The North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) announced the 10 fleets that will be engaging in Run on Less Regional, a freight efficiency roadshow showcasing trucks operating in a variety of regional haul applications.
The three-week Run on Less Regional kicks off Oct. 8 and culminates with a press event at the North American Commercial Vehicle (NACV) show in Atlanta on Oct. 27. Like its predecessor Run on Less 2017, Run on Less Regional will feature real-time monitoring of several factors including miles traveled, fuel consumed, pickups and deliveries, elevation change, and vehicle speed among others.
Class 8 trucks involved in 2017 Run on Less, which focused on longer hauls, averaged 10.1 miles per gallon.
NACFE executive director Mike Roeth said the fleets will demonstrate how efficiently they move the goods that we as consumers need and use. The routes they will run represent a variety of operations but have one thing in common: they all operate within a 300-mile radius of their home base.
The 10 fleets and the home bases from which the truck and driver will be operating are:
- C&S Wholesale Grocers — Hammond, LA
- Hirschbach — Monterey, TN
- Hogan Transportation — St. Louis, MO
- J.B. Hunt — Corsicana, TX
- Meijer — Lansing, MI
- PepsiCo: Snacks and beverages division — Vancouver, WA
- Ploger Transportation — Norwalk, OH
- Schneider — Rockford, IL
- Southeastern Freight Lines — Columbia, SC
- UPS — Phoenix, AZ
“Regional operations mean drivers are likely to get home on a regular basis, which is important given the driver shortage," said Roeth. “In addition, regional operations are fertile ground for alternate fueled vehicles because it is easier for fueling infrastructure to be installed for vehicles that use an energy source other than diesel fuel.”
Roeth said the fleets will not be adding any new technologies to their trucks for the Run.
“What equipment [the fleets] run is expected to be two things. First of all, it needs to be available in the marketplace – a regular production offering from the truck builder that’s readily available on an ordering basis,” Roeth said. “But we’ll be working with all these fleets to make sure that nobody’s sneaking in something that’s experimental. This is meant to show what fleets are doing with currently available technology.
“The second requirement is that it is something they believe in, and that they are buying in on their trucks and trailers because they think they are competent and give them a return on investment.”
More details on the drivers, their routes, the freight to be hauled, as well as how the Run will measure the results from the fleets will be announced in the coming months.
