Don't Forget This Key Stakeholder in RFPs
When was the last time you thought about who is involved in your request for proposal process? Is anyone missing? If your company or the organization you are hoping to work with has someone focused on sustainability, they should definitely be involved whether you are drafting an RFP or responding to one
As environmental sustainability influences the transportation industry more and more, a growing number of organizations are establishing this type of position. They are often called a sustainability officer, sustainability program manager, manager of supply chain sustainability or something along those lines.
They care about things like climate change emissions reductions — which is where fuel choices come into play.
Sustainability Matters
Transportation is no longer just about getting products from Point A to Point B as fast as possible. It’s also about what you do and/or your customers do to support sustainability along the way.
So if you’re responding to RFPs, trying to land new customers or exploring how to grow your business, keeping this type of audience in mind will become more critical every day. Some fleets are already seeing this focus pay off.
“We’ve noticed that there are more and more customers asking us to participate in their sustainability efforts,” said Vince Buonassi, group manager of transportation programs at G&D Integrated, a for-hire carrier headquartered in Illinois. “And we’ve actually been awarded freight based on our biodiesel usage.”
Fuel Makes a Big Difference
Fleets already do several things to improve fuel efficiency — add aerodynamic features to trucks, optimize routes, use telematics to mitigate excessive idling, the list goes on.
But what about the fuel itself? Lots of alternative fuels exist. Two are growing in popularity, largely for their significantly lower lifecycle emissions and ease of use — biodiesel and renewable diesel.
In fact, biodiesel has been shown to reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 74%.1 Renewable diesel also excels at reducing emissions. They’re both primarily produced from animal fats, recycled cooking oil and vegetable oils that are byproducts of other processes. Those who care about sourcing (like sustainability officers evaluating your fleet) will be pleased, too.
A newer option to consider is blending renewable diesel with biodiesel. At Chevron Renewable Energy Group, we offer a blend called UltraClean BlenD™, which significantly reduces total hydrocarbons (up to 40%), particulate matter (more than 40%), carbon monoxide (by 25%) and NOx (by 10%) compared to petroleum diesel.2
With renewable diesel demand outpacing supply, this is a great way to stretch supply while continuing to run on a 100% renewable fuel and promote sustainability.
Solutions for Right Now
Electric vehicles are getting a lot of attention, but they are not going to be viable for heavy-duty and long-haul trucking anytime soon. Changing your fuel is something you can do right now — biodiesel blends and renewable diesel are drop-in solutions that don’t require major infrastructure or equipment changes.
That is sure to impress a sustainability officer.
“There’s really no sense fighting the tide of sustainability,” said Buonassi. “We feel it is our duty to be good environmental custodians, and it makes business sense for us.”
If you’d like to learn more about why and how to incorporate this audience into your process, contact us today.
1 https://www.biodiesel.org/what-is-biodiesel/biodiesel-sustainability
2 Data calculated by Chevron Renewable Energy Group based on California Air Resources Board assessments compared to federal ULSD.