Yesterday, the North American Council for Freight Efficiency announced the 10 drivers who will compete in the Run on Less Regional road study. The selectees range in experience from one to 42 years, but all have the same data-collecting mission to discover new insights into how equipment, technology and technique can work together to improve fuel economy during regional hauling, or trips within 300 miles of home base.
The road show starts on Oct. 7 and concludes at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in Atlanta (Oct. 28-31).
IN 2017, NACFE held a similar long haul Run on Less event, which found with the right powertrain, fairings, tires and driving, to name a few of several factors, Class 8 tractor-trailers could reach 10.1 mpg. Drivers clocked an average speed of 54 mph while covering 50,107 miles and hauling an average 55,498 lb.
“This fleet won’t do that,” said Mike Roeth, NACFE’s executive director, due to the type of freight, back hauls, more starting and stopping, and city driving. “I do think the diversity of challenges here is much bigger.”
That’s all the more reason to find out how to improve performance in the face of all those challenges. And NACFE is seeking repeatable, approachable answers that all fleets can adopt.
“We’re looking for the equipment and technology that the fleet believes in, that they’re buying and is really on their trucks,” said Roeth, as opposed to niche gear they slap on to boost mpg.
While Roeth doesn’t know what combination of technology will be better for what topology or duty cycle, he believes this the best mix of drivers to find out.
“The 10 drivers who are participating in Run on Less Regional have shown that fuel efficiency is as important in regional operations as it is in long-haul, over-the-road trucking,” Roeth said.
As for the specifics, refer to the photo gallery for all the vital stats on driver and their trusty 35,000-lb. steeds. NACFE also created personalized videos for each driver, whch you can view here.
As that data is being collected, NACFE will host three technology days to disseminate new industrial news about Hydrogen (Oct. 8), Connectivity (Oct. 15) and Electrification (Oct. 23).
“NACFE is helping us better understand regional movement of freight, demonstrating the technologies and practices of the best fleets, and providing insights into future game-changing opportunities with Technology Days,” said Oliver Bishop, general manager of Shell Hydrogen.
Shell is the primary sponsor, with PepsiCo, Geotab, EPA SmartWay, LinkeDrive, and the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory also signign on as event sponsors.
