CCJ

February 2017

Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal

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commercial carrier journal | february 2017 29 Fleets avoid heavy specs to counter EPA-driven add-ons BY JASON CANNON I n the last 13 years as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has piled on new regulations and more fleets are spec'ing for driver comfort and retention, tractors have got- ten increasingly heavier. An unladen EPA 2004-compliant Freightliner Columbia tips the scales at 18,530 pounds – 1,400 pounds less than a similarly equipped EPA 2010-compliant Cascadia. In six years, the front axle picked up about 1,000 pounds, while the rear axles gained 400. David Hutto, product marketing manager for Freightliner on-highway, said that extra 7/10ths of a ton forced some fleets and drivers to find other ways to stay under 80,000 pounds gross weight while maximizing payload. Ways to save pounds Customers are spec'ing shorter fih-wheel slides, "12-inch sliders down from 24-inch," Hutto said. Wheelbases frequently found in the 230-inch-plus range now are down to 224 inches, while 13,200-pound front steer axles are favored over 12,000-pound axles to accommodate 72-inch raised-roof sleeper cabs. Since 2010, OEMs have worked hard to address weight increas- es by cutting pounds from the factory or offering weight-sensitive options. A single-canister aertreatment system for 2017 engines shaves about 20 pounds from the previous design. "Aluminum frame rails and crossmembers, lighter-weight steering and drive axles, and shiing to horizontal exhaust from single- and dual-vertical exhaust," said Hutto. Lightweight brake drums and wide-base tires also are more common, he said. Some fleets are migrating from large-liter engines to smaller, lighter designs. Jason Skoog, Kenworth assistant general manag- er for sales and marketing, said Paccar's MX-11 engine offers a weight savings of 400 pounds versus the company's 13-liter model. But truck makers aren't the only ones trying to lighten up. Af- termarket and OEM suppliers also are integrating lighter-weight offerings into their product suites. An aluminum wheel can offer a weight savings of up to 20 pounds per wheel – 360 pounds on the truck and trailer com- bined, said Timothy Weir, Accuride's director of public affairs, communications and marketing. Does one size fit all? Lightweighting has become an increasingly popular spec'ing prac- tice for fleets chasing mpgs or looking to pack on more freight. But the premium add-ons may not make sense in all cases. "Bulk tankers, about 4 to 5 percent of the market, care a lot about lightweighting," said Mike Roeth, executive director of the North American Council for Freight Efficiency. A NACFE report indicates bulk haulers will pay $8 to $10 per pound for weight sav- ings. "ey'll just add more payload," Roeth said. "Unless you're bulk hauling and grossing out a lot, [lightweighting] is still a hard case to make." General freight haulers remain lukewarm on paying more for lightweight specs because they struggle to consistently route those configurations where they can maximize payback. "ey just don't know where their routes are going to be and who their drivers will be for individual freight trips," Roeth said. "ey tend to buy a truck that is sort of a do-all, and I think light- weighting suffers because of that." e tendency to spec a one-size-fits-all truck also piles on un- necessary pounds, he said. "We should be looking at sleeper size. We went 13 feet (and) 6 inches high, and I wonder if we need all that in all these trucks." Lightweight slowdown Since the introduction of selective catalytic reduction in 2010, there hasn't been a significant weight change on the truck despite the fairings and add-ons designed to improve airflow, Hutto said. "e industry has increased the amount of aerodynamic fea- tures on the vehicles, which has increased the weight slightly, but not to the magnitude of EPA 2010," he said. Roeth said many fleets sacrifice weight savings for other things because customers aren't asking for it. "ey're demanding better quality, functionality and lower costs," he said. in focus: LIGHTWEIGHTING This chart from Daimler Trucks North America highlights how EPA-driven add-ons actually have added pounds to the truck maker's models over the years.

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