The volatility of fuel costs and the reeling economy have taken their toll on the long-haul, heavy-duty trucking industry, though their tribulations have received less attention than those of the auto sector.
More than 2500 owner operator trucking companies--self-employed commercial truck drivers or small businesses--went bankrupt in 2008. And in late February 2009, Transport Topics reported that Class 8 tractor sales hit a 17-year low in sales.
Heavy-duty, long-haul trucks' smokestacks emit 6 percent of the United States' carbon dioxide per year, so with carbon regulations becoming all but certain in the next year or two, some serious changes will have to be made. It's safe to say the industry is at a critical juncture.
Doubling the efficiency of the average Class 8 tractor-trailer from 6.5 miles per gallon to 12.3 mpg across the U.S. fleet (half a million trucks) can save 3.8 billion gallons of diesel, or $7.6 billion assuming $2 per gallon price of diesel. According to a 2008 analysis written by RMI, this could be done in the next few years with readily available technology like auxiliary power units, more efficient widebase tires, and improved aerodynamic mechanisms, such as trailer side skirts.
