Moving freight over the road by truck makes up a large portion of consumer goods transportation. With that in mind, businesses and consumers alike continue to advocate for better fuel economy. The more fuel efficient a trucking fleet becomes, the more money they save, it’s really that simple. Large companies and corporations have a lot to gain from fuel economy.
Technological Advances
For years, the leading truck and equipment manufacturers have invested time and money into research and development of new fuel economy technology. The research resulted in many different products and systems that improve overall fuel economy.
To name a few advancements:
Aerodynamic trailer additions are widely used now to improve fuel efficiency.
Engine governors are installed in many large trucks to electronically control the driver’s speed. Keeping a driver below certain speeds depending on conditions improves the overall amount of fuel consumed by the trucks.
Today’s trucks are being outfitted with wireless sensors and GPS systems that provide data analysis in real time. This allows truck drivers to make changes on the go to reach a state of more efficient fuel economy.
Taking Responsibility
Government sanctions and industry standards are pushing more businesses to evaluate their truck transportation. Certain U.S. States now enforce emission standards. In addition to government intervention, large companies are becoming more conscious and pushing a similar envelope. Many large companies have taken the responsibility into their own hands and implemented company standards for fuel economy and efficiency, partly to avoid government intervention.
FedEx, for example, set a goal to increase fuel efficiency by 30 percent by 2020. Walmart also stepped up to the plate by increasing efficiency by over 80 percent.
Large corporations like Walmart and FedEx set the standard for others to follow suit in order to remain competitive. Consumers are more environmentally conscious than ever before. If companies refuse to make an effort, they face consumer abandonment and losing business or going under altogether.
Luckily, more and more organizations are following in the industry leaders’ footprints by reducing their carbon one. The extra effort saves them money long term and helps protect the environment at the same time.
