Industry group wants to see more efficient trucks on the road
RIDGETOWN, Ont. — The shift to better fuel economy in the trucking industry may be bad news for farmers looking for a used tractor trailer.
Many units on the roads today were designed for high-speed highway travel and may not be a good fit for short-haul duty, said Mike Roeth, executive director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE).
“It used to be we had trucks doing a lot of things,” he told the Southwest Agricultural Conference in January.
“Some of the newer models may not be practical for farmers.”
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The council has set an objective of improving the average mileage of tractor trailers to 19.6 litres per 100 kilometres. Many on the road today achieve little more than half of that.
Perhaps the most obvious concern to farmers is the number of drive axles on the tractor. Six-by-two configurations have become more popular, Roeth said. Weight is reduced and fuel mileage is approved by up to 4.6 percent.
On the down side, a single-drive axle provides less traction compared to having a six-by-four with two-drive axles.
Lower-powered engines are another consideration, along with electronic controls that optimize operation at high speed. Roeth said electronic controls may eventually be adjustable for low-speed operation.
Companies typically sell freight trucks when they’ve clocked around 1.2 million kilometres, Roeth said.
Farmers could consider buying a used glider truck put together using an older rebuilt engine. Roeth doesn’t promote this option because of lower standards for pollution control.
Seventy technologies are now said to improve truck fuel mileage, and the council is sorting through them in an effort to identify those with the most potential.
Some, such as side skirts, are straightforward. Roeth said today’s skirts are lighter, more durable and about one-third the cost of early versions.
Other technology includes systems that maintain the correct tire pressure, idling-time reduction systems, automatic manual transmissions that optimize shift timing, optimized engine performance and speed limiters.
“When you see that tractor trailer flying, yes, he’s getting home faster, but it’s costing lot in fuel,” Roeth said.
The Peloton Platooning radar system is another interesting innovation. According to the Peloton company website, it allows trucks, even from different companies, to safely “link up” with co-operative braking and speed adjustment.
Council tests have found that lead trucks can save 10 percent in fuel costs and trailing trucks can save 4.5 percent when keeping 36 feet separation between units at 103 km-h.
Progress is being made to reaching the council’s fuel economy goal.
The SuperTruck developed by Peterbilt Motors and Cummins achieved 22 litres per 100 km last year, and some fleets are averaging as little as 25.
