Heavy Duty Trucking, April 2018

tmwsystems com phone 18004016682WINAT FULLSTRENGTH BETTER PLANNING BETTER CONTROL Keep your trucks moving and your costs down withTMW Asset Maintenance Software Contact Us APRIL 2018 HDT 75 WWW TRUCKINGINFO COM The Task Force session at TMCs annual meeting in Atlanta was standing room only and a show of hands indicated that about one quarter of the attendees had experienced a wheel end fire Random comments from attendees suggested multiple suspected causes ranging from under inflated tires to side skirts inhibiting wheel end cooling One fleet attendee speaking at the Fleet Operators Forum later in the week said one of his drivers had believed his engine had de rated causing a loss of power so he pushed the throttle pedal harder The problem was determined to be a dragging brake The joint S 6 S 7 Task Force will reissue the survey soon and hopes to get a broader response so it can begin analyzing these events in hopes of determining a likely culprit NACFE RELEASES REPORT ON ITS 10 MPG FUEL EFFICIENCY ROADSHOW The North American Council for Freight Efficiency released an in depth report during TMCs annual meeting on its Run on Less fuel efficiency roadshow The three week event last fall demonstrated that its possible to get 10 plus mpg in real world Class 8 freight hauling operations During the 17 day run seven trucks from participating fleets Albert Transport PepsiCos Frito Lay Division Hirschbach Mesilla Valley Transportation Nussbaum Transportation Ploger Transportation and U S Xpress averaged 101 mpg exceeding the 9 mpg goal and saving 2877 gallons of fuel and 7193 compared to the national average of 64 mpg for the over the road tractor trailer population The trucks which were 2015 model year or newer used commercially available technologies including engines and engine ratings for maximum fuel efficiency downsped powertrains considerable attention to aerodynamics and in some cases idle reduction equipment including solar panels The trucks covered a total of 50107 miles at an average gross weight of 55498 pounds Five truck days one truck on one day equals a truck day were between 7 and 8 mpg and four truck days were between 125 and 13 mpg The trucks totaled 543903 feet in elevation gain and dealt with various weather conditions including the effects from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma The overall average speed was 54 mph After evaluating the results of the Run NACFE offered the following recommendations for actions the industry should take Use downsped powertrains and automated transmissions Educate and incentivize conscientious drivers Buy all available tractor aerodynamics Adopt appropriate trailer aerodynamics Optimize cruise control and vehicle speed Keep equipment well maintained Implement the right axle configuration Embrace low rolling resistance tires Provide tools to reduce idle time Build a culture of methodically choosing technologies The full report is available on the Resources page of the organizations new website www nacfe org PHOTO EVAN LOCKRIDGE