Sustainability is the buzzword of the decade and it applies to all fields of activity. From a clothing warehouse to a web development agency to a trucking company, all industries need to strengthen their sustainability policies. In this article we will highlight sustainable practices as they apply to the trucking industry and how these specific sustainability tools and programs impact society. Here is how truck drivers can contribute to the company’s sustainability practices as well as how driving and vehicle operating techniques can significantly decrease fuel consumption.
Why a trucking company should encourage sustainability practices among drivers
Here is what it takes for drivers to become fuel-efficient:
- Maintain a high, but not maximum, average speed;
- Operate a great majority of the distance in top gear;
- Rely on cruise control as often as possible
- Reduce idle time
- Reduce the tendency to frequently hard-brake or accelerate
Drivers are also able to reduce fuel consumption with the appropriate logistics: route selection and tire pressure. Such minute details can make a great deal of difference. Other elements such as geography, weather and regional considerations should also be considered when deciding on the best route or schedule for a transport.
Sustainability for trucking companies in a nutshell
The transportation process has been streamlined and improved through advances in aerodynamics, tire rolling resistance and engine performance. When it comes to truck construction, manufacturers have enhanced tractor aerodynamics by streamlining the front profile and sloping the hood, adding aerodynamic bumpers and mirrors as well as roof and side fairings. What’s more, sustainable improvements have been mandated for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles manufactured in 2014 and beyond.
In 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) decided to cap emissions and fuel consumption standards, respectively, for truck-tractors, heavy-duty pickups, and van and certain vocational vehicles. Model year 2017 trucks meeting the final standards will reduce GHG emissions and fuel consumption by as much as 20 percent compared to a model year 2010 truck.
A second phase of this program was enacted in 2016 which requires additional reductions in GHG emissions and fuel consumption. Trucks meeting these standards, which will apply through model year 2027, will reduce GHG emissions and fuel consumption by as much as an additional 25 percent. In addition, newly established standards for the trailers pulled by these trucks will provide up to an additional 9 percent reduction by 2027.
Video – Logistics