Trucking group proposes plan to cut fuel consumption and emissions

There's a lot of discussion of late blaming the increased use of food crops for biofuel production for the rapid increase in food prices around the world. Unfortunately that's only a small part of the equation. The reality is that a bigger part of problem is the increase in fuel prices. After all, a lot oil has to be used to cultivate, fertilize, harvest and deliver food crops. With oil topping $120/barrel this week, the trucking industry is working on ways to reduce costs for operators. The American Trucking Association has come up with a six point plan that could cut fuel consumption by 86 billion gallons and CO₂ emissions by 900 million tons over the next decade. Most of the points are pretty obvious such as setting truck speed governors to 68mph to reduce speeds, reduce idling fuel economy standards for trucks and highway infrastructure improvements to reduce congestion. One particular suggestion that could prove controversial is labeled as using more productive truck combinations. This one is all about using fewer larger trucks instead of more smaller trucks. Unfortunately this one goes against the infrastructure improvements. Heavier trucks put a lot more strain on roads and wear them out faster. There is also a major safety concern with larger trucks. On the whole, though, the rest of these proposals should be implemented.

[Source: American Trucking Association]