OTA Road Knights encourage energy efficiency with ‘SmartDriver’
TORONTO, Ont. — The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) Road Knights are encouraging all transport drivers to maximize every litre of diesel fuel, by practicing fuel-efficient truck driving practices.
The 10-member team has now completed Natural Resources Canada’s fuel efficiency program called SmartDriver for Highway Trucking, and will weave the skills they have learned into their public speaking presentations, OTA says.
The OTA Road Knights are a group of truck drivers who step out of the cab several times a month to speak to the community and media about the trucking industry and road safety. To truck drivers they deliver a message of the importance of professionalism, the vital contribution the industry makes to the economy, and how driving practices can impact fuel efficiency and operating costs.
“SmartDriver for Highway Trucking promotes driving for fuel efficiency as a cost-effective and responsible way to reduce costs and the environmental impact of fleet operations,” says Rebecka Torn, OTA communications director.
“The Road Knights are ideally placed to promote fuel efficient driving in their role as trucking industry ambassadors,” adds Torn. “Fuel cost is now the number one expense in fleet operations, and drivers have an important role to play in reducing those costs through fuel efficient driving practices. The Road Knights are committed to doing their part for environmental protection and conservation.”
Under ecoACTION, the federal government sponsors ecoENERGY for Fleets a program offered by Natural Resources Canada, which introduces fleets to energy-efficient practices that can reduce fuel consumption and emissions. FleetSmart and SmartDriver is a component of this program which offers free practical advice on how energy-efficient vehicles and business practices can reduce fleet operating costs, improve productivity and increase your competitiveness.
The SmartDriver for Highway Trucking training program covers: “Factors that Affect Fuel Efficiency, Vehicle Care and Inspections, Driving Practices and Recommendations” and “SmartDriving for Fuel Efficiency.”
For more about the SmartDriver program and to book training at your fleet, contact: Tanya Contant or Nancy McEvoy at fleetsmart@nrcan.gc.ca
For information about the Road Knights program, please contact OTA’s Rebecka Torn at (416) 249-7401 x 224.
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