Green Truck Options - How to Make Your Truck Greener

Here is a guest article giving some tips on how to make your truck a greener truck.

We all know how damaging transportation is for the environment. Yet it is a necessary part of life. Green transportation ideas can help you cut the carbon emissions from your vehicle. Have a look at these simple green haulage ideas and see if there is anything you can do to make your truck a (relatively) green truck!

Guest article thanks to Judy of www.truckchamp.com

Trucks Go Green: 5 Ways to Be Environmentally Conscious "Green" Truck Owners

Face it, even if you don't especially want to own a truck yourself, you can't help but look at them a little enviously when you see a nice one, or certainly when you need something hauled. Unfortunately, a lot of people have negative thoughts when it comes to trucks, especially about the gas consumption or air pollution. But trucks will always be on the road, for work, personal, and leisure uses.

These are five simple things that you can do as a truck owner to help squelch the bad reputation trucks have gotten recently. Not only will these steps help our environment, but many of them will also help you save money - and that's a great benefit to being green!

1. Avoid letting your vehicle idle

   Save fuel and save the environment. If you're in slow moving traffic, or at a stop light, you can't help but let your car idle. But other times, turn off the ignition if you will be idling more than 10 seconds. Restarting your truck (or car) does not actually burn more fuel than letting it idle - this is a myth. Just 10 seconds of idling will waste more gas than restarting your engine. And, it's of utmost importance to our environment; idling trucks and cars emit CO2, the heat-trapping gas that contributes to global warming. Who needs that?

2. Carpool if you can

   The more vehicles on the road, the more carbon dioxide is in the air. One way to cut down on that, and to help commuters save money, is to carpool. With the wide-reach of social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, you can get your message out to many potential carpool buddies at one time. In addition, there are websites dedicated to help connect people for the purpose of carpooling. Simply google the word "Carpool" and you will find several websites that will include your region. You may even consider starting a Carpool Buddy organization at your place of work. With proper permission to do this, meet interested parties and briefly cover the advantages of carpooling, and how you can help match up riders.

3. Recycle used tires

   Don't let your old tires end up in a landfill or tire graveyard! When you purchase your replacement tires, a reputable business will recycle the old tires for you (note: some places charge a small fee for this!)

   Equally important - buy products made from recycled tires. One of the best purchases for your truck to protect the bed and your cargo is the ProTecta heavy weight bedmat, made from recycled tires and reinforced with sturdy fiber. (See link below).

4. Green truck and car wash

   For those of us who prefer to wash our own cars/trucks, there are many products on the market that will not pollute our environment or subject the user to harsh chemicals. No-rinse washes are most effective, since this means no soapy water going down into storm drains. The water from your bucket can safely go into a sink, where the water will be treated. Keeping the truck in the garage in the winter is an added bonus. And of course, keeping salt and grime off your vehicle extends the life of your truck or car and protects the paint job.

5. Use your truck to help the environment

   Chances are if you own a pickup truck, you've been asked by scores of friends to "help them move." And since you're already known for being a great sport - do one better by letting it be known you'll do some hauling for your environmentally conscious friends and neighbors. For example, haul away old carpet to places that dispose of it properly, take discarded appliances to a recycling facility, or make runs to the Salvation Army with a truckload of donated items.

If we all do what we can for a greener way of life, we improve our environment and help ensure a better future for our children, and their children. Our natural resources are a valuable commodity, and some of them are already depleted. Do what you can do, as a responsible citizen, to live an eco-friendly lifestyle and save resources for future generations.

Judy lives in Wisconsin with her husband and writes for her personal blog as well as her company's. She works for Truck Champ, who sells an array of truck accessories, including durable bed mats. She has made an effort to learn more about greening trucks and cars in order to help the environment and help others reduce their impact.

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Other pages which may interest you: Auto Fuel Economy - Reduce Your Car Use Increasing Fuel Economy in Your Family Car Asbestos and Mesothelioma - More Reasons to Use Alternative Fuels What is Biofuel?

At last - a truly green truck!

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