Morning Buzz: Right turns save gas?

UPS Drivers in California are trying to only make right turns, and they say it saves them a lot of gas! This story comes to us from KCBS in Los Angeles.

In the LA area, there are around 250 UPS trucks on the road every day. And, recently the company decided to make most of their turns right turns to cut down on emissions. The drivers say it saves gas because you’re not sitting and waiting at a signal to make a left turn… burning gas that whole time.

A computer maps out the routes, trying to keep the trucks going in the flow of traffic and making mostly right turns. According to the report, doing this and other “green” strategies for a year helped the company cut its usage of gas, diesel and natural gas by more than 3 million gallons.

Posted by on 05/07 at 03:17 AM

This is a simplification and exaggeration of the company’s efforts to make deliveries more efficient in some heavily traffic-congested areas…

In 2005 UPS implemented a $600 million route optimization system (MapQuest on steroids)..So sophisticated is the software that it designs each route to minimize the number of left turns...thus reducing the time and gas that drivers waste idling at stoplights…

News Flash Mr. Brown...Its the traffic lights that cause the idling...not the left hand turns…

All I can really walk away from this story with is…

Two wrongs don’t make a right..but for some reason..two Wrights can make an airplane..smile

Posted by  on  05/07  at  04:57 AM

Could it be that the real problem with left turns is not necessarily at traffic lights? Places where waiting for streams of traffic don’t allow turning for a long time? Even at traffic lights if the left turn line is long you can sit through one or more cycles before getting to turn.

I am convinced that fuel can be saved with traffic light control enhancement and other methods. Even with that there will always be the drag race between red lights. Gas prices don’t seem to effect those people.

Do you suppose this right turns thing will change this far left state any?

Posted by  on  05/07  at  09:01 AM

Honestly..

I think all of this “no left hand turn”..along with changing your driving habits..is just another form of “brain-washing the public”..

Gas prices will continue to rise..when you cant afford to go on..the blame will have been shifted to where their is nobody else to blame but yourself..

You didnt make all right hand turns..you didnt change your driving habits enough to suit the cost of fuel prices...You just didnt do your part as a model citizen to help out our declining economy..

If you arent part of the solution..then you must be part of the problem..

What I truly like..is how they get their message out...every media outlet that exists does it for them...the whole time they too are suffering..wink

Ya gotta love a country like this…

Posted by  on  05/07  at  09:54 AM

UPS is interested in profit. Period. This will increase their bottom line. They are already charging a “fuel surcharge” to pass the high cost of fuel on to the customer. It’s all about the Benjamins.

Posted by  on  05/07  at  10:44 AM

..if they saved 3 million gallons so far..that is well over 1 billion dollars in savings..

That money should ensure that a certain percentage of people at the top of the ladder dont have to experience the discomforts of existing in today’s economy…

The only pleasure one can hope to find in that..is that when dealing with ladders..the closer that you are to the bottom...when you fall...the less it hurts…

Posted by  on  05/07  at  11:23 AM

How in the world did you get” well over a billion dollars” Wolf?

It was simple..3 million gallons is roughly $10,530,000 bucks..in fuel costs..

..but that is in one city alone…

..so “well over a billion” was a safety net for me..I knew it would work to get my point across..

I hate it when I have to ask myself a question...and then answer it.....correctly…

Man the pressures I suffer for all of you..smile *LOL*

Posted by  on  05/07  at  11:48 AM

Page 1 of 1 pages

Log In | Register as a new member