While working on the idea of running a Commercial Motor 'Alternative Fuels' conference in November what should I receive but an e-mail announcing that the 'Green Fleet' run by parcels giant UPS has passed 100 million mile mark already delivering packages to homes and businesses.

In fact the total mileage accumulated by its green fleet since 2000 now stands at 108 million miles, or the equivalent of circling the Earth more than 4,337 times. According to Robert Hall, UPS fleet environmental manager. "We want to reduce emissions and our impact on the environment and operate in a sustainable manner."

Which explains why it's invested more than $15 million in its alternative fuel fleet, which is currently operating hydrogen fuel cell, LNG/CNG, electric and propane-powered trucks in the US, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany and Brazil.

Ironically, the company has been using 'alternative' fuel vehicles since the 1930's with electric vehicles in New York---but it wasn't until 2000 that is began isolating mileage data for its "green fleet".

UPS is currently working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and DaimlerChrysler on operating hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in a commercial delivery fleet. It was the first company in the US to deploy hydrogen fuel cell technology in a commercial fleet and since that launch in 2004, the vehicles (which emit only water vapour) have covered 34,000 miles making deliveries.

UPS's second partnership with the EPA includes building and testing the world's first hydraulic hybrid urban delivery vehicle. This multi-phase project includes two UPS truck prototypes with different full-series hydraulic hybrid drivetrains. Testing with the first vehicle begins later this year. And as if that wasn't enough UPS has also recently declared it will add 50 hybrid electric vehicles to its fleet over the next year with the electric hybrids featuring third-generation technology expected to deliver a 35% improvement in fuel economy over the vehicles being replaced. In addition, UPS will add 4,100-low emission vehicles in 2006 to the more than 8,000 such vehicles already in its fleet.

All of which leads Biglorryblog to conclude, for a 'brown' company UPS is getting pretty 'green'…