Practical Ideas To Reduce Fleet Emissions
Fleets interested in reducing carbon emissions have a range of options available today and can layer in mid- and long-range strategies to meet their operational and environmental goals.
There are meaningful steps companies can take today without waiting for future technologies. The 2025 State of Sustainable Fleets Market Brief found that renewable fuels are continuing to gain traction, with 39% of fleets responding to the annual survey reporting that they use renewable diesel and 29% reporting that they use biodiesel.
Adoption of renewable diesel, also called RD, is rising steadily as fleets look for cost-effective and operationally familiar solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. RD is a drop-in solution that is fully compatible with diesel engines. Penske currently offers R-99 — 99% renewable diesel fuel — at multiple locations on the West Coast.
Biodiesel is an alternative fuel made from domestic, renewable resources such as plant oils, recycled cooking greases or oils, animal fats or algae. Biodiesel is blended with petroleum diesel. Currently, B20 is the highest amount supported by Original Equipment Manufacturers’ warranties.
Transitioning to late-model equipment can also produce fuel efficiency gains. The National Private Truck Council’s 2025 Fleet Benchmarking Survey found that fleets that lease all of their equipment have an average age of equipment of just 3.2 years compared to 5.34 years. As a result, leased fleets have a fuel economy of 7.24 miles per gallon compared to 5.84 mpg by fleets that own most of their equipment.
Beyond fuels, route and network optimization can also help reduce emissions and can be part of fleets’ short, mid- and long-range plans. Reducing unnecessary mileage and eliminating out-of-route miles on existing routes can deliver quick wins, while reconfiguring networks can be part of longer-term strategies.
Mid- and long-range planning often requires more investment in infrastructure, equipment and training. Strategies can include phasing out older, less efficient equipment. Newer diesel vehicles offer improved fuel economy and ensure compliance with emissions regulations.
Fleets can also look at opportunities to adopt alternative fuel vehicles. The 2025 State of Sustainable Fleets Market Brief found that adoption of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) has continued to increase across medium- and heavy-duty fleets and charging infrastructure that meets their needs is expanding. Total medium- and heavy-duty BEV registrations reached 41,472 in 2024, an all-time high, according to the Market Brief.
Determining which vehicles make the most sense starts with examining the fleet’s applications and routes and finding areas where they will work well. Operational requirements, EV range and existing charging infrastructure can all help determine areas of opportunity. For many fleets, light- and medium-duty equipment that travels shorter distances and returns to their base daily can be a possible entry point. Yard tractors, which also travel fewer miles and return to base at night, can also be an ideal place to start.
However, adding even one truck requires advanced planning, particularly on the infrastructure side. Electrification projects can experience long lead times due to permitting, the availability of power at the site and delivery times for charging equipment.
To learn more about how Penske Truck Leasing and Penske Energy can help you create a balanced roadmap to meet your short-, mid- and long-term goals, contact us today.