Say goodbye to underinflated tires robbing fuel economy. That day could be coming soon if a new technology that Goodyear is testing pays off.

Goodyear is developing a technology called Air Maintenance Technology (AMT) that not only monitors the inflation pressure inside a tire, but also inflates the tire when needed. All without the external pumps and electronics that are needed by today’s automatic tire inflation systems. more

Electric trucks are starting to catch on. It only took 100 or so years. Many would be shocked to learn that at the dawn of the 20th Century, it was not gas or diesel power that delivered America’s goods, it was electricity.

The Iowa 80 Trucking Museum is inviting the public to a birthday celebration for its 100-year-old, 1911 Walker Electric Truck. The Walker Electric Truck was built by the Walker Vehicle Co. in Chicago, IL. The company continued to produce electric vehicles until 1941.

“Many people think that electric vehicles are a recent invention, when in fact they were in production over 100 years ago,” says Dave Meier, museum curator. more

U.S. Reps. Geoff Davis (R-KY) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) along with four co-sponsors have introduced a bill that would provide incentive for commercial fleets to install advanced safety technologies such as stability control systems. The bill, H.R. 1706, has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

(Photo at right: Meritor Wabco SmartTrac stability control system)

“Each year, there are over 384,000 crashes involving trucks, buses, and other heavy vehicles,” Thompson said. “Many of these accidents could have been prevented if advanced safety technologies had been in place. I was proud to work with Congressman Davis to introduce this legislation, which would make safety systems more affordable for the folks who need them.” more

A waste management company in France is set to begin the rollout of all-electric garbage trucks to clean the streets of the Paris suburb of Courbevoie. By the end of the year, SITA France expects to have 11 of the vehicles in operation and plans to replace the entire fleet eventually, according to Reuters.

“The engineers faced a real challenge of how to make it all work together - how they would be able to minimize overall electrical usage and come up with the vehicle that we have here,” SITA industrial director Cyril Fraissinet told the news organization.

The trucks were developed by PVI and Dow Kokam, a subsidiary of Dow Chemical. They use an advanced lithium polymer battery and all elements of the trucks and collecting refuse bins are electric. The 26-ton, zero-emission truck will eliminate 130 tons of CO2 per truck per year, the companies said. more

It seems that a new wave of fuel options is heading our way – and quite fast. In recent months, several companies have announced new dual-fuel systems that run on a combination of propane and diesel. I’m not sure how popular these dual-fuel engines will eventually become, but based on the number of companies investing in the technology, it has a chance.

The latest release comes from Icom North America, which recently showed its JTG-Dynamic System. The system uses a 50/50 mixture of liquid-injected propane and diesel fuel. Vehicles can also run on straight diesel fuel.

“Our innovative JTG-Dynamic System will provide vehicle owners with more power, more torque and improved efficiency along with huge fuel-cost savings and lower emissions,” said Icom’s CEO Ralph Perpetuini.

According to Icom, the system can be installed on diesel injection engines with electronics specifically programmed for each engine platform and does not require any mechanical changes to a traditional diesel engine. Icom is offering systems configured for the International DT466 and Cummins 11.9 engine families, with more platforms under development. more

After years of being greener, package delivery giant UPS has finally taken the step so many companies before it has: UPS has hired a sustainability officer.

“The creation of the new post recognizes the expanding scope of UPS’ sustainability actions, as well as its strategic importance,” said UPS COO David Abney. “The long-term success of our company absolutely requires a balance of the environmental, economic and social aspects of the business. Sustainability encompasses all of those areas.”

Scott Wicker, a 34-year veteran of the company who got his start as package loader before working his way up the corporate ladder on the engineering side of the company, has been hired as UPS’ first chief sustainability officer.

“The discipline and systematic analytics we use in engineering are extremely valuable when devising internal sustainability programs,” Wicker said. “Quantitative methodology ensures that our sustainability programs measure impact and keep us moving toward continuous improvement.”

According to UPS, Wicker has been deeply involved with sustainability at the company. more

Part of the deal that President Barack Obama struck with Mexican President Calderon last week to allow Mexican trucks to cross the border and operate inside the U.S. was the requirement that those trucks install electronic onboard recorders (EOBRs).

What we now know about that deal is that FMCSA will pay for the installation of the EOBRs. Talk about a political football. Given how many feel about Mexican truck drivers on U.S. roads, I wonder if this provision was put in by the Administration to show Mexico that we were doing everything we could to comply with the requirements of NAFTA, while at the same time creating an out for the public and Congress.

For the record, I am in favor of opening the border and allowing Mexican trucks to haul into the U.S., just as American trucks should be allowed to haul into Mexico. As I’ve written before, though, those Mexican trucks should meet all U.S. rules and regulations, from safety to emissions to highway laws. There are many people, though, who disagree with this premise.

(Trucking leader says Mexican trucks can not meet EPA standards)

While I believe the specifics of the border trucking program should be debated. This revelation seems a lot like a poison pill designed to torpedo the program before it can be resurrected. According to reports, the reason the U.S. wants to pay for the EOBRs is so that the government “owns” the data the devices collect. Until someone can provide a valid reason as to why the government needs to own this data, I question why this is important. more

Authors Judy Agnew and Aubrey Daniels have published a book that lays out the case that just because a trucking fleet puts the latest safety gadgets on its trucks, that alone does not make it safe.

In fact, the book, “Safe By Accident: Take the Luck Out of Safety: Leadership Practices that Build a Sustainable Safety Culture,” makes the argument that human behavior needs to change to truly create a culture of safety. Using science-based solutions, the authors have come up with seven steps companies can take to increase safety.

One point they make is to get rid of most traditional practices such as incentive programs, safety signs, and punishment. These things, especially the overuse of signage, simply clutter the process and cause employees to tune out more important messages. Instead, use signs that direct specific behavior, such as “shut off engines,” “set brakes,” “chock wheels,” they say. more

For those fleet managers that know they have to green their fleet to reduce its carbon footprint and ultimately be more competitive, yet are not sure how to get started without taking on significant cost, Thermo King has an answer.

Really, it’s 50 of them.

The company has created a document entitled “50 Ways to Green Your Fleet.” It includes 50 tips and suggestions on things, however big or small, a fleet can do to make itself greener.

(See the whole list here)

The list includes such big-ticket items as using EPA-certified engines, refrigeration units, APUs, and improving the aerodynamics of your tractor and trailer. But it also includes not-so-expensive chores such as reducing idling time, obeying speed limits, avoiding quick accelerations, and training technicians to maintain equipment properly. more

Casella Waste Systems is testing a dual-fuel refuse truck from GreenMan Technologies’ subsidiary American Power Group (APG).

The test vehicle, a 2003 DT530 8.6-liter, 275 hp. International, runs on compressed natural gas or diesel fuel, operating with a fuel savings of 25-35%, APG said. The system works by “seamlessly displaying 40-70% of the normal diesel fuel consumption with CNG, LNG, or bio-methane.”

According to APG, the system is non-invasive to the OEM’s engine and operates within all OEM “performance controls” and can return to 100% diesel operation at any time. The introduction of natural gas does not impact the diesel engine, its components, or torque, APG said. more