London, On -- Up until seven months ago I was fairly ignorant about the impact of the environment on our economy. That all changed when I read a book review of “The 100 Mile Diet” by Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon. The premise of this book was that our “Convenience Lifestyle” and globalization are partly to blame for the environmental crisis that we are beginning to witness. The book encourages people to buy locally (within a 100 mile radius), which may not seem like such a bad idea, until you look at the structure of our current economy. We all know that much of the food we eat is not produced anywhere near our homes. Typically our food, electronics, automobiles, building materials etc., have to be transported over many miles to get to us. In order for these products to get to our homes we use the traditional commercial truck.
The Trucking Industry is the backbone of our economy, employing millions of people throughout North America, including myself. The type of social “movement” promoted in “The 100 Mile Diet” could have significant ramifications for the Industry. Consider for a moment the amount of lost jobs and wages if a movement like this were to gain momentum. I don’t want to sound like a doomsayer, but this is one of many movements that are only going to get bigger and bigger. The Trucking Industry is going to become a primary target unless we begin to make the public aware of all the new technologies and policies that are being implemented to reduce the environmental impact of the industry right now and in the future. It is my belief that there is a happy medium which can exist, where the trucking industry continues to prosper and the public will be satisfied with continued progress on both fronts.
With all the expenses and regulations facing the industry today, the last thing Truckers want to hear is word of more regulations and higher costs. Reducing your impact on the environment does not have to be costly, here are a few examples:
Reduce Idling Wherever Possible – It has been estimated that the average trucks (Classes 7 & 8) are idling unnessarily up to 1,800 hours per year. This practice can be very costly not only in terms of fuel costs, but also in terms of maintenance costs and the unnecessary carbon emissions.
Auxiliary Power Units (APU) – Next time you are in the market for a replacement Truck, consider one with an Auxiliary Power Unit. Even though today’s diesel engines are designed to be very fuel efficient, using the engine to perform HVAC and electrical functions only, can be very costly. The main function of an APU is to eliminate these long idles. Because the size of the generator engine for the APU is a fraction the size of the Truck’s engine, only a fraction of the fuel is consumed. APUs are designed to provide the energy to give you all the comforts of home with as little as 4 litres of diesel over an eight hour period. This represents an average savings of 19 litres of diesel when compared to the traditional practice of running the Truck’s main engine. Some vehicle APUs can also use an external shore power connection for their heating and cooling functions, thus eliminating fuel consumption during rest periods altogether. Many truck stops already provide shore power connections in their parking areas.
Wide-base Single Truck Tires – Due to the fact that traditional dual tires cause much more “Rolling Resistance”, the use of wide base single truck tires can lead to as much as a 4% reduction in fuel consumption.
Speed – Less is more for this suggestion. This one is simple folks, reducing average speed reduces fuel consumption, which in turn reduces emissions and increases your profit margin.
Aerodynamics – We all know which trucks are more aerodynamic. It is not hard to figure out which trucks are going to cut through the wind, and which ones are going to act like a big sail. The confusing thing to me is that these aerodynamic trucks can be more affordable then the less aerodynamic rigs, yet I continue to see more and more of the “big sails” on the road due to their status in the Trucking community. We have to remember the primary utility of these trucks – to provide an income, not win a contest for best in show.
Monitor Fuel Economy – This is a very simple suggestion, but not used as much as I thought based on discussions with industry participants. You don’t need an in-cab monitor to accomplish this, just a calculator. The more you are aware of your fuel economy, the better the chances that you will strive to improve it.
The above are suggestions from an interested observer. My challenge to you is to provide at least one additional suggestion via email (chenry@greentrucker.com). All suggestions received will be published prominently on Greentrucker.com . Let’s start showing the public that Trucking is staying ahead of the environmental curve!
Chris Henry is Editor of Greentrucker.com and General Manager of NAL Insurance. Greentrucker.com is a service proudly provided by NAL Insurance to promote environmental initiatives within the North American Trucking Industry.