CR England Girl

A couple of weeks a go the ATA was looking to get people to write a letter to the US Minerals Management Service to ask for offshore drilling exceptions. The ATA was pushing the point that the trucking industry would benefit from the drilling. The letters needed to be in by the 21st of September in order to get some more drilling leases opened up.

Today transport topics released information about a letter that ATA chief economist, Bob Costello sent to the Department of the Interior asking them to approve offshore drilling leases. In his letter Costello wrote, ” all available domestic resources to safe and environmentally responsible development, would boost supply, increase the nation’s security, produce jobs, enhance the economy and bring in billions of dollars to the U.S. Treasury.” Certainly unemployed drivers would like to see more truck driving jobs.

Remember how C.R. England is a SmartWay Transport Partner?  Well, the company has once again found a way to improve fuel efficiency while protecting the environment.  C.R. England is currently testing 100 side skirts on trailers to see if they can increase the aerodynamics of the trailers.  So far, the side skirts have shown a 3.6% increase in fuel savings.  C.R. England will continue to conduct field tests, which if successful, would save a staggering 3 million gallons of fuel every year.

That’s the title of a great new article put out by the New York Times this past Monday.  The article addresses the efforts to reduce carbon emissions along with anti-idling regulations and how the trucking industry is responding with new solutions.  Here’s a little tidbit I learned from the article: did you know that $378 million of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the big stimulus package passed by President Obama) is budgeted for the Department of Energy to use to reduce transport emissions to clean up the environment?  That’s a lot of money!  Of that amount, anywhere between $10 million and $75 million will go directly towards anti-idling solutions and technologies.  In addition, the EPA has allocated another $300 million towards a campaign to cut emissions from diesel engines.

From electrified truck stops (see here) to auxiliary power units, learn how to provide your cab with all the creature comforts you need while reducing your emissions and helping the environment by reading the article here.

The Los Angeles Port (via the NY Times) is the nation’s busiest port.

At least for the ATA. On Monday, a U.S. District Court Judge ruled to temporarily stop the Los Angeles and Long Beach Ports from imposing several stipulations in their Clean Truck Program, including a handful of provisions the ATA says is nothing more than an attempt to overturn the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 (which deregulated trucking in the U.S.). While clean truck fees and the ban on dirty diesel trucks remain, the ruling threw out requirements to mandate truck driving companies operating in the ports to give hiring preference to local drivers and administrative fees to cover port authority oversight costs paid by trucking companies. Furthermore, it also banned truck parking restrictions in L.A. and Long Beach that would force big rigs from residential streets around the ports.

Want to read more about the ruling? Click here.

The American Trucking Association is currently pushing to increase the number of longer-combination vehicles (LCVs) allowed on the nation’s highways – it’s all part of the organization’s initiative to green the industry. But the push is drawing criticism and sparking debate from others, including some truck drivers, who are convinced LCVs may do more harm than good.

Only 23 states in the country allow LCVs on their roads, typically those with less densely-populated areas (California has banned them altogether). Many claim triple and even double trailers are dangerous and comprise safety, especially in areas where there are more drivers on the road.

But the ATA argues that LCVs have a decent safety record – better than five-axle semis. In fact, they are the most regulated vehicles on the road; drivers of such vehicles must have special permits to operate them, they are only allowed on certain roads, and they must get off the road during inclement weather. Furthermore, truck driving companies don’t take any risks when it comes to operating LCVs – they use only their best and most experienced drivers.

The ATA claims that having more LCVs on the road will increase fuel efficiency, shrink truck congestion, and reduce pollution since it will result in fewer trucks on the road.

Do you think LCVs are good for the environment (and the industry) or comprise safety on the road?