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NACFE, Yunsu Park et al, 2022 Annual Fleet Fuel Study, December 2022

Study Shares Adoption Rates of Efficiency Technologies

The Fleet Fuel Study is a deep-dive investigation into the adoption of various products and practices for improving freight efficiency with major North American fleets.

Summary
This report contains the results of a deep-dive investigation into the adoption of various products and practices for improving freight efficiency among 26 major North American fleets. This is the 10th annual update of the 2012 inaugural study that NACFE paused for three years given industry attention to an extraordinary set of circumstances, most significantly the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
“I look forward to this report and read it each year within days of it being published. It is important to Schneider’s efforts, and it can be a critical resource to any fleet or owner/operator as well as manufacturers and others who are working to improve Class 8 efficiency,” said Rob Reich, EVP, Chief Administrative Officer, Schneider.

The findings of this report should prove invaluable to efforts both to improve the fuel economy of a fleet and to develop and deliver fuel efficiency products to the marketplace.

Adoption by Category

Over the course of the study, five fleets have had adoption rates of more than 50%, as defined in this report, while 11 have been between 40% and 50%.
Learn More About Technology Adoption
The 14 fleets in the 2024 Fleet Fuel Study, operating 75,000 trucks, saved $512 million in 2023 compared to the average trucks on the road.

Fuel Economy Overview

The fuel economy of the study fleets and the general US Class 8 combination truck population has increased significantly in the last two years after several years of limited gains. Fleets are achieving this with newer trucks whose fuel economy is improving in part because of GHG regulations, as well as through greater adoption of fuel-saving technologies.

Price of Fuel

No one knows for sure what the price of fuel will be in the future, but fleets should conduct sensitivity analyses with respect to fuel prices and expectations about the ownership life of their assets. Regardless of the cost of fuel, it is a very significant operating expense for fleets and needs to be managed. Fuel prices have thankfully retreated from their 2022 highs but remain a top concern among fleets

Fuel Cost and Adoption

Efficiency Actions

Investment in proven technologies and practices that allow a truck or fleet to increase its fuel efficiency — meaning that it lets the fleet do the same amount of business while spending less on fuel — is a hugely important option for the industry considering the trends of fuel price volatility, global geopolitical events, and governmental mandates for lower emissions and increased fuel efficiency.

Myriad technologies that can cost-effectively improve the fuel efficiency of Class 8 trucks are readily available on the market today.  

Equipment Efficiency

The Federal Highway Administration combination truck fuel-economy, which itself has improved from 5.85 in 2013 to 6.91 in 2022, with much of the improvement coming in the last two years.

However, average fleet-wide fuel economy of the trucks in this study was 7.77 MPG in 2023 — an increase from 7.62 in 2022. For reference, 10 years ago in 2013, the average was 6.67 MPG. There is variability in each fleet’s yearly fuel efficiency depending on many factors, but overall, these fleets had a very impressive average rate of improvement of 16% over the last 10 years.

The SuperTruck 1 and 2 programs demonstrated that multiple OEMs could achieve significant fuel economy numbers for diesel-powered vehicles operating at 65,000 lbs. GVW in real-world conditions, achieving 10.7 MPG to 16 MPG.

NACFE Run on Less and Run on Less Regional demonstrated that well driven modern production-level trucks could achieve fuel economy in excess of 10 MPG on long-haul routes and exceed 8.7 MPG in regional haul using diesel powertrains.

NACFE FFS latest model year trucks are achieving fuel economy in a range of 8.0 to 9.5 MPG. Some trucks were even found to deliver 10 MPG in certain routes, conditions, and seasons.

Fleet Fuel Study Reports

The study analyzes the adoption of fuel efficiency technologies being used by major North American fleets. The report includes adoption curves for the various technologies and practices fleets are investing in. This report is an important tool for any fleet looking to improve its freight efficiency. Each report has unique takeaways that fleets can leverage to make the right decisions about which technologies and practices are right for them.

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