While it might not take a village, it does take a number of people coming together to optimize trucks for fuel efficiency. And that’s good for all of us.
I saw an announcement the other day that the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) released updated versions of its Sustainable Freight Practices and Idling Regulations compendiums. The sustainability compendium, first issued in 2014, contains practices that both fleets and drivers can implement and also includes information on what the public sector is doing to mitigate congestion as well as research and testing to improve trucking. Idle regulations vary across the country, and the idle compendium is designed to help drivers comply with the myriad state and local regulations.
Truth be told, I did not delve too deeply into either document, but one thing that struck me is that the sustainability practices compendium focuses on driving practices, vehicle practices, and public sector practices—indicating that all three are needed if we really want trucking to be green.
At NACFE, we have long said that freight efficiency is a team effort. It begins, of course, with the OEMs. The design of the base model truck is the starting point for aerodynamic efficiency. Today, the trucks coming off production lines are sleek and streamlined as trucking engineers and designers have worked very hard on optimizing their vehicles for fuel efficiency.
However, OEMs can’t design a base model that will be perfect for every route, so fleets have to make sure to spec the right engine-transmission combination, axle ratio, tires, etc., as well as add-on devices—aerodynamic devices, tire pressure systems, idle reduction systems—that can make their trucks as efficient as they can be given their duty cycles. OEMs also need to set the electronic engine parameters so they are optimized for fuel efficiency. This includes things like cruise speed, speed at the pedal, idle timer, etc.
And then there is the driver, who can influence fuel efficiency by 30%, according to some industry sources. The best drivers in your fleet drive with fuel economy in mind. They know that speeding, fast acceleration, and hard braking all have negative impacts on fuel efficiency.
I like that ATRI added the public sector to its sustainability compendium. For me, this includes things like the condition of the infrastructure, bottlenecks, the availability of parking, etc.
While it might not take a village, it does take a number of people coming together to optimize trucks for fuel efficiency. And that is good for all of us.
Source: https://www.fleetowner.com/
