Run on Less – Messy Middle is over. Well, that is not completely true. While the actual Run is done and we have completed gathering data from the 14 trucks we followed, we have only begun to analyze that data.
And while we are currently analyzing the data and preparing some high-level initial findings, which we will release later this month, I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to thank the 13 fleets that participated in this fifth NACFE Run.
These fleets opened their doors not only to us but also to the entire industry by allowing us to install Geotab devices on their vehicles and share the data captured by those devices with everyone. I need to add that this data is not edited. We share the good and the bad about how the trucks are performing during the 18 days of the Run. Once a fleet agrees to be in the Run, there is no hiding the data.
No one likes to think they have made a mistake investing in a new technology, so many people only talk about their successes with the technology, avoiding discussions about the challenges. The challenges show up in the data, but fleet leaders also shared the challenges during the site visit interviews.
They freely talked about stumbling blocks to deploying a new technology, things they wish they had avoided, and lessons they learned. They didn’t seem concerned about “looking bad” but rather focused on how they could help other fleets have a smoother transition to an alternative powertrain solution.
Several of them are even on the record saying they are happy to be a resource for other fleets as they begin exploring the use of alternative-fueled vehicles in their operations. I think this anecdotal information and the real-world data collected during the Run are very powerful tools that can help guide fleets and allow them to transition to alternative fuels more easily. I think the easier we make the transition, the more likely other fleets are to begin looking at alternative powertrains, and that is good for all of us.
NACFE is going to continue to do its part by sharing the dataset from the Run by the end of October with anyone who wants it and by doing a deep dive analysis into the data to see what it is telling us. Stay tuned for that. But in the meantime, data from the Run is still available on the metrics page of the Run on Less website. I encourage you to go look at it and take advantage of the insights shared by the 13 fleets about their journeys toward a cleaner freight future.
