Truckers to Cut Their Carbon Footprint
This past Thursday, the American Trucking Association (ATA) rolled out a new program called ‘Trucks Deliver a Cleaner Tomorrow’. The program is designed to help trucking companies significantly reduce their fuel use and maintains the overall goal of cutting carbon emissions by 900 millions tons over the next decade.
While this sounds like a very difficult to achieve goal, the program is based on a series of common-sense changes that result in big reductions to their carbon footprint.
First, truckers are being asked to drop their average speed on freeways. Travelling at 65mph instead of 75mph can save up to 27% of their fuel. For truckers’ regular habits, they are also encouraged to reduce idling as much as possible, especially at breaks. Alternative technologies are being offered for things like A/C and radio so the truck engine can be turned off during a rest time.
At a company level, trucking companies are encouraged to join the EPA Smart Way Program to help track their emissions, and monitor progress on their improvement. This will allow each company to develop their own goals and implement as best fits with their specific situation. Companies are also being asked to adjust their fleets for improved efficiency. Using fewer large trucks, instead of lots of smaller ones will help reduce their carbon footprint dramatically.
The ATA is also going to be pushing national and state level governments for improvement freeways to help avoid congestion. Currently, the biggest bottleneck in the US is near Long Beach and causes about 2.5 million hours of delays annually. This is time where the trucks are kept on to move at a snails pace, generate lots of unnecessary emissions.
Outside of this program, several companies have announced their own plans to reduce their carbon footprint. Schneider International has annoucned they would reduce their fleet speed to 60mph, and DTE Energy, based in Detroit, has plans to transitioning their entire fleet of 800 trucks to biodiesel by the middle of this year.
These are all excellent steps that will surely help fight global warming, but one can’t help but wonder why some of these simple measures are only starting now?
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