Clipper Logistics celebrate two years of successful fleet improvements

Clipper Logistics has been celebrating its two year membership of the free ECO Stars fleetrecognition scheme, launched by Care4Air (www.care4air.org/ecostars) in South Yorkshirein January 2009.

The Award winning ECO Stars (Efficient and Cleaner Operations) Fleet RecognitionScheme, helps South Yorkshire’s HGV, LGV, bus and coach fleet operators gain recognitionfor their commitment to improving efficiency, reducing fuel consumption and reducingemissions – all helping to improve local air quality.

Brett Young, General Manager at Clipper Logistics comments, “Clipper Logistics were thefirst members to sign up to ECO Stars when the scheme first launched two years ago. TheECO Stars scheme has been of great benefit to us, helping us reduce our costs and improveour performance to reach the maximum five star rating. We’re as pleased with the supporttoday as we ever were and Clipper Logistics are proud to be the first multi-region member ofboth the South Yorkshire and Mid-Devon ECO Stars schemes.”

Key to the ECO Stars scheme is the bespoke ‘Road map’ action plan developed for eachnew member to help them progress to higher star ratings levels. The ‘Road map’ is a freeefficiency review of each business undertaken by fleet specialists on joining the scheme.On first joining the scheme, Clipper Logistics were awarded a 4 star rating and receivedtheir individual best practice road map with suggestions on how they could improve theirperformance, including measures to reduce idling, improving driver incentive schemes andexpanding their key performance indicators. By implementing these suggested actions, theybecame the first ECO Stars five star operator, achieving the highest possible rating.

With no sign up fee, help through the application process and tailor-made support foreach individual company, fleet operators like Clipper Logistics across South Yorkshire canimprove their fleet profile through:

• Fuel management
• Developing driver skills
• Vehicle specification and maintenance
• Use of IT support systems
• Fleet performance monitoring

Joining the scheme offers operators the opportunity to cut costs by up to £2,300* per vehicle and improve environmental performance by cutting fuel consumption. The ECO Stars SouthYorkshire scheme has in excess of 5,000 vehicles signed up from across 30 members, whoinclude household names such as Sainsbury’s, Next, Stagecoach, First Group, as well asLocal Authority fleets and other local fleet operators.

The key Councils behind ECO Stars South Yorkshire are: Barnsley Metropolitan BoroughCouncil; Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council; Rotherham Metropolitan BoroughCouncil; and Sheffield City Council, with support from Travel South Yorkshire and NHSBarnsley. And the ECO Stars scheme is growing. A launch into the Mid-Devon area ishappening in early 2011.

For more information on the ECO Stars scheme in South Yorkshire and Mid Devon, call the ECO Stars Team on 01543 416416 or email ecostars@ttr-ltd.com