5/19/2022

Nearly 6,900 vehicles make up our company fleet across the U.S. and Canada. Stewarding these resources with an eye toward employee safety as well as environmental and financial consciousness has driven many of our fleet management decisions, including the recent upgrade of our vehicle telematics system. On the financial side, all of us are aware that the cost to refuel our own vehicles has skyrocketed in recent months. The same holds true for Centuri and all its operating companies across North America. Year to date through April, the cost of fuel (gasoline or diesel) to the company in the U.S. has increased by 47% over the first 4 months of last year; in Canada by 62%. That equates to an increased cost to the company of over $10 million in just 4 months alone this year, or $30 million on an annual basis.

Today Centuri is announcing an initiative to drive down vehicle idling to improve fuel economy, reduce emissions, and prolong the life of our fleet assets.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel and produces more emissions that contribute to smog and climate change than stopping and restarting your engine does. Similarly, excessive speed contributes to fuel burn and additional expense. Researchers estimate that the idling from heavy-duty and light-duty vehicles combined wastes about 6 billion gallons of fuel annually. About half of that is attributable to individual vehicles, which generate around 30 million tons of CO2 every year just by idling.

While the impact of idling may be small on a per-vehicle basis, the impact of the 6,900 vehicles in our company fleet adds up. Eliminating unnecessary idling will help us save fuel and advance our goal to reduce CO2 emissions 25% by 2030. As part of this effort, we can expect greater visibility to current idle time information that can support management toward a goal of no unnecessary idling. And all of us who drive a company vehicle are asked to turn off the engine rather than idling unless it is necessary for operations.
Some local jurisdictions are beginning to adopt vehicle idling regulations. To learn about the local ordinances in your area, click here.
As part of our commitment to sustainability and thinking ahead to the long term, please join the effort to drive down vehicle idling. Turn your key—Be idle free.