U.P.S. Fights High Gas Prices With Right Turns Only

In the brave new world of $4 a gallon gasoline companies and individuals alike are being forced to come up with ever increasingly innovative ways of saving on the use of fuel for their transportation needs. United Parcel Service (U.P.S.) may have one of the more interesting ways to try and do this that anyone has heard of so far. The company tries to save on fuel for its gas guzzling boxy delivery trucks by ordering its drivers to only make right turns on their routes. They even go so far as to plan the routes in advance the day before to insure that their drivers do not make any left turns. Apparently making left turns with a vehicle is wasteful and expensive in terms of the use of gas because it usually involves having to wait before you can make the turn for oncoming traffic to pass such as at an intersection. This waiting uses up fuel and ends up being very costly on an annual basis for the company. Making right turns however involves a lot less waiting and is usually a faster and more natural turn to make on the roads. The company actually studied this and found it to be true generally. U.P.S. estimates that this move will save the company about $3 million dollars a year in fuel costs.