^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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