Seven U.S. fleets representing nearly 11,000 tractors and 26,000 trailers have signed on to have one of their trucks and drivers participate in Run on Less, a cross-country roadshow to showcase advancements in fuel efficiency.
The roadshow is a three-week event taking place at multiple locations across the United States, culminating at the North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) inaugural show in Atlanta on September 25 to 28, 2017. Final results will be announced, and drivers will showcase their equipment and share fuel economy learnings and best practices with attendees.
“We’re excited to have these top fleets show how business can collaborate and innovate when it comes to efficiency," Mike Roeth, executive director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency. "Collectively, these fleets are leading the way in entrepreneurial solutions to help the trucking industry remain profitable while reducing its emissions.”
By participating in the event, Albert Transport, PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division, Hirschbach, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Nussbaum Transportation, Ploger Transportation, and US Xpress will demonstrate how Class 8 trucks can use different technologies to achieve the best fuel economy possible.
Each fleet will fit its participating truck with its own combination of commercially available fuel-saving technologies, proving that there is more than one way to operate efficiently. They are also selecting drivers who have proven that their driving habits contribute to high fuel efficiency.
The fleets represent myriad companies hauling goods across North America. They include a private fleet, Frito-Lay, running dedicated routes, some running only for-hire irregular routes and others with a combination of both.
Sizes range from US Xpress with 7,000 trucks to three fleets with approximately 1,000 tractors to two midsize fleets and an owner operator. These seven fleets haul a variety of loads from light and heavy to dry and refrigerated, and operate across most of the U.S. and Canada.
“We are most excited to join Run on Less because we want to demonstrate the success that can be achieved when pairing a trained and educated driver with the latest technologies in fuel efficiency," Brent Nussbaum, CEO of Nussbaum Transportation, said.
Together these fleets reveal a road map for others to lower fuel costs and emissions from their equipment, according to the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE).
“Regardless of the price of a gallon of diesel, fuel is one of our largest expenses,” said Royal Jones, CEO and president of Mesilla Valley Transportation. “We have made the investment in fuel-efficiency technologies to bring our fuel costs down as much as possible. Every dollar we save in fuel costs goes right to our bottom line.”
Getotab will be installing its devices in all the trucks participating in Run on Less to measure fuel usage, idle time, cruise control usage, and more. Results, including fuel economy, freight efficiency, and dollars and carbon saved, will be tracked and reported during Run on Less via runonless.com.
“By participating in Run on Less, we look forward to demonstrating how investments in fuel-efficient technologies pay off in our day-to-day operations,” said Gerry Mead, senior vice president of maintenance for US Xpress. “We are also eager to share the results of our investments with the rest of the industry.”
Run on Less is led by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency and Carbon War Room’s Trucking Efficiency Operation, with Shell and PepsiCo as the title sponsors. The group also announced the supporting sponsors for Run on Less, which are listed on runonless.com. Pilot Flying J is donating $1,000 in fuel to each participating fleet.
