Changing Truck Design to Improve Efficiency and Safety

In the US trucks carry as much as 70% of the freight that is transported each year. There are 26 million trucks on American roads hauling an estimated 10 billion tons of cargo annually1. The reliance on road transport, coupled with the historically high prices of fuel in the US, has made the industry re-evaluate how it operates its fleets. Efficiency is seen as the solution to combating rising fuel costs and this has put the focus on the efficiency of the trucks themselves. European Union transport operators are examining the potential of redesigning heavy trucks to be more aerodynamic. Recent studies in Belgium have indicated that there may be significant savings for transport companies that invest in more aero-efficient vehicles. Mercedes-Benz has released a new aerodynamic truck and trailer that it claims will reduce running costs by as much as 18%. Shaped more like a bullet train than a prime mover, these new transport vehicles are still in the development stages. Mercedes-Benz is also looking at ways of incorporating modern digital technology to improve their all round efficiency. At the same time, the new style of long haul vehicles will take many years to become common on our highways and in the meantime there are efforts to find ways to make existing designs more aerodynamic as a means of increasing their fuel efficiency. The European Union recently released a mandate aimed at encouraging transport companies to invest in greater efficiency. Proposals include increasing the permissible tonnage permitted for hybrid vehicles to compensate for the weight carried in their batteries. There are also moves to allow maximum vehicle lengths to increase to allow trailers to be fitted with devices designed to reduce drag and increase fuel efficiency. Plans are being drafted to reduce the red tape involved in switching intermodal freight between trucks, trains and ships in order to encourage more people to use the more efficient intermodal networks2. Currently Europe is leading the way in the redesign of the body shape of trucks. Round noses and flaps like the ones used on airplanes will be going into service across the Continent in the next year. This is expected to improve the overall efficiency of intermodal transport which should see the same sorts of development in other parts of the world, especially in the US which relies so heavily on trucks to transport the bulk of its freight. Improvements to the efficiency of trucks may not solve all of the problems facing the industry but they are a significant step towards a better future for the trucking sector. References: 1. http://news.thomasnet.com/IMT/2013/04/23/truck-aerodynamics-proceed-apace-with-fuel-economy-emissions-trends/ 2. http://www.dieselnet.com/news/2013/04eu.php 3. http://www.industryweek.com/transportation/flap-backed-trucks-save-lives-energy-europe