^SmartWay
Transport Partnership
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
A Glance at
Clean Freight Strategies
Drivers Training
Driver training programs can help trucking companies save fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
increasing drivers'skills, knowledge, and performance. A driver-training program that improves fuel economy by
5 percent could save over $1,200 in fuel costs and eliminate eight metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per
truck each year.
What is the challenge?
Even highly experienced truck drivers can boost their
skills and enhance driving performance through
driver training programs. Training that targets fuel
efficiency can help drivers recognize and change
driving habits that waste fuel. For example, driving 65
mph instead of 55 mph can use up to 20% more fuel.
Idling an engine burns almost one gallon of fuel per
hour. Driving with the engine rpm too high can waste
several gallons of fuel each hour. Other common
habits that reduce fuel economy are frequent or
impropershifting, too-rapid acceleration, too-frequent
stops and starts from failing to anticipate traffic flow,
and taking circuitous routes.
A few simple changes in driving techniques can
produce sizable fuel savings of 5 percent or more. A
Canadian study estimates that many fleets could
achieve a 10 percent fuel economy improvement
through driver training and monitoring. For a typical
combination truck, a 10 percent saving is the
equivalent of nearly $2,500. A study for the European
Commission estimates that an annual one-day driver-
training course will improve truck fuel efficiency by
five percent. Two trucking fleets in Canada
documented the impact of driver training and found
fuel efficiency improvements of 18 percent and 20
percent.
What is the solution?
Well-trained drivers can reduce fuel consumption by
applying a number of simple techniques. These
include: use cruise control where appropriate; coast
whenever possible; block-shift (go from, for example,
2nd gear to 5th gear); brake and accelerate smoothly
and gradually; progressive shift (upshift at the lowest
rpm possible); limit unnecessary truck idling; start out
in a gear that doesn't require using the throttle when
releasing the clutch; limit unnecessary shifting; drive
at the lowest engine speed possible; reduce parasitic
energy losses by limiting the use of accessories.
Employers, vocational schools, and for-profit training
organizations can teach drivers these fuel-saving
techniques. Many trucking companies also monitor
driver performance and may provide incentives to
drivers who reduce fuel consumption. Electronic
engine monitors can be used to review drivers'
operating patterns and benchmark individual
performance over time.
The results are in ...
Fleets that improve fuel economy by at least 5
percent through driver training and monitoring
programs can save more than $1,200 per truck each
year in fuel costs and eliminate 8 metric tons of
carbon dioxide emissions per truck each year. For a
typical long-haul truck, the initial cost of training and
the purchase of related equipment such as an
electronic engine monitor and recorder could be
recouped within two years from fuel cost savings.
Trucking companies may realize even greater fuel
and maintenance savings by using technologies that
limit truck idling and highway speed.
Driver training may generate larger efficiency gains
for vehicles in urban service, where shifting practices
have more influence on fuel economy. Good driving
practices are also part of courteous and safe truck
operation that reflects well on the professionalism of
the driver and his or her trucking company.
Next steps
Trucking firms should consider implementing driver-
training programs to reduce fuel costs. To provide
additional motivation, training can be combined with
an incentive program to reward drivers for enhanced
performance. Successful incentive programs pay
bonuses regularly and frequently, set realistic goals,
and are simple to administer. Fleets may contact
their national or local trucking organizations for more
details on improving driver performance and
establishing a driver incentive program, and may
contact their truck dealer or equipment vendor for
information on engine monitors and other fuel-saving
devices.
. Environmental Protection Agency • Office of Transpor
February 2004. EPA420-F-04-008. • For more Information,, visit: www.epa.gov/smartway
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