Transportation and innovation were two of the more significant industry topics from President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday evening. Specifically, the president continued to push the development of technologies to reduce emissions, break dependence on foreign oil and ramp up the use of electric vehicles, and, in his words, be the first country with 1 million such vehicles on the road by 2015. The pursuit of such technology not only will be eco-friendly, but create “countless” new jobs, he said. Additionally, rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure could Continue Reading

The latest round of good news that the California Air Resources Board is cheering contains some previously unseen surprises. Results from its latest diesel cleanup program targeting ports, trucks, trains and ships has been successful in updating 5,300 trucks through retrofits or replacement. But, in a shift from many previous programs, one-third of the trucks that received program funding are owned by owner-operators, and half of Continue Reading

Don’t be surprised if larger trucks able to carry more freight become a reality sooner rather than later, according to speakers at the “Moving the World: The Future of Freight Transportation” conference held last week in Washington, D.C., especially with political attitudes and environmental concerns shifting in favor of such changes. Not only would the move reduce emissions as trucks make fewer trips, but also another positive is that by hauling more freight at a time, congestion on the roads would be alleviated. And that benefit would address the long-term prediction that freight is expected to double in the next Continue Reading

GreenRoad, a provider of solutions to reduce fuel consumption based on driver behavior, has expanded its offering with the addition of an idling management capability. According to the company, users of the fuel-saving product see fuel economy savings of up to 10 percent, and can further reduce fuel consumption another 2 to 5 percent with its latest component. The idling management capability identifies driver behaviors, vehicle functions and trips or routes that affect fuel performance. Customizable for all vehicle makes and models, GreenRoad can alert Continue Reading

A rule stemming from a 2007 Congressional mandate and an Executive Order released by President Obama earlier this year is open for public comment through Jan. 31, 2011. The joint proposal comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that aims to reduce emissions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Specifically for tractor-trailers, the proposed engine and vehicle standards begin in the 2014 model year and establish a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions and fuel consumption by the Continue Reading

Voters and a change of party in the California state capitol after Tuesday’s election look to ensure the enforcement of regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty tractors and trailers. With more than 90 percent of precincts reporting, a solid 61 percent of voters rejected Proposition 23, a measure that would have suspended the state’s green regulations until the unemployment rate dipped below 5.5 percent for a year. The election of Democrat Jerry Brown also reduces the likelihood that the state will backtrack on emissions reduction regulations. However, the California Continue Reading

The financial incentive program the California Air Resources Board (CARB) put in place in 2007 is showing results, as the agency announced it has help put more than 650 hybrid trucks and buses on the state’s roads. Through the program, which is administered through CalStart, a nonprofit organization that works with business, fleets and government to develop and implement clean, efficient transportation solutions, provides vouchers to help fleets offset the higher costs associated with purchasing the advanced technology vehicles. That technology, though, is credited with reducing emissions and Continue Reading

A recent panel of trucking executives shared their insight into the future of fuel efficiency in their industry, and all agreed that even in the next decade technologies in development–and those that now aren’t known–will make equipment even greener. Target areas for OEM research include fuel efficiency and CO2 reduction, as well as improvements in waste heat recovery. Hybrid vehicles may become more cost-effective or at least their return on investment could be reduced. Currently, that return is hard to come by even with 10 percent fuel savings. For trailers, use of Continue Reading

A U.S. District Judge cleared the air last week, allowing for the Port of Los Angeles to move forward with its Clean Truck Program. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) had challenged the move, contending the program did not comply with federal laws governing interstate commerce and transportation safety. Port officials expressed optimism that the ruling would make it possible for them to expand the port, while enforcing emissions standards. But they are waiting Continue Reading

On Monday, UPS offered customers the option of paying a small fee to calculate and offset carbon emissions associated with their shipments. The carbon neutral shipping program is available in 35 countries and territories across Europe, Asia and the Americas through all shippers at UPS.com, online retailers, The UPS Store and other retail locations. For the initial launch, the company purchased offsets from the Continue Reading