ATRI promoting sustainable practices in trucking
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has launched a new section on its website, www.atri-online.org, which covers a wide range of sustainable practices.
“Sustainable practices are an emerging focus for trucking companies,” said Chad England, a member of the ATRI Research Committee and CEO of C.R. England.
ATRI’s compendium is a great resource for gaining insight into what many of these practices are, as well as the potential costs and benefits associated with them.
The compendium is divided into three sections: driving practices, vehicle practices and public sector practices. Each of these sections is further divided into major focus areas.
Under driving practices, visitors will find information on skills and techniques, such as when to use cruise control and how to make the best use of gears, and driver training and incentives.
“Educating drivers about the impacts and adverse effects of long-duration idling can help reduce time spent idling, as can offering financial incentives,” says the website.
The vehicle practices section covers seven specifics, including truck and tractor aerodynamics; tires, engines, alternative fuels, cargo management, and higher productivity vehicles.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a joint rulemaking in 2011 that specifies emissions and fuel consumption standards, respectively, for truck-tractors, heavy-duty pickups and van and certain vocational vehicles.
