News
Announcing that NACFE has been awarded a project to more deeply understand technology adoption for improved freight efficiency in North American Class 7 & 8 tractor trailer operations.
Energy Efficiency News
FedEx Express, part of the FedEx logistics group, is making significant progress towards improving the fuel efficiency of its fleet by 20%.
By Oliver B. Patton, Washington Editor
When carriers try to explain their challenges to their customers, the response often is, “That’s your problem.” But that attitude serves neither the carrier nor the shipper very well, says Michael Regan, president of TranzAct Technologies.
February 21, 2012
New Generation of Clean Diesel Technology Is Fueling U.S. Economic Growth
Washington, D.C. – As the U.S. economic recovery continues to move forward, new clean diesel technology is powering America’s freight movement in the most environmentally friendly manner anywhere in the world, according to Allen Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum.
by Deborah Whistler in A Trucking Journal
An “infographic” created by the Trucker’s Report and displayed by Easy Lift Equipment, manufacturer of ergonomic drum and roll handling equipment, is a dramatic representation of “The Real Cost of Trucking in the United States.”
Jun. 11, 2012
Sean Kilcarr, senior editor
Some industry analysts believe that a major reason for the current slump in heavy truck orders and sales is due largely to a growing lack of confidence in the direction of the U.S. and global economy, rather than the in the fundamentals of the freight market – which, in many respects, are more solid than many think.
Newport Business Media announced its 2012 HDT Truck Fleet Innovators. Since 2006, each year the editors of Heavy Duty Trucking have honored a group of select industry leaders for their innovation in various areas.
Drive Smart
Pre-trip inspection
Progressive shifting
Speed management & safe spacing
Climbing & descending hills
ACT Research Co. (ACT) has announced it is shifting its long-term forecast for the commercial vehicle industry. “The cycle peak in 2013 has been adjusted downward,” according to the analysis and forecasting firm, “with stronger demand now stretching through 2014.”
Fact #710: January 16, 2012
Engine Energy Use for Heavy Trucks: Where Does the Energy Go?
As with light vehicles, heavy trucks also have significant energy losses. The losses shown below are for a typical combination tractor-trailer, but these losses will vary depending on the weight, shape, and size of the truck, and the type of driving (the truck’s duty cycle).
FleetOwner
Dec 7, 2011 11:29 AM
Things are looking up to carriers for the year ahead, according to Transport Capital Partners’ (TCP) 4th Quarter 2011 Business Expectations Survey. The survey showed 61% of carriers responding expect freight volumes to increase in 2012 and only 7% expecting volumes to decrease. Both larger and smaller carriers responded similarly.
Transport Topics
The turnover rate for truckload drivers at large fleets rose to 89% in the third quarter, from 79% in the second quarter, the fourth straight increase, American Trucking Associations reported.
Transport Topics
A Senate panel approved measures that would create the nation’s first freight policy act, under which investment would be targeted to freight projects that increase economic competitiveness, improve mobility and promote energy conservation.
LandLine
Truckers needing a cost-effective way to purchase anti-idling equipment for their rigs may want to check into a new rebate program being offered through the U.S. Department of Energy.
Transport Topics
The California Air Resources Board has reminded heavy diesel truck owners that new emission rules take effect Jan. 1 and they may need to report their compliance online. The rules, adopted in 2008 and amended last year, apply to all privately owned and federal government diesel trucks operating in California. Separately, large fleets in California also face a Jan. 1 deadline to have SmartWay-approved fuel efficient aerodynamic technology equipment installed on 15% of trailers manufactured before 2011.
By: Alan Bunting, Wednesday, December 14, 2011,
Automotive World
The executive summary of the latest report from North American market research company R. L. Polk, looking at the choice of engines offered to heavy-duty truck buyers in the US and Canada, highlights what appears at first to be a straight option between 13-litre and 15-litre diesels.
Josie Garthwaite
For National Geographic News
Published September 23, 2011
Just over 33 years ago, 33 truckers competed for three days in a fuel economy contest dubbed the “Double Nickel Challenge.” Named after radio slang for the 55 miles per hour (89 kilometer-per-hour) speed limit then in force in the United States, the goal was simple: to test the claim, common among truckers at the time, that big rigs got better mileage at higher speeds.
Congestion cost trucking $23 billion in 2010
By Mitch Jackson
Published October 05, 2011
“It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?”
- Henry David Thoreau
I have the privilege of speaking again at this year’s upcoming 2011 Net Impact Conference. In preparation for this, Net Impact, an international nonprofit organization that seeks to inspire and educate in creating a more sustainable world, interviewed me on some of the actions that FedEx is taking, why we’re doing so, and what the attendees should take away from it.
Congestion cost trucking $23 billion in 2010
Oct 5, 2011 9:09 AM, By Deborah Whistler, contributing editor
A new study by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) said that the cost of congestion to the U.S. trucking industry – measured as wasted fuel and delay – was $23 billion last year.
TruckingInfo Clean & Green
There are Many Anti-Idle Systems: Which One is Right for Your Fleet?
By Rolf Lockwood, Editor at Large
Among the obvious principles of successful trucking is the idea that those trucks of yours aren’t earning a penny if they’re not moving while there’s freight on-board. Simple enough logic. Equally simple is the notion that if their brawny diesels are idling at the same time, they’re costing you a mighty big buck.
8/29/2011 Don’t Forget to Factor DEF into Fuel Costs
By Tom Berg, Senior Editor
2010-model diesels are running well and turning in better fuel economy than their EPA-’07-spec predecessors, according to reports we’ve heard at industry meetings and in conversations with fleet managers.
8/18/2011 TMC’s Type IV fuel economy test rewritten with aftertreatment in mind
By Tom Berg, Senior Editor
How does the fuel-fed regeneration of diesel particulate filters affect overall fuel economy? You can find out over time by keeping track of tank-mileage numbers and comparing them to trucks that don’t have DPFs, or you can learn inside of a day by running a TMC-SAE Type IV fuel economy test.
Landmark emissions standards highlight efficiency potential in the domestic freight sector
by Jesse Morris
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Earlier today, the federal government heeded the call of a diverse group of fleet managers, independent owner operators, and environmentalists, announcing more efficient heavy and medium-duty trucks through a new standard projected to save 530 million barrels of oil and $50 billion in fuel costs over the lives of the vehicles covered.
Jul 27, 2011 11:30 AM, By Wendy Leavitt, director of editorial development
The North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) has a bold idea for furthering the use of effective solutions developed to help fleets conserve fuel: publish test data from fleets about the systems and programs that really work and those that really disappoint.
Why Trucking Should Adopt Social Media
By Dick Hyatt
President
Decisiv Inc.
This Opinion piece appears in the June 27 print edition of Transport Topics. Click
here to subscribe today.
Social media are transforming the way America does business, and there’s no reason
that shouldn’t include trucking. When it comes to traditional trucking products such as
vehicles, systems and components, the development life cycle can be fairly long. The
time span required from initial concept through design, research and development and
testing before production can begin can be measured in years. Information management
technology, on the other hand, often has a much shorter development life.
Jul 6, 2011 12:05 PM, By Wendy Leavitt, director of editorial development
Six additional corporate partners have joined the National Clean Fleets Partnership,
according to an announcement from Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. The companies,
Coca-Cola, Enterprise Holdings, General Electric, Osram, Sylvania, Ryder and Staples,
collectively operate nearly a million vehicles in the U.S. “The National Clean Fleets
Partnership is an important part of the Department’s strategy to help U.S. companies
reduce their fuel use and save money,” said Secretary Chu. “This initiative will support
the nation’s largest commercial fleets as they move to adopt fuel-efficient vehicles that
will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and improve our energy security.”
Jul 8, 2011 11:20 AM, By Deborah Whistler, contributing editor
Reducing the amount of time a truck idles is one of the most critical factors fleets can control in order to improve fuel economy. But truck drivers are literally in the driver’s seat when it comes to how much they actually shut the truck down when out on the road. One fleet has come up with a unique solution as an incentive to get drivers to limit idle time.
Jun 1, 2011 12:00 PM, BY JIM MELE | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & SEAN KILCARR | SENIOR EDITOR
Small Refinements could add up to a 20 percent improvement
Move the most freight consuming the least amount of fuel. The concept is simple, the benefits obvious and multiple, the value irresistible. Even the theoretical path to achieving maximum fuel efficiency in a truck is fairly clear. The problem is you have to do it in the real world, a place where there are huge variations in driver skills, road conditions, load characteristics
“Managing fuel is really a proxy for how well you manage your overall business,” said
Vin McLoughlin, chairman of Cardinal Logistics. “But it’s not that easy.” Numerous factors affect a truck’s fuel performance: weather, geography, load size and type, urban streets vs. interstate highways. These are all difficult to track, and it’s even harder in slip-seat operations where drivers move among trucks, which the carrier has. For Cardinal Logistics, fuel economy is all about micromanagement. In McLoughlin’s world, effectively managing fleet fuel consumption means knowing what every driver is doing and how every truck is performing every step of the way. That way you can troubleshoot quickly, he says.
AAA Cooper puts a high premium on fuel saving technologies, so is experimenting with a range of fuel saving devices, from side skirts on trailers to aftermarket computer devices, says Terry Clouser, director of maintenance.
Recognizing the importance of the driver in fuel economy, the carrier is taking the operator out of the equation as much as possible. By using power units with automatic transmissions, limiting tractor speed 65 mph and setting an idle shut-off time of three minutes, the company removes some of the need to train and worry about drivers. The system optimizes the truck for them.
“Fuel economy is one of our top priorities,” says Chad England, president of C.R.
England.
C.R. England employs a number of strategies to help boost fuel economy, which are broadly divided into two categories: behavior and equipment. Behavior comes first, and for a good reason – the man behind the wheel has an enormous impact on the fuel economy of a truck, upwards of 30 percent. A vehicle will perform poorly if the driver performs poorly, fuel-saving technology or not.
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This report explores the pros and cons of fleet adoption of 6 X 2 tractors. These vehicles are equipped with a rear tandem axle that includes one drive axle and one non-driving axle. This tandem configuration is sometimes referred to as a tag tandem (non drive axle in the rearmost position) or pusher tandem (non-driving axle in the forward position of the tandem). Another term used is “dead axle tandem”, to reflect the presence of one non-driving axle. Although 6 X 2 tractors have been available for years, their volumes have been relatively low. Recently, however, there is increasing interest in this configuration due to potential fuel economy increases ranging from 2.5 to as much as 6%.
The NACFE is proud to announce the publication of its first Freight Efficiency Executive Report. These reports are provided to help accelerate the adoption of freight efficiency products, technologies and practices. They describe in five or so pages the concept, the best use of the product or practice, for instance the duty cycle and vocational applicability, its technical details, economics, some real world applicability and other important information to help fleets determine if this is something they should pursue. The Executive Report offers a balanced investigation of the feature providing both the improved performance and economic considerations, while being sure to identify adverse consequences of its use. Once published, the industry is asked to comment on the report and even suggest further areas of investigation. This might include more detailed study in a particular aspect of the topic or consulting / collaboration around the idea. The first report details the opportunity of adopting 6×2 dead axle tandems on tractors. Other reports will be coming.
A meeting room and audio visual support is reserved for the 3rd Driving Innovation Meeting in conjunction with the NTEA/CALSTART Green Truck Summit and NTEA Work Truck Show in the Indianapolis Convention Center Wednesday, March 9 from 1pm to 5 pm in the Indy convention center. The NTEA is very generous in providing us with this space. They have also agreed to provide free passes for our attendees to browse the exhibition hall.
If you are planning to attend, I highly recommend the Green Truck Summit on Monday and Tuesday. Although focused on work trucks, it has become a ‘go-to’ meeting for fuel efficiency and other green initiatives for trucks. For information contact@nacfe.org
September 28, 2010
The Council held its second open attendance Driving Innovation Meeting on September 28, 2010. Held in conjunction with the CALSTART HTUF meeting provided an opportunity for attendees to hear about the formation of the NACFE, its first projects and to become better informed surrounding freight efficiency. The Council’s vision is to double the efficiency of North American goods movement and meetings such as this have and will continue to provide working sessions to advance this cause. People attending could gain access to the day’s meeting free with an HTUF registration saving travel costs by combining multiple industry events in one trip or attend solely the meeting for a nominal fee.
Attendees gained insight into the industry’s state of efficiency by hearing a presentation by Steve Phillips of Werner Enterprises and participating in a question and answer session conducted by a panel of innovative fleet managers. The panel included leaders from Frito-Lay, Conway and Werner. Presentations and event details including pictures of the event are included here in the media library.
September 28, 2010
The Council is taking shape and the means to which it will operate is being solidified. Of course, this consists of the formal creation of By-laws, Articles of Incorporation and non-profit status applications. It also includes the creation of action committees and working groups, all opportunities for you to get involved. At the heart of the organization is the Technical Advisory Committee, which is led by fleets. This is critical to ensure that the Council is working on significant projects to improve freight efficiency in the eyes of one of the key constituencies, the fleets who buy them. This committee is looking for ways to accelerate the adoption of freight efficiency products and practices as shown in this chart.
Two ways that the NACFE will accomplish this is through completing projects that will remove barriers to the early adoption of these technologies. Teams of volunteers and specific subject matter experts will develop tools and tactics to eliminate each barrier identified and that the TAC has approved for execution. Secondly, the Council will create Future Freight Executive Reports in specific topical areas. These reports will provide a high level view of products and practices that contribute to better freight efficiency. Members and other interested people can review these reports, use them to improve their operations or offer ideas for the Council to explore more specific details in that particular area. Look for these reports to begin to emerge over the next few months.
The NACFE is also moving forward with respect to Marketing and Communications, financial support, affiliate organizations alignment and other areas that support our mission. Feel free to contact us at contact@nacfe.org to get involved.
April 27, 2010
Rocky Mountain Institute today announced the result of elections for NACFE executive leadership. The team is responsible for working with the Board of Directors and Founders Group on Council operations, and to develop the first phase of analysis service offerings.
During the first board meeting of the newly formed North American Council for Freight Efficiency, the council discussed its plans for the near future, including gathering information on freight efficiency technologies, vetting that information through the board of directors and an advisory committee, and the creation of a library of credible information on technologies to help the trucking industry achieve greater efficiencies.
Working in conjunction with the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, the Rocky Mountain Institute hosted a gathering in the autumn to help speed development and adoption of technology that will transform the industry.
The North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) today announced the results of its selection of Board of Directors, after an election by online ballot.
In October, RMI and trucking industry leaders launched the North American Council for Freight Efficiency to look holistically at the opportunities to double trucking efficiency by changing operations and employing technologies that are available now.
The NACFE aims to drive the adoption of efficient technologies by working with industry stakeholders to establish and communicate credible and performance-based benefits.
No reliable information, lots of snake oil, no trust.To address these problems, RMI launched the North American Council for Freight Efficiency in November, vowing to work with stakeholders from across the industry to get sensible solutions on the table for truckers.
The newly-formed North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) aims to accomplish some pretty big goals, chief among them the reinvention of the trucking industry so it can carry just as much freight on half the energy it currently consumes. But first the group must fill a more immediate need — obtaining funding.
Leaders of the Rocky Mountain Institute’s MOVE (MObility + Vehicle Efficiency) team have announced that they are joining with trucking industry leaders to inaugurate the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE).
U.S. truck operators are under pressure to improve energy efficiency as rail companies tout their green credentials and bid to win more freight haulage … On the other side of the ledger, the Rocky Mountain Institute, a nonprofit environmental group based in Colorado, has created the National Council for Freight Efficiency to help the freight trucking industry become more environmentally efficient.
Even if you consider yourself a very conscientious citizen, your life is still touched by trucking, still a wildly inefficient industry.
The inaugural meeting of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) will be held on the 3rd of November at the University of Chicago. The hope of organisers is that the trucking sector can halve the amount of energy it uses for the same amount of freight carried. This can be achieved, they believe, by making fleet owners and drivers aware of the benefits of new technologies (see previous stories) from reputable developers that could assist their efficiency whilst improving their profitability.
RMI is teaming up with trucking industry leaders to create the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE), with the goal of helping to reinvent the trucking industry to carry just as much freight on half as much energy.
According to recent analysis by RMI, the technology already exists to double the energy efficiency of long-haul trucks in the nation’s fleet.
Boulder, CO. Leaders of RMI’s MOVE team (http://move.rmi.org/) have announced that they are joining with trucking industry leaders to inaugurate the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) with the goal of helping to reinvent the trucking industry to carry just as much freight on half as much energy. The new group will collect, assess, and circulate information on performance and efficiency…
RMI has launched the North American Council for Freight Efficiency, an industry partnership to work on bringing more efficient trucking technologies to market.
San Francisco, CA. Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), which today kicks off a three-day energy-efficiency conference at the Westin-Market Street on the theme of “reinventing fire,” next will turn to helping reinvent the U.S. trucking industry. Leaders of RMI’s MOVE team (http://move.rmi.org/) will announce at the RMI2009 conference here (http://www.rmi2009.org) that they are joining with industry…
