Teaming up for environmentally-friendly trucking

Teaming up for environmentally-friendly trucking

The SmartWay Transport Partnership describes itself as a voluntary collaboration between the EPA and the freight industry with a goal of increasing energy efficiency while striving to reduce greenhouse gases and air pollution. Based on the description, it would seem more likely to be launched by the Department of Energy, since the primary goal is to increase energy efficiency. The program, however, was launched by the EPA, and has been very successful as a means of reducing air pollution, since an extremely effective way to reduce pollution is to burn less motor fuel.

The trucking industry is generally very interested in making sure it operates in an environmentally friendly manner. As evidence, hundreds of fleets have joined the SmartWay Partnership in an effort to save money through an increase in fuel economy, as well as reduce exhaust emissions. As a result, those fleets have greatly reduced the generation of greenhouse gases and air pollution, since every gallon of fuel burned in a vehicle releases over 20 lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere. And engine manufacturers, all of which are SmartWay members, have succeeded in making particulate emissions all but disappear and nitrogen oxides diminish by 50%.

The SmartWay Partnership, however, is certainly not the only trucking industry program designed to save fuel and reduce emissions. Representing almost 40,000 members, the American Trucking Associations has committed itself to a series of measures that together can reduce diesel and gasoline fuel consumption by an estimated 86 billion gallons and CO2 emissions of its members’ vehicles by 900 million tons in the next 10 years. Bill Graves, ATA’s president and CEO, said, “Our proposals are practical, reasonable and doable. They make environmental sense, and they make common sense. Fuel is the first or second largest cost to trucking companies and a crushing burden for drivers who must pay more than $1,000 to fill up.”

Graves called for support from the federal government for research and development, as well as infrastructure improvements, and said, “Between our own efforts and support from the federal government, we are confident that our member companies and affiliates can help deliver a cleaner tomorrow.”

The ATA’s Sustainability Task Force has identified six areas where the industry can reduce its carbon footprint:

• Enacting a national 65 MPH speed limit and governing truck speeds to 65 MPH for trucks manufactured after 1992
• Decreasing idling
• Increasing fuel efficiency
• Reducing congestion through highway improvements, if necessary by raising the fuels tax
• Promoting the use of more productive truck combinations
• Supporting national fuel economy standards for medium- and heavy-duty trucks

The Union of Concerned Scientists, “a science-based nonprofit working for healthy environment and a safer world,” believes the opportunity for major gains remains for improving heavy truck fuel economy.

The organization suggest that putting both existing and forthcoming technologies to work in tractor-trailers could reduce fuel consumption at least 35% by 2017. The organization has “built” on paper a combination vehicle it calls the Convoy with the following fuel saving results:

• Tractor aerodynamics, 3% to 4%,
• Weight reduction, 1%
• Trailer aerodynamics, 5.5% to 8.5%
• Engine improvements, 5.5% to 15%
• Transmission and drivetrain improvements, 5% to 7%
• Hybridization and idling reduction, 6% to 10 %
• Fuel efficient tires and wheels, 4.5% to 11%

A recent ATA statement sums up the needs of the trucking industry and goals of these organizations, “In an industry with thin profit margins and escalating fuel costs, increasing fuel efficiency and minimizing fuel consumption are major goals of any trucking company. Those goals coincide with the global need for industries to reduce their carbon footprint and to lessen their environmental impact.”

Well said!

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