First Ohio Green Fleets

January 30th, 2009

As one of Clean Fuels Ohio’s main initiatives, the Ohio Green Fleets program promotes the use of efficient technologies and alternative domestic fuels by helping fleets that ask for it and recognizing those that deserve it.  Through programs like Ohio Green Fleets, Clean Fuels Ohio strives to improve air quality and public health as well as encourage the sustainable use of non-petroleum domestic fuels to grow America’s economy and break our dependence on imported oil.   

 Achieving recognition as an Ohio Green Fleet is not easy.  In order to qualify, a fleet must provide data that demonstrates measurable reductions in emissions and petroleum use.  Using EPA based tools to quantify this information, fleets are designated at either a one, three, of five star level in accord with the proportion of overall emissions and petroleum use reductions they have attained.  Based on these metrics, Clean Fuels Ohio is proud to designate Continental Express Inc., Franklin County Board of MRDD, WBNS 10TV, Westerville City Schools, and MedCorp Inc. as Ohio Green Fleets. 

1 Star Ohio Green Fleets

Designation as a One Star Ohio Green Fleet demonstrates that measurable steps have been taken toward improving a fleet’s overall efficiency and emissions profile.  While these two categories are interconnected, fleets achieving a One Star rating have usually focused the bulk of their effort on one particular category.  Accordingly, the following fleets have achieved their One Star ratings because of outstanding efforts made to improve their efficiency or reduce their emissions.  The process of greening a fleet is not achieved quickly or easily.  Clean Fuels Ohio commends its One Star Ohio Green Fleets for taking important first steps toward making America’s transportation system more efficient and sustainable. 

Continental Express Inc.—One Star Ohio Green Fleet

Specializing in refrigerated and dedicated freight, Continental Express Inc. places a strong emphasis on being an outstanding over-the-road regional carrier.  Among the ways Continental has sought to distinguish itself is through policies on tractor and trailer efficiency.    With over 200 tractors and more than 400 trailers, Continental’s fleet represents a sizable investment.  Continental has gone to considerable lengths to improve the efficiency of its fleet by implementing a range of different strategies.  These strategies include adding numerous aerodynamic technologies to its tractors, reducing the weight of each vehicle by more than 1000 pounds, implementing the use of fuel efficient tires, adopting technologies to reduce idling, purchasing efficient refrigeration systems for its trailers, and introduction of blended biodiesel fuel.  The cumulative weight of these changes has reduced Continental’s overall fuel consumption significantly enough to qualify them as a One Star Ohio Green Fleet.  Clean Fuels Ohio commends Continental Express Inc. for its actions and looks forward to its further Greening efforts.  

Franklin County Board MRDD—One Star Ohio Green Fleet

The mission of the Franklin County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities is to provide programs, services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities, enabling them to live, work, learn, and participate in the community.  In order to facilitate this mission, Franklin County Board of MRDD owns and operates a fleet of over 200 vehicles, the majority of which are diesel powered school buses.  Recognizing that the health of those they serve is of the utmost importance, Franklin County Board of MRDD has actively sought grant funding to retrofit their buses, significantly improving their overall emissions profile.  With the help of the Toyota Clean School Bus for Kids Grant, FCBMRDD has successfully installed diesel particulate filters (DPFs) on 80 of their buses.  The application of DPFs and ultra low sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD) virtually eliminates ultrafine particles, black carbon, and PAH pollutants.  The significant emissions reductions achieved through these retrofits qualify Franklin County Board of MRDD for a One Star Ohio Green Fleet rating.  Clean Fuels Ohio applauds Franklin County Board of MRDD’s proactive effort to safeguard the health of the communities it serves and we look forward to future efforts in this area.

WBNS 10TV—One Star Ohio Green Fleet

From its founding in 1949, WBNS Television has strived to bring to Central Ohio the highest quality news and entertainment programming as well as set the standard in caring for the community while utilizing the finest in television technology.  As part of this mission, WBNS Television has begun implementing policies to boost the efficiency of their fleet.  By replacing the majority of their vehicles with significantly more fuel efficient models, WBNS has reduced their annual fuel consumption by nearly 35%.  Such reductions in fuel consumption are also accompanied by emissions reductions, most notably carbon dioxide.  In addition, WBNS has recently purchased a Hybrid SUV with the intent of expanding their fleet to include more Hybrid vehicles.  Clean Fuels Ohio commends WBNS Television for these recent efforts and is proud to designate them as a One Star Ohio Green Fleet.

3 Star Ohio Green Fleets

Designation as a Three Star Ohio Green Fleet demonstrates that significant steps have been taken toward improving a fleet’s overall efficiency and emissions profile.  Fleets achieving a Three Star rating have been able to apply technologies to the majority of their vehicles, attaining thorough reductions in total emissions and/or petroleum use.  Designation as a Three Star Ohio Green Fleet represents a considerable investment of time and resources in greening a fleet. 

Westerville City Schools—Three  Star Ohio Green Fleet

Serving a culturally and economically diverse 52-square-mile area in northeastern Franklin and southern Delaware counties, Westerville City Schools educates approximately 14,250 students a year making it the 10th-largest district in Ohio.  Beyond their reputation for academic excellence, Westerville City Schools have gone to great lengths to reduce their bus emissions, improving air quality for their students as well as the residents of central Ohio.  By retrofitting nearly two-thirds of their buses with diesel particulate filters (DPFs) and implementing wide scale anti-idling strategies, Westerville City Schools have drastically reduced their emissions of ultrafine particles, black carbon, PAH pollutants and visible smog from exhaust.  Clean Fuels Ohio commends this excellent work and is proud to designate Westerville City Schools as its first Three Star Ohio Green Fleet.

5 Star Ohio Green Fleets

Designation as a Five Star Ohio Green Fleet demonstrates that truly remarkable actions have been taken toward improving a fleet’s overall efficiency and emissions profiles.  Fleets achieving a Five Star Ohio Green Fleet rating have not only drastically reduced their emissions and petroleum use; they have largely embraced a new paradigm concerning transportation energy and efficiency.  To achieve a Five Star rating, a fleet almost certainly must adopt alternative energy sources to fuel their vehicles and reduce their emissions.

MedCorp Inc.—Five Star Ohio Green Fleet

With a fleet of more than 100 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and transport vehicles, MedCorp currently services Northwest and Central Ohio as well as parts of Southeast Michigan. MedCorp strives to provide a range of quality medical services to meet community needs as it continues to expand throughout the state.  As part of these efforts, MedCorp has converted 80% of its EMS vehicles to run on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), more commonly known as propane.   Propane is the nation's third largest motor fuel and the most widely used alternative transportation fuel throughout the world. Clean-burning propane has been fueling automobiles since 1913 and has been demonstrated to significantly reduce numerous categories of emissions.  The economic and environmental benefits of propane have impressed MedCorp Inc. so much that they have created a whole new division, MedCorp Green, which specializes in the distribution and installation of EPA-certified LPG conversion systems in the United States.   Clean Fuels Ohio is proud to designate MedCorp Inc. as its first Five Star Ohio Green Fleet and applauds both their initiative and the example they have put forward within the larger transportation community.