Trucking is, by far, the Canadian industry most responsible for the cross-country movement of goods and cargo. As such, it is also disproportionately responsible for carbon emissions. Some estimates indicate that the trucking industry is responsible for 19 per cent of Canada’s total emissions—a number that is alarming and calls for improvements. Luckily, the industry has spent the last few years trying to improve the fuel efficiency of its fleets.
For dispatchers—professionals who help coordinate the movement of fleets and cargo, and have a direct connection with truckers—this issue is relevant. To achieve true, sustainable fuel efficiency, both dispatcher and trucker (as well as all other members of a team) need to be on the same page about what the goal is and how to go about implementing it.
If you’ve been thinking about a career in dispatching, read on to learn about three trucking fuel efficiency tips.
1. Pros With Dispatcher Training Know the Value Of Improved Engine Technology
The first tip to improving fuel efficiency is to utilize improved engine technology to its full effect. With the advent of electronic engines, trucks became visibly more efficient than older models. With each new advancement in electronic engine technology, trucks become even more efficient than before—a nice shift into an environmentally sustainable future. As anyone with dispatcher training knows, the sheer volume of trucks that need to be coordinated and cargo that needs to be moved means that any positive, fuel-efficient change will have a tangible impact on industry emissions. Utilizing newer, better engines is just one way of achieving this goal.
2. Driver Incentives & Training Programs Improve Fuel Efficiency
For a trucker to change his habits, especially ingrained ones that have formed over years (or decades) in the industry, there needs to be some form of training available to help with the transition. Truckers need to understand why they’re being asked to make slight modifications to the way they drive, how fast they go, and what gas they fill up with. On top of that, dispatchers can create an incentive program that rewards the most fuel-efficient truckers in their fleet. This way, there is some recognition or reward attached with changing habits. It also alters the goal to make it more of a challenge among fleet drivers, which creates a fun environment that gets everyone involved in the effort to become more fuel efficient.
3. Students in Dispatcher Schools Might Know Engines Can Be Programmed to Shut Off When Idle
As a welcome side effect to the introduction of electronic engines, dispatchers and truckers now have the option to program engines to shut down when they haven’t been used for a set amount of time. As graduates who have taken a dispatch course can tell you, this amount of time generally ranges anywhere from two to fifteen minutes. In Canada, roughly half of fleets with electronic engines have programmed this feature into their engines for when they go idle. What this means is that when trucks are stuck in traffic or otherwise on but unable to move, the engine will shut off and then come back to life automatically once the trucker wants to get moving again.
Want to become a part of this fuel-efficient future by studying at dispatcher schools like the Automotive Training Centres?
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