Truckers in North Texas will keep more money in their pockets thanks to a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA's SmartWay Transport Partnership program awarded a $300,000 grant
to the North Central Texas Council of Governments to test new pollution reduction technology on local long-haul delivery routes to reduce truck emissions and save on fuel.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments will use the grant to work with transport companies to test the equipment on 30 to 50 trucks.
SmartWay Upgrade Kits package together a variety of fuel and emissions-saving technologies, and typically consist of engine idle reduction technology, low rolling resistance tires, improved aerodynamics and exhaust after-treatment devices. In tests, these kits can reduce fuel consumption by 10 to 15 percent. They also reduce pollution: carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions are cut 10 to15 percent, and when a kit includes an exhaust after-treatment device, particulate matter emissions are reduced by 25 to 90 percent.
For more information, visit the SmartWay Transport Partnership at www.epa.gov/smartway.com.