Rolling Meadows, IL, September 2, 2008—Oil prices
remain high, and like everyone else in North America, construction equipment
owners and operators are feeling the pinch at the pump. According to a new
Pulse Survey by Komatsu America Corp., more than three-quarters (76.9%)
of construction equipment owners surveyed said that fuel efficiency has become a
greater priority at their firms during the past 12 months. As a result, many
respondents now employ a variety of fuel conservation methods
including:
- 53% have reduced idle
time
-
43.9% are considering
purchasing more fuel efficient machines
-
42.4% are running machines
in “fuel efficient” mode
-
24.2% are utilizing their
fleet management systems to better track fuel consumption
-
19.7% are using
biodiesel
-
9.1% are integrating
automatic shut-down technology
Komatsu answers the call
“In this climate of high fuel costs and growing concern about
environmental impact, Komatsu remains committed to providing compelling value to
our customers through innovative technology and customer support,” said Erik
Wilde, Vice President, Product Marketing, Komatsu America Corp. “Through our
fleet management system, KOMTRAX, all machine owners can more accurately monitor
idle time—a key to greater fuel efficiency—helping Komatsu customers match the
correct machine for idle time. Additionally,” Wilde continued, “our products are
equipped with fuel efficient modes which help customers operate efficiently,
while reducing their carbon footprint .”
Higher fuel costs mean fuel expenses have become a larger
portion of construction firms’ operating budgets in the past year. According to
the Pulse Survey, 43.9% of the respondents said that between 30-50% of
their operational budgets would be allocated to fuel costs this year, compared
to just 13.6% of respondents who indicated that fuel costs were such a large
portion of their operating budget in 2007. Additionally, 12.1% of survey
respondents said fuel expenses would be more than half of their operating budget
this year, compared to 9.1% for 2007.
Komatsu America Corp’s Pulse Surveys are designed to
“take the pulse” of construction professionals on topics of significant interest
to the construction industry. The Pulse Surveys are conducted
approximately 4-6 times a year. This online survey about fuel efficiency was
conducted from June 4 to July 11, 2008.
Visit the website at
www.komatsuamerica.com
for more
information.
