It wasn't too long ago that fuel prices were lingering between $3.80 and $4.40 per gallon. At that point many companies took an aggressive stance on fuel conservation. However, for most it was just a flavor of the month. Many companies jumped on the U.S. EPA "SmartWay" bandwagon, which is designed to improve fuel efficiencies and reduced the environmental impact. That is all well and good but unfortunately, if a company doesn't have an aggressive fuel conservation program in place, being "SmartWay" certified should be considered consistent with permitting the tail to wag the dog. Or maybe Ready, Shoot, Aim is a more apt metaphor.... Read More

It seems every year the transportation industry faces new perils during the winter months and this year is no different. Currently the weather forecasters are predicting a frigid winter with less than normal snow fall. Among the challenges above and beyond the weather, fuel prices are inching higher again and most states and many municipalities have mandated idling restrictions. Here are a few simple tips to help maintain your equipment and fuel tanks.... Read More

SCR or EGR is the question that is facing organizations in both the transportation and service sectors. Historians say that history repeats itself and it did just that last month when equipment orders doubled the previous month mirroring the purchases October and November of 2007 just prior to the last significant change in emission regulations. Sources in the industry believe this spike is caused not by freight or service demands but in effort to capture the last remaining build slots prior to the new wave of technology and the imminent price increases. The current situation is also reflective of 2007 on the technology side when manufactures were scrambling to develop, test and tout their respective technologies. At the time, in theory, Caterpillar had the most notable system, which would actually overcome some of the additional fuel used during the regeneration* process. However they were unable to make that system function consistently in practice, which precipitated their exit from the highway use, heavy-duty engine market. Currently, the remaining players in the industry are at odds, in the courts, with the EPA, and the media. One is gambling on what they call the in-cylinder solution (EGR) whereas the other players are going with the SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) solution, which incorporates the use of a DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) to meet the 2010 regulations. Another correlation to the situation is that one group is predicting an increase in fuel economy while the other is gambling on unconfirmed technology. The following is a brief overview of the two (2) opposing approaches to the technological challenge of reducing oxides of nitrogen (NOx) to meet the 2010 requirement. ... Read More

It seems every year the transportation industry faces new perils during the winter months and this year is no different. Currently the weather forecasters are predicting not only one of the coldest, but the snowiest in the last five (5) years. Among the challenges above and beyond the weather, fuel prices are on the rise again and most states and many municipalities have mandated idling restrictions. Here are a few simple tips to help maintain your equipment and fuel tanks. ... Read More