It's Still Not Easy Being Green

Once again, the government has set its sights on the heavy-duty trucking industry, with the goal to make transportation more efficient, and reduce its impact on the environment.

This time the objective is new fuel-efficiency standards, set to become law by 2014 at the earliest. Before then, several details must be worked out, not the least of which is whether miles to the gallon is the most accurate way of measuring a truck's efficiency.

For example, equipping a truck with a hybrid electric system would be beneficial in stop-and-go traffic or over rolling terrain, but would add useless weight to a tractor-trailer that cruises at 65 m.p.h. on flat terrain. Maximizing fuel economy could also mean equipping a full-size tractor-trailer differently, depending on whether it was hauling its maximum weight or a cargo limited by volume.

But sooner or later these issues will settled, and companies may have to start preparing themselves to improve on the 5-6 miles per gallon that many heavy trucks now average. For more information on these issues, in our article New Fuel Economy Standards by 2014? And if you print out a copy, make sure it's on recycled paper.