DES PLAINES, IL - Wheels, Inc., a leader in the multi-billion-dollar fleet-leasing industry, today announced the inaugural EcoWheelsTM Green Driver Challenge. Corporate fleet drivers will learn about and pledge to adopt sustainable driving practices that will minimize the environmental impact of their driving. The EcoWheels Green Driver Challenge will be launched in conjunction with the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, 2010 and conclude on July 1, 2010.
Organized by Wheels and executed by individual corporate fleets, the EcoWheels Green Driver Challenge will encourage drivers to commit to practices such as reducing idling time, checking tire pressure and practicing more efficient route-planning, among other options. By registering at a special website and indicating what sustainable actions they pledge to take during the program, participating drivers will immediately learn the environmental impact of their commitment. The website will calculate the carbon dioxide (CO2) output, in pounds, that each pledge will save and the impact of that CO2 reduction in equivalent number of trees planted.
"Small changes in driving habits can have a big impact on fuel efficiency and, intrinsically, the environment," said Dan Frank, President of Wheels Services. "The EcoWheels Green Driver Challenge is another opportunity for Wheels and our clients to make sure that we are using the most sustainable driving practices."
One of Wheels' many clients participating in the EcoWheels Green Driver Challenge is SimplexGrinnell, a Tyco International company that manages a fleet of 7,000 vehicles and aims to enroll as many drivers as possible in the Challenge.
"Our company is strongly committed to the environment and to reducing our carbon footprint," said SimplexGrinnell President James Spicer. "By participating in the Green Driver Challenge, we can engage our drivers to do their part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and add the incentive of tracking in real time the positive effect their commitment has on the environment."
The EcoWheels program, developed in 2007, is dedicated to helping corporate fleets reach their environmental goals. By partnering with clients to educate drivers on practices that improve fuel efficiency, advising on best utilization of fleet assets and implementing best practices for fleet vehicle selection, the EcoWheels program has helped clients to decrease CO2 emissions by 250,000 metric tons.
"We are developing programs like the EcoWheels Green Driver Challenge in response to our clients' desire to make real improvements to and reduce their impact on the environment," added Frank. "Wheels' ability to create strategies that drive measurable change for companies like SimplexGrinnell and the others already signed up for the event secures our leadership in the fleet management arena."
About Wheels, Inc.:
Wheels, Inc. (www.wheels.com), which pioneered the concept of auto leasing in 1939, provides a full range of specialized services to help organizations manage their vehicle fleets. Wheels manages more than 270,000 vehicles. Its holding company, Frank Consolidated Enterprises, near $2 billion currently ranks as the largest privately held fleet management company and one of the largest private companies in North America. For additional information, please contact info@wheels.com.
