This fall, in an attempt to appease the conflicting desires of truckers for classic-looking vehicles and improved fuel economy, Navistar's International brand will start selling the LoneStar, an aerodynamic truck that slathers chrome over bumpers and grille while getting 5% to 15% better mileage than square-nosed trucks.
But Bob Weber, chief engineer for International, expects the company's new ProStar to be its bestseller. It lacks bling but offers the best mileage in the business. Weber says the truck gets as many as 7.5 miles per gallon -- practically Prius-like in the trucking world.
"Aerodynamics is huge," said Weber, who explained that wind resistance can account for more than half of a truck's fuel consumption at highway speeds.
Another factor is velocity. In general, the faster a truck goes, the more fuel it uses per mile. Although many drivers are resistant, some fleets have begun using electronic regulators that cap speed, often well below legal limits. Last week, the American Trucking Assn. proposed setting a nationwide top speed for trucks at 65 mph.
Two major trucking companies, Con-Way Inc. and Schneider National Inc., said this month they would dial back their speedometers, Con-Way to 65 mph from 70 and Schneider to 60 mph from 63.
Dennis Damman, director of engineering for Schneider, the nation's largest privately held trucking company, said that for each mile of speed reduced below 65 mph, a truck saves 1.5% in fuel consumption.
"The days of 75 miles per hour on the road are gone," he said.
Fleets, meanwhile, are also using increasingly complex computer programs that calculate the most efficient route possible and minimize the time without revenue-producing loads, said Clayton Boyce, an American Trucking Assn. spokesman. Those programs, he said, can even tell drivers where they should stop for fuel and when to rest.
Rest stops are themselves a fuel issue. Today's trucks have air conditioning, entertainment systems and even video games, all of which require electricity -- and most truckers get it by idling their hulking, 600-horsepower diesel engines. That can churn through several gallons of fuel in an hour.
Now more truckers are installing a small onboard diesel generator, called an alternate power unit, that runs in the engine's place. Truckers used to eschew APUs because they can cost as much as $10,000, but with high diesel prices, the devices can pay for themselves in little more than a year.
