Posts by Day: Thursday, June 05, 2008

Fuel savings and cost have become critical issues for investigation as truckers look for ways to stay in business.  Government and laboratory priority have yielded key information for the industry to address.  

First, a system of truck classification was developed.  Ranging from light duty pickup trucks to long-haul tractor-trailer vehicles, this system shed light on those that consumed the most fuel and the reasons behind the consumption of fuel.  Tractor-trailers consume far more fuel than other lighter weight urban trucks.  Data is now available to clearly understand the reasons behind these findings.

The data shows that engine and drive train efficiency requires better technological innovation.  Aerodynamics can be improved when the design of the vehicles results in less drag.  Tire design is a critical detail to reduce drag on the vehicle, as well as maintaining correct tire pressure.

Truckers keep their engines idling for long periods of time.  Clearly, idling the engine improves the safety and comfort of the trucker.  Refrigeration or heating of the trailer contents is another reason for idling.  The data suggests that using generators or plugging into power supplies at truck stops can significantly lower fuel consumption.  Truck manufacturers use this data to further redesign truck engines to improve efficiency.

Truck engine maintenance becomes more critical to save fuel.  We are aware of the consequences associated with higher fuel costs that truckers are burdened with.  Higher transportation costs directly correlate to higher commodity costs for consumers.  The future of the trucking industry depends upon higher efficient engines and steps to reduce the aerodynamic drag on trucks.

Fuel savings and cost have become critical issues for investigation as truckers look for ways to stay in business.  Government and laboratory priority have yielded key information for the industry to address.  

First, a system of truck classification was developed.  Ranging from light duty pickup trucks to long-haul tractor-trailer vehicles, this system shed light on those that consumed the most fuel and the reasons behind the consumption of fuel.  Tractor-trailers consume far more fuel than other lighter weight urban trucks.  Data is now available to clearly understand the reasons behind these findings.

The data shows that engine and drive train efficiency requires better technological innovation.  Aerodynamics can be improved when the design of the vehicles results in less drag.  Tire design is a critical detail to reduce drag on the vehicle, as well as maintaining correct tire pressure.

Truckers keep their engines idling for long periods of time.  Clearly, idling the engine improves the safety and comfort of the trucker.  Refrigeration or heating of the trailer contents is another reason for idling.  The data suggests that using generators or plugging into power supplies at truck stops can significantly lower fuel consumption.  Truck manufacturers use this data to further redesign truck engines to improve efficiency.

Truck engine maintenance becomes more critical to save fuel.  We are aware of the consequences associated with higher fuel costs that truckers are burdened with.  Higher transportation costs directly correlate to higher commodity costs for consumers.  The future of the trucking industry depends upon higher efficient engines and steps to reduce the aerodynamic drag on trucks.