The trucking industry is one of the most important industries in the US economy, which means that innovators are constantly coming up with new techniques, tools, and functions to enhance how things are done. Essentially, the trucking industry is responsible for moving as much as 70% (10.5 tons) of the goods that are moved in the US. With the weight of the economy falling on the industry’s shoulders, it makes sense that most companies are coming up with incredible innovations to improve performance and enhance efficiency.
These fueling solutions also promise significant savings to the trucking companies, which means that they are always a welcome addition, as long as their impact can be seen and felt. Quick Fuel truck stops provide the best and fastest fueling stations available.
The top three truck fueling innovations include:
1. Truck Platooning
Trucks.com regards platooning as this huge, digitally-tethered line(s) of the commercial vehicle, which, like a platoon, drive in a specific formation, as a means of reducing the following distance and for fuel savings. In the platooning trucks, information is sent from the trucks at the front to the ones at the rear directly. Often, the information shared includes details such as the vehicle speed, the engine torque, and the brake application, among other important information. With truck platooning in place, the actions of the truck at the front will be transmitted to the truck at the rear, in real-time.
Owing to truck platooning, one of the biggest wins expected is the use of platooning to make driving safer while increasing the fuel efficiency of the trucks by reducing the wind resistance recorded. Truck platooning has been shown to increase truck fuel efficiency by 4.5% in the lead trucks and improvement of fuel efficiency for the rear trucks by up to 10%.
2. Fuel Cards
The use of fuel cards may not seem like a huge innovation, but the moment you realize the amount of change and money you could save when you use the fleet fuel cards, you will beat yourself up for not jumping into the bandwagon sooner. Essentially, the fuel cards are processed from a centralized area where all the data is transmitted to, and all the drivers get cards that they can only use successfully after they provide their ID or PIN number.
Besides simplifying recording and data analysis, the use of the fleet fuel cards will also reduce the total cost of fueling, help control all spending for the company, and it also reduces the risk of fraud and the resultant issues with the credit company.
3. Precision Fuel Injection
The other big innovation that would change the trucking industry in significant ways is the technology that involves precise fuel injection. Automakers are going all out with this innovation that would call for the adoption of a direct fuel injection system – an injector is placed on every engine cylinder, and the injectors will, in turn, spray gasoline into every individual cylinder. This system is quite efficient compared to the traditional fuel injection systems and protocols that involved the spraying of gasoline right into the manifold.
Precise fuel injection will increase fuel efficiency in different ways, including the fact that the gasoline-air mixture will burn more efficiently, the injectors distribute fuel quite efficiently and equally, and of course, they are more precise. So, while this is not quite a new innovation, more manufacturers are now embracing it.
