In the last few years, the trucking industry has faced mounting pressure to focus on sustainability and improve its environmental footprint. With a historic wave of emissions regulations tightening in every corner of the world, truck drivers and fleet operators are facing stresses they’ve never seen before. This comes at a time when in the USA, the transport industry is regarded as a significant emitter, contributing an average of 420 million metric tons of CO2 annually.
These new rules have a dual goal of reducing harmful air pollution, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and increasing healthier operations across the logistics supply chain. But these changes don’t come without cost.
To be compliant and keep their businesses afloat, truck drivers need to be able to adapt to the pace of quickly changing regulations. From cleaner engines to alternative fuels to electric vehicles, truck drivers are looking to new technologies to help achieve these standards.
This post explores in depth the many innovative strategies and new technologies operators are using to adapt to new emission rules.
1. Upgrading to Cleaner Engines
Truck drivers today have more than just reading OTR driver news. They also need to read how to upgrade to cleaner engines.
Diesel engines that helped build the country’s infrastructure, once the golden standard of the trucking industry, are hitting a wall of authoritarian emissions mandates. Thanks to federal emission standards, newer engine models that produce less harmful emissions are becoming the standard. Hundreds of thousands of truckers are retrofitting older, more-polluting engines with newer ones that run on cleaner fuels and surpass current emissions standards.
These engines achieve some of the lowest emission standards ever set. Truck drivers today are striving to adopt new technologies like Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF). Both technologies reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions.
SCR systems work by injecting a urea-based solution into the exhaust system. SCR breaks down NOx emissions before they reach the atmosphere. DPF systems trap soot and other exhaust-related particulate matter before it escapes into the air. Upgrading to these systems can be expensive, but the long-term benefits, from better fuel efficiency to a smaller environmental impact, are more than worth the cost.
2. Transitioning to Electric Vehicles (EVs)
Electric trucks are becoming a darling of the industry. These zero-emission vehicles are fueled by batteries. Batteries cut the dangerous emissions created by old diesel engines. Truck drivers are beginning to look towards electric vehicles (EVs) as a sustainable solution to replace diesel trucks.
EVs lend themselves well to short-haul delivery and urban use cases, where frequent stop-and-go driving and reduced emissions are essential. Electric truck infrastructure is coming online at a rapid pace. Charging stations are under construction on major interstate corridors.
The biggest obstacle is the range of anxiety inherent to battery-powered trucks. But even with these caveats, many truck drivers are already making the switch. They’re finding routes where they don’t push their vehicle’s range.
Incentives like the federal tax credit and subsidies through the Inflation Reduction Act are further reducing the initial cost of electric trucks.
3. Exploring Alternative Fuels
Beyond electric trucks, emerging and established alternative fuels are helping to move the needle on emissions. Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) have emerged as alternatives to diesel to power trucks over long distances within the freight industry. Using these cleaner fuels results in reduced emissions, including CO2 emissions and NOx emissions, compared to standard diesel.
One other exciting replacement is hydrogen fuel cells. Since hydrogen-powered trucks expel only water vapor as a by-product, they’re a zero-emissions solution.
Hydrogen fuel cell technology is not as prevalent yet. However, it promises potential for longer-distance hauls and HDTT. For truck drivers, embracing alternative fuels is cheaper than making an electric truck. This is particularly promising for areas where the charging infrastructure isn’t developed.
4. Improving Aerodynamics and Fuel Efficiency
One more area where truckers are investing to meet forthcoming emissions standards is vehicle aerodynamics. Air resistance is the second-largest factor affecting fuel consumption for trucks. The basic premise is that the more fuel a truck burns, the more emissions it contributes to the atmosphere. We hope that all drivers, especially truck drivers, realize that by reducing drag, they can easily save fuel and emissions.
Every day, thousands of these drivers are equipping their tractors with energy and fuel-saving aerodynamic devices such as trailer skirts, boat tails and roof fairings. These features and improvements increase airflow overall and reduce wind resistance, increasing overall fuel efficiency.
According to research, trailer skirts can save on fuel consumption by up to 5%, just by themselves. Over the years, those improvements have been compounded, providing essential cost savings and an enormous reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
5. Eco-Driving Training
Eco-driving is a driving technique that reduces emissions and maximizes fuel efficiency. More and more truck drivers are taking part in eco-driving courses to learn how to cut emissions and fuel use. Techniques like smooth acceleration, efficient gear shifting, and avoiding needless idling are taught in these programs.
Driving sustainably has many advantages. According to studies, eco-driving practices can cut fuel consumption by as much as 10%. Emissions also go down when fuel consumption goes down. As part of their efforts to comply with emissions regulations, many trucking companies now mandate that their drivers complete eco-driving training.
Conclusion
As emissions regulations tighten, the trucking industry is undergoing significant changes. However, by embracing new procedures and technologies, truck drivers are stepping up to the plate. Drivers are adopting a variety of tactics to lessen their impact on the environment, from improving their driving habits and switching to electric vehicles to upgrading their engines and using alternative fuels.
There will probably be even more innovation in the industry’s approach to emissions reduction as regulations continue to change. Truck drivers are ensuring the sustainability of their companies and the industry’s future by investing in cleaner technologies and making data-driven decisions. They are also contributing to the reduction of pollution.
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