FETruck is dedicated to the study of fuel efficient big rigs. The study began almost four years ago, after 12 years of driving to Trenton for work. My commute is 50 miles each way, 100 miles round-trip and consists mostly of highway miles. While there are many choices available to drivers who spend a lot of time on the road – radio, streaming, zoning out, shaving, applying makeup, doing drugs, reading the newspaper, hypermiling, and writing the next great American novel on paper or via audio transcription software – I stare at trucks.
Why other people stare at trucks is beyond me, but I stared at trucks because I wanted to know; “Why in the world do we move cargo around in rectangular boxes (trailers) using often square moving engines (tractors), both shapes with high drag coefficients (bad)?” The staring begat more questions like “What are all of those truck parts and what do they do, particularly those new things that look like curtains hanging down from the trailer?” Questions led to the hunt for explanations and shortly after my entry into staring at trucks, I decided to conduct a study into the current state of fuel efficient truck use in New Jersey and worldwide, and into fuel efficiency products, services and techniques for semi-trailer trucks.
That core study, complete with rules, a start and end date, and post study analysis and conclusions is contained in the below links:
- A Small Study of Trucking Companies Running Aerodynamic Trailers Experimental Design and Conclusions
- Table 1: Overall Truck Count and Skirted Truck Count
- Table 2: List of Trucking Companies Running Aerodynamic Tractor Trailers
- Table 3: List of Tractor Trailer and other Heavy Vehicle Energy Efficiency Products and Companies
- Table 4: List of Common Trucking Companies NOT Running Aerodynamic Tractor Trailers