Auto Transport - A Good Move for Our Environment
Auto Transport - A Good Move for Our Environment by
J Roehll
The move toward "greener" more environmentally friendly practices can
be seen all across our nation. Hybrid cars are a huge hit leaving
dealers with waiting lists of customers who want to help reduce the
effects of global warming. Green homebuilding is all the rage and helps
reduce waste in landfills as well as save on energy consumption. But
there is one type of company that has been fighting this battle for
years without a lot of fanfare: auto transport companies.
It has been reported that just one auto transport company can save
almost 3 million gallons of fuel resulting in more than a 38 million
pound reduction in greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. That's
a significant savings!
For example, if there were only one auto transport company in each
state, the national savings would equate to almost 150 millions gallons
of fuel saved and almost 2 billion pounds of greenhouse gases that were
prevented from escaping into the atmosphere. Multiply that by the
hundreds, or possibly thousands, of auto transport businesses across
the nation and the figures are staggering.
Of course, not every vehicle can be shipped. Many must be driven to
their destinations. However, auto transport companies take pride in
knowing that their industry is having a positive affect on global
warming.
It might be hard to imagine that by choosing an auto transport company
to ship a vehicle rather than driving from origin to destination, you
would be contributing to the fight against global warming. It certainly
does. Transportation is the biggest source of U.S. carbon dioxide
emissions: more than factories or homes. So you can see that when it
comes to global warming, how and what we drive are two of our most
powerful choices.
The burning of fossil fuels (gasoline, diesel, etc.) to facilitate
transportation and the subsequent release of carbon dioxide and other
suspected greenhouse gases is under strong critique. The reduction of
these environmental menusis must be a top priority if we hope to save
our planet and prevent further permanent damage due to global warming.
The following emission data is from the Department of Energy website at www.DOE.gov.
One gallon of gasoline produces 19.564 lbs of carbon dioxide.
Average mpg for a car or SUV is 19 mpg.
One gallon of diesel produces 22.384 pounds of carbon dioxide.
Average mpg for an auto transport truck is 4.7.
Just one auto transport company shipped over 90,000 vehicles within a 12-month period of time and had the following impact:
> > 2,926,000 gallons of fuel saved
> > 38,216,000-pound reduction of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere
As significant as this sounds, this example shows two very important
things. First, the need is great! Even with auto transport companies
and other eco-minded businesses involved, we have a long way to go.
Second, just imagine the tremendous impact we could all have if we took
the needed steps to protect our environment. Individual participation
is the key.
The next time you get into your car, take time to consider your driving
habits. Consolidating trips, carpooling, driving at slower speeds and
shipping your car when applicable are simple and painless changes that
can have a long-lasting impact.
John Roehll is Executive Vice President of Dependable Auto Shippers (DAS), the largest privately owned
auto transport company in the U.S. When you need reliable, affordable vehicle transport, visit
http://www.dasautoshippers.com or call 866-298-4221. © 2007, All Rights Reserved
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