Finding fuel efficiency gains on today’s trucks and trailers isn’t easy. With so many options on the market, the math is complex on payback calculations and the risk can be high for investing in solutions that won’t offer payback though its lifecycle if placed in the wrong application.
When considering the array of products available, North American Council for Freight Efficiency Executive Director Mike Roeth says it’s wise to find solutions that allow users to wade into the water slowly and settle for smaller dividends rather than taking a big gamble and chasing major savings that may never materialize.
“It’s hard to test for 1 or 2 percent improvement,” he says. “Bigger plays with [automated] transmissions, [6X2] axles and other bigger aerodynamic things, those are ones where a lot more due diligence is required as some kind of adverse consequences can kill you [financially].”
On-highway trucks come standard with improved aerodynamics and Roeth says wheel covers would be the next logical add-on if you’re looking to simply maximize airflow around the truck itself.
“We’ve seen that [wheel covers and] the devices between the tires do deliver fuel savings,” he says. “Some people worry about their durability and serviceability but those problems seem to be smaller.”
A tire’s rolling resistance accounts for nearly 25 percent of the truck’s fuel consumption and Mike Manges, manager of commercial tire communications for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, says about one-third of a standard, long-haul tractor-trailer’s drag force is due to tire rolling resistance. That’s led to the prevalence of low rolling resistance tires, but Manges says rubber technology is already being pushed beyond current EPA standards.
“While SmartWay verification will remain part of the long-haul truck tire landscape, Greenhouse Gas Phase 2 rolling resistance requirements will drive demand for tires that even exceed SmartWay thresholds,” Manges adds. “We call these products ‘super-fuel’ tires and we believe that fleets will ask for more of them.”
