In the U.S the immense quantities of raw
materials, finished goods over land, under process materials and freight are
usually transporting from manufacturing sites to retailers and distributors
through trucks. The trucking industry is also providing services to the
construction sector with their dumper trucks and portable concrete mixers are
moving the large quantities of rocks and raw materials anywhere in the state
where trains and other means of freight can’t reach. The trucking industry is
participating in the main stream freight movement over land and is vital in the
manufacturing and warehousing industries.
However the millions of trucks even they
are single units and or the tractor trailers are on the U.S roads and
increasing with the time and needs of the freight services but the concern is
not their count on the road because they are moving more than 70% freight of
the total economy in U.S and they are doing in an extraordinary fashion, the
threat is the environmental issues due to immense fuel consumption every day
and the exhaust emissions produced by these fuel burners. The trucking industry
is one of the leading fuel purchasers in the U.S by approximately 15% purchases
of overall fuel sales.
However the automobile industry and
governments are increasingly focusing on the fuel efficiency and alternative
energy resources but they are still leading contributors in the CO2 emissions.
The trucks and trailers traversing the U.S roads are still on the top average
of six miles per gallon that is very poor indeed. If think about that 6mpg
average for a moment than just imagine that more than 80% nation is receiving
the goods and services from the truckers exclusively. The trucking industry is
exclusively impacting on the economy and environment where the big rigs are
leading contributors in the CO2 emissions recorded per-ton –mile. Passenger
transportation emits fewer CO2 emissions per passenger mile.
The trucking industry is now on the move
with environment and they are shifting to natural gas instead of diesel and
other sources of gasoline. This step by the truckers will help the environment
a lot in decreasing the emissions of CO2. As the natural gas is inexpensive
fuel, and will wean the economy and municipal transportation system form the
oil that is imported to the domestic natural gas resources.
The domestic fuel also provides some
insulation from the volatile geopolitics that can drive up petroleum prices.
The government and petroleum refiners are now producing the ultra low sulphur
diesel that has 90% less sulphur. This ULSD and the EPA together working for
cleaner air and truckers are also contributing and they are committed to
decrease the dangerous emissions to more than 90%
