. Our elected officials
have to do their part. The government can
take the lead to help industries to be more
efficient. It has happened in the past. One
example of a shift in government becoming involved was the Arabic and Iranian oil
embargoes of 1973 and 1979, respectively.
The embargoes created a scarcity of both
diesel and gasoline, causing long lines at
fueling stations and alternate-day purchases.
It was essential to reduce the fuel consumption so there would be enough to go around.
In the late 1970s, Jimmy Carter's administration pushed for and passed a program
called the Voluntary Truck and Bus Fuel
Economy Program, among other actions. This
program involved participation from the U.S.
Department of Energy, the Department of
Transportation, and the transportation industry to research how to reduce fuel usage. Many
of the ideas are standard parts of trucks today
such as fairings, thermostatically controlled
fans, reduced weight trailers, etc.

Next steps

Scientists talk about a tipping point. At
the tipping point, the rate of temperature
change will accelerate until it is unstoppable. Personally, that idea makes me want to
ignore the whole problem altogether. But that
is the very problem. The problem is so big it
feels pointless to start. We also face an enemy
more powerful and more cunning than any in
human history: ourselves. We have an internal
battle, right here in the U.S. It is the millions
of us who make a living from the releases of
fossil fuel carbon, methane, or even chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs, one of the worst chemicals
for the atmosphere).
Our livelihood is on the line. It is not a theoretical conversation for our industry. We can
lead, or we can get dragged into changing.
I say we must lead and accept our role and
take immediate actions for the greater good.

http://www.maintenancetraining.com

Fleet Maintenance

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fleet Maintenance