Major Fleets Saved $477 Million With Fuel-Efficient Tech
Fourteen fleets achieved fuel savings of $477 million in 2014 by adopting a variety of fuel efficiency technologies according to an annual study from the NACFE.
by Staff
May 7, 2015
Photo via Con-way Truckload
2 min to read
Photo via Con-way Truckload
Fourteen fleets achieved fuel savings of $477 million in 2014 by adopting a variety of fuel efficiency technologies according to an annual study from the North American Council for Freight Efficiency.
The Annual Fleet Fuel Study surveyed fleets operating a combined 53,000 tractors and 160,000 trailers and found that they saved an average of $9,000 per year per truck. The fleets were also able to reduce carbon emissions by 19%. The survey included fleets like Con-way Truckload, Frito Lay and Schneider.
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The fleets achieved an average of 7 mpg on all of their trucks with 2015 model year trucks averaging as high as 8.5 mpg. The current national average is 5.9 mpg according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration.
The efficiency and emissions gains were achieved through the adoption of a combination of 70 currently available technologies. The fleets also made use of resources and guidance from Trucking Efficiency, a joint effort of NACFE and Carbon War Room.
“The dramatic improvement in fuel economy of the leading fleets this year is exciting,” says Mike Roeth, operation lead for CWR’s Trucking Efficiency and executive director of NACFE. “If we can get the owners and operators of the 1.5 million tractor-trailers on the road today to invest in more of these technologies, we will see significant reduction in fuel consumption.”
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Each fleet used different strategies to improve efficiency. Frito Lay collaborated with tractor builders, aerodynamic-device and fuel-system suppliers in order to increase fleet-wide efficiency. Con-way Truckload found success in equipping 48% of their fleet with automated manual transmissions.
“We will continue to buy automated manual transmissions as they are providing fuel savings and drivers appreciate their performance,” says Randy Cornell, vice president of maintenance and asset management at Con-way Truckload.
The NACFE has conducted its Annual Fleet Fuel Study since 2011 reporting on innovative fleets that have committed to improving fuel efficiency. Fleets that participate in the study share their implementation experiences as well as best practices for using these technologies.
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