CHARLOTTE, NC – At the 2011 NAFA Institute & Expo two commercial fleet managers received NAFA’s Sustainable Fleet Awards. This year’s winners were Amy Leddy (pictured, photo courtesy NAFA), Manager of National Program Management at Liberty Mutual, and Gary Polito, Global Commodity Manager for Travel, Fleet and Meetings at EMD Millipore.

Liberty Mutual has a fleet of more than 2,700 vehicles and has made an ongoing effort to reduce the impact fleet operations on the environment. According to NAFA, between 2009 and 2010 the company reduced CO2 emissions by 5 million pounds.

As part of the company’s overall commitment to green practices, replacement vehicles will either meet Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) standards, or be capable of operating on E85. The company also provides several options to help employees limit their travel time and reduce fuel consumption.

They encourage the use of public transportation by offering payroll deduction for commuter passes, and by partnering with public transportation organizations across the country to increase employee awareness and pass through any discounts on fares. Every driver must also review the fleet policy, including the sustainable driving section, and then complete a 10 question quiz to ensure they have understood the concepts.

At EMD Millipore, Gary Polito (pictured) has worked to help manage the company's fleet sustainability efforts. The company incorporated hybrids into one-third of the company's U.S. fleet. In addition, EMD Millipore right-sized vehicles according to job responsibilities. These efforts reduced fuel consumption by nearly 150,000 gallons, which also prevented more than 2.8 million pounds of CO2 from being expelled into the atmosphere, on an annual basis.

Within the company’s sustainability plan, vehicles larger than a sedan are only provided if the extra space is critical for the driver to complete the tasks associated with the job being performed; otherwise, each driver assigned a sedan receives a cash incentive for choosing a hybrid model. Employees who do not drive a company car are awarded a monthly cash benefit if they purchase a “Smartway Elite”-labeled vehicle for personal use. NAFA stated this approach ensured that employee productivity and morale were not adversely affected by the sustainability program.