Perspectives on Sustainable Transport – Truck Productivity – Presented to Swedish House Seminar Series Moving the World: The Future of Freight Transportation John Woodrooffe December 1, 2010

Sustainable Transport Safety Efficiency *Policy* Sustainable Transport

Contributions to sustainable transport Time Sustainability Index Present time Safety Policy Federal, State, Company, Individual Operational Efficiency

OECD Truck Benchmarking Study “Moving freight in better trucks” Compared the most common “workhorse” trucks and various high and very capacity vehicles from participating countries in terms of: Road wear performance Impact on road structures Safety performance (with a focus on vehicle design) Productivity (in terms of mass and volume) Environmental impacts (emissions, energy consumption)

Defining truck productivity Productivity – how much freight can be hauled in a particular vehicle Note: Truck cargo capacity is limited by weight or volume (depends on freight density)

Steady State Energy Balance Total energy used per hour (90 km/h, 44 tonne, level road for one hour) 343 kWh Engine losses 200 kWh Auxiliary loads 15 kWh Drive train 10 kWh Rolling Resistance 65 kWh Aerodynamic Losses 53 kWh

Towards sustainable productivity Move as much freight as possible per power unit more safely than the current fleet with less infrastructure consumption

Productivity advantage Workhorse vehicle Country Steer Drive Tridem GVW Productivity advantage (lbs) South Africa 16,060 39,600 52,800 108,460 39% Mexico 14,300 42,900 49,500 106,700 35% Denmark 17,600 35,200 105,600 33% Canada 12,100 37,400 102,300 27% Australia 13,200 100,100 23% UK 13,970 35,310 47,500 96,800 17% USA 12,000 34,000 42,000 88,000 ---- Assumed empty weight 35,000 lbs

Productivity advantage Workhorse vehicle North American context Country GVW Payload Productivity advantage (lbs) Mexico 106,700 71,700 35% Canada 102,300 67,300 27% USA 88,000 53,000 -- Assumed empty weight 35,000 lbs

Truck productivity is limited by policy not technology Key Message Truck productivity is limited by policy not technology

LCV Progressive operations policy can yield substantial societal benefit 53 ft standard trailer

What can advanced LCV policy do (on a per vehicle basis) System category Benefit Estimate Improved productivity YES 44% Improved safety 2.5 to 5 times* Reduced fuel consumption 32% Reduced emissions Reduced infrastructure consumption 40% Reduced VMT Reduced shipper cost 29% Source: Assessments of Alberta LCV Program- Montufar et.al 2007, Woodrooffe et.al. (2001)

Size and weight policy is frozen by politics To the extent possible let science guide policy

Suggested policy changes for improved productivity and sustainability Bring tandem and tridem axle loads more in line with international limits Tandem from 34,000 lbs to 37,000 lbs Tridem from 42,000 lbs to 50,000 lbs Remove the arbitrary 80,000 lb cap on the Federal Bridge Formula Update the bridge formula – it is antiquated

Conclusions Truck productivity is limited by policy not technology Truck size and weight regulations directly influence transport productivity, efficiency, fuel use and emissions output Such regulations represent a tool that not only protects the infrastructure but also encourage vehicles that provide significant societal benefits

Thank You