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Originally Posted by tasdrouille
There's a bumper sticker idea I really liked over at CMPG:
Research Vehicle - Please Pass
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I love it!
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The problem is in the economics of trucking. A lot of these drivers get paid by the mile driven with fuel cost either paid for by the trucking company or a tax write-off. That gives the driver the wrong incentive - go as fast as possible to get the most miles possible.
The $/mile pay is typically so low that, to feed their families, the truckers really need to be running 65 mph+.
As a community, if we are really interested in saving fuel, we should be lobbying for several changes to the trucking laws.
1. Pay truckers on an hourly basis not a per mile basis.
2. Reward reduced fuel costs by paying the trucker a share of any fuel savings from increased FE.
3. Road trains. A semi pulling three trailers in tandem doesn't burn significantly more fuel than a semi pulling a single trailer.
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Another problem with the economics of trucking is the law passed that limits them to a certain number of hours driving in a 24 hour period. Not that it is a bad law, it helps keep half asleep truckers parked. But with no other incentives, they try like hell to get as many miles in during their driving period. Around here they drive like they want to run everyone else off the road, but out on the freeway at least Ive seen them slowing down quite a bit. Must be the fuel wasted by going faster more than offsets the mileage lost in their driving period.