Wal-Mart Seeks to Double Truck Fuel Economy by 2015
15 December 2005
 |
| New Wal-Mart trucks |
Wal-Mart has set a goal of doubling the fuel efficiency of its new heavy-duty trucks from 6.5 to 13 miles per gallon by 2015, thereby keeping some 26 billion pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air between now and 2020.
Wal-Mart has been working with the Rocky Mountain Institute to initiate a major two-pronged effort to address fossil fuel consumption in transportation and electrical end uses: the total redesign of the company’s trucking fleet (one of the largest in the nation), and the retrofit and redesign of Wal-Mart retail stores and distribution centers for optimal electrical efficiency.
Beginning with the its 2007 model-year trucks, the company will begin introducing models with improved aerodynamics, transmission and tires, as well as an auxiliary power unit in every truck in its fleet.
Some of the changes include:
Trailer Side Skirts. Wind skirts under the trailer significantly reduce wind resistance and reduces airflow around the trailer. This is a big fuel economy benefit.
Super Single Tires. Wal-Mart combined the two wheels normally seen on a rear axle into a single wheel that is not quite as wide as the sum of two wheels. This gives a smoother ride and better fuel economy from the reduced surface area and improved tire wall stiffness.
Aerodynamic tractor package. Making the tractor more aerodynamic radically reduces the fuel required to operate the truck, as approximately two-thirds of all gallons burnt today by trucks can be attributed to overcoming aerodynamic resistance.
Tag Axle. Reduced weight means increased efficiency. This type of rear axle reduces the weight of one rear axle as it eliminates internal axle drive train.
Auxiliary Power Unit. This APU eliminates the use of the tractor’s main engine for keeping our drivers warm or cool at night. Instead, this very small diesel engine does the job at optimum efficiency. This saves a substantial amount of fuel.
The company has estimated it will save some $52 million per year in fuel costs.
Wal-Mart also has more than 100 hybrids in operation its corporate light-duty vehicle fleet, and is planning to acquire 100 more in 2007.
I'm helping improve Wal*Mart's fuel efficiency to infinity. I just don't buy anything there. They don't have to truck anything around for me.
Why don't I make purchases at Wal*Mart? Poor treatment of women employees. Teaching its employees to use Medicaid instead of providing usable insurance. Stealing overtime wages. Poor environmental policies. Shipping jobs to China to sell the item for a few percent cheaper.
Bah. I don't want any part of them -- and that helps them consume less fuel!
Posted by: stomv | 15 December 2005 at 04:22 AM
Wow, this moves a semi ahead of the worst SUVs. Amazing, and I hope both that it works and that it is widely adopted.
(on walmart itself, I don't shop there either, but this is the way social capital is supposed to work ... that walmart would do "good works" in the hopes of attracting us. of course, we can be hard to get ;-)
Posted by: odograph | 15 December 2005 at 07:57 AM
The EPA Smart Way program is encouraging all over-the-road haulers to substitute APUs (which included heat) or gensets (just the juice) for idling. Hopefully, large fleets like Wal-Mart will use auxiliary powers systems that either generate heat and power as needed or connect to "shore power".
Depending upon the amount done by the stores (mechanicals rather than just the envelope), the energy efficient retrofitting could include shore power stanchions for their trucks and the power could come from micro CHP.
Posted by: jcwinnie | 15 December 2005 at 08:28 AM
Walmart should be commended (not blamed) for their effort to reduce OIL consumption and pollution. Other large distributors-trucking companies should do as much. Trucks are no longer allowed to idle for extended periods in Europe and have to be equipped with on-board gas heater/APU for drivers confort during long stops. We should do the same in USA and Canada.
Posted by: Harvey D | 15 December 2005 at 09:07 AM
Diesel prices will certainly encourage more of this.
Posted by: Tripp Bisop | 15 December 2005 at 09:27 AM
Harvey, You'll probably see a lot of other companies who compete with W*lM@rt follow suit (if they havn't already). If the improvements have a good ROI then pure capitalism will drive things to the greener side. There's also that public image thing and as younger generation grow up I think the eco side of things is going to carry more weight.
Posted by: Tripp Bisop | 15 December 2005 at 12:58 PM
Tripp, I agree with you that others will follow WalMart's example, specially if OIL price stays high enough to turn extra expenditures into relatively short term extra profit. That's why I strongly support higher gas/diesel fuel tax to accellerate similar changes leading to reduction in OIL consumption and pollution emission.
Posted by: Harvey D | 15 December 2005 at 03:30 PM
Wow: the shoulders of the Interstates are full of truck tire shreds, because apparently in our el-cheapo world, nobody checks truck tires until they fall apart.
How many people get killed when one of those Super Single tires fails, there's no tire next to it to back it up, and the trailer is whipping all over the road?
Posted by: PaulS | 15 December 2005 at 05:09 PM
You wrote:
Why don't I make purchases at Wal*Mart? Poor treatment of women employees. Teaching its employees to use Medicaid instead of providing usable insurance. Stealing overtime wages. Poor environmental policies. Shipping jobs to China to sell the item for a few percent cheaper.
-------
Learn before you type. Wall mart is doing quite well on the enviroment. This truck thing is not big, its HUGE. But this is not the first big thing they have done...
http://www.nbc5i.com/news/4741583/detail.html
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=34647
There are many other things. Spending less on energy means they are looking for many ways to be green. The energy use per store for what is sold is less then any other store I know of.
I wont say Wall Mart is the nicest company, they are not. I am not for outsourcing or thier use of cheap asian labor, but from what I have seen the pay there is HIGHER then other stores. The grocery store union in this area is fighting them hard, but yet they grocery stores pay LESS then wall mart by $1 an hour for starting wages and force people into part time so they get no benifits. Simply put, Wall Mart is not as evil as some people say they are.
On tires, I can tell you Wall Mart shreds less tires per mile then others. Its NOT cost effetive to have a truck on the side of the road, so they dont do it. One truck on the side of the road is more expensive for them then changing the tires more often, so they do. Its usually smaller carriers that dont have strict maintenence scheduals and controls.
Posted by: hampdenwireless | 15 December 2005 at 08:10 PM
They should look into the small stirling engine generators that are being developed by Microgen (British Gas) as domestic cogen units. They would work fine as on-board auxiliary generators. They have a very long life and can run on diesel with almost no noise or emissions.
Posted by: wimbi | 27 December 2005 at 02:05 PM
i think walmart just wants to save money on gas and doesnt give a fuck about the enviroment they just want more money for themselfs.
Posted by: rob | 28 December 2005 at 06:10 PM
Why do you care WHY somebody does the right thing? There is absolutely nothing wrong with financial incentives (even incentives that have nothing to do with taxpayer funding) that promote fuel economy and reduce pollution. The incentives are there and Walmart is acting on them. Hats off to Walmart.
Posted by: dieselbit | 02 January 2006 at 08:51 AM
Gentlemen,
There is one very simple solution to what can help Walmart plus any vehicle that uses a standard combustion engine. Refer to below. Any Questions? Refer to the email address above.
http://www.scuderigroup.com/technology/the_technology.html.
Posted by: John Dickens | 03 January 2006 at 10:06 AM
i wanted to question what a basic aerodynamic shape looks like and how it helps in reducing speed due to wind
Posted by: nishant kaushish | 18 September 2006 at 01:54 AM
I work at a wal-mart distribution center as a yard truck driver (move trailers around the lot). As far as wages go, I make $19.00 per hour, 42k last year with a little OT. Yes, paying $24.00 bi-weekly for health ins is no fun with a $1000.00 deductable. But I can see ANY doctor.... without the book of approved doctors bull that most others have to use. And the bills get paid and not dickered with for months unlike with united health care coverage I had once somewhere else. Wal-Mart private fleet does things that other carriers get lazy on. An example is that every truck and trailer gets it air pressure checked on the tires before leaving the DC. The trailers are loaded to maximize space by the DC by highly paid career loaders in the shipping dept, not cheap $12.00 an hour, dont give a dam losers. And wal-marts truck drivers are paid a bonus for achieving a fuel mileage goal. Go to Target if you think a company that has mostly high school kids and or good looking people working in it at lower wages along with the Im tall sexy, thin, hip TV campaign appeals to you. China? Wal-Mart tried everything they could to sell american up to the mid 90's, but kmart, target and dozens of others saw $$$$ when the manufactures started to push cheep goods from china to the retailers. Go here www.americanapperel.com if you want american made clothes
btw.
Posted by: oscar | 22 September 2006 at 12:29 AM
If Walmart drivers were union they'd be sleeping in motels and not have to idle or run an Aux "for comfort". Shower too. Jack
Posted by: Jack | 07 December 2006 at 10:51 PM
Motels aren't always an option, especially on long, long interstate runs. If you're tired, you're tired, and it's the truck stop if that's all you can find.
On the topic of tires shredding and the damage caused if a Single wide tire blew versus one of two narrower duals: if one tire goes out at speed, usually the other one in the pair isn't going to be too far behind it. Lose-lose, if a tire blows someone's screwed.
Posted by: PF | 23 December 2006 at 10:45 PM
single wide tires to my knowledge are all being installed with presure sensing RF guages, thus the driver will be alerted prior to a blow-out
Posted by: Majeasy | 10 January 2007 at 11:50 AM
As a trucker who does not work for Walmart, here are a few facts:
The changes that Walmart wants to make in it's fleet are a good start, but according to the experts in the trucking industry, the total improvement in fuel economy is going to be about 15% maximum, not 50%.
Walmart should be renamed Chinamart, because you cannot buy anything there that is not made in China.
While they are pushing the GO GREEN here in America, they are making up for it in China. If the pollution standards of the US were applied to China, their gross domestic income would drop by 50%.
The reason for the super tires is to increase payload on the trucks, it has nothing to do with safety, as they are not safer. They allow you to put an extra 1500 pounds of product on the same load.
Walmart deserves a gold star for their hiring policy (handicapped, elderly, etc)
But, do you remember Christmas 2005, when they wouldn't let the Salvation Army ring bells at their stores? Now because of the public outcry they were partnering with the Sal for 2006. Maybe we should start complaining more about the China products and get more US stuff back in the store.
Posted by: Dale | 24 January 2007 at 11:55 AM
I think it admirable that companies try to reduce pollutants. I represent a company that
distributes a device for just that purpose. it breaks down carbon clusters in fossil fuels which allows them to burn cleaner, reduce emissions by 40%, and as a side benefit, increase fuel milage. I would gladly provide Wal Mart several of these devices for testing to prove my claims and to help them fulfill their desire to reduce emissions and save fuel costs.
Jerry Earley
President
RCSI-LLC
Posted by: Jerry Earley | 05 February 2007 at 09:53 AM
aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Posted by: david t wat | 14 March 2007 at 08:03 AM
We have developed and are introducing new emerging technologies to improve vehicle efficiency and to reduce pollution and consumption. No tools or special knowledge needed; no modifications or retrofits.
The cleaner your oil is, the better your engine will run and the longer it will last. Our Magna-Guard Oil filter Magnet inserts into the outflow reservoir of the filter. It controls the majority of particulate contamination down below 2-microns. This doubles the useful service life of the oil and the filter, increases fuel economy 5% or more, and reduces wear 8 to 14-times (SAE-881824: GM engine service life increased from 150K miles to 405K miles).
Fuel Energizer Rx fuel chips are designed to provide maximum fuel and oil savings, extend engine life, and to reduce emission. They are a holographic electromagnetic microchip that can be used on any vehicle or internal combustion engine. Attached to the fuel tank, they emit oxygen frequencies and others that affect the energetic nature of the fuel (gas or diesel) improving combustion and reducing toxic emissions.
Battery Energizer Rx extends battery Life, reduces charging time, and extends discharge and storage time. For use will all new or in service lead acid batteries, it stops plate shedding and performs as an automatic electrochemical equalizing process to help prevent and remove over sulphation of the lead plates.
Battery Energizer serves to reduce the environmental impact of battery production and their toxic disposal, and provides substantial saving by reducing charging time and replacement costs.
Fluid Rx Instant Lubricant Diagnostics provides on-the-spot testing and diagnostics of crankcase oil, automatic transmission, transfer case/differential, power steering, brake, and antifreeze / coolant fluids. Our diagnostics are correlated to laboratory analysis and provide the service provider with an accurate and easy to use tool to maximize fluid change intervals. Poor test at low mileage are an indication of premature wear and/or impending mechanical failure.
The utilization of our preventative maintenance and performance products greatly reduce fuel/oil consumption & pollution; extend the useful service life of the equipment, and increase efficiency and productivity. They ultimately serve to substantially reduce the carbon footprint of all in use internal combustion engines.
We hope to present these products to Wal-Mart shortly.
Ron McElroy, President: www.fluidrx.biz & www.magna-guard.com
Posted by: Ron McElroy | 29 March 2007 at 02:30 PM
I hate 2 go 2 walmart.u can not find any help,or there 2 busy talking 2 other emplo.and what this now u load your own gro so the lady can scan faster.and then u hope u dont get stopped by barney at the front door after u have already pd 4 your idems,and they dont even know what there looking 4! It has the most rude,lazest people working.
Sleepinbag :-(
Posted by: perkins | 01 June 2007 at 08:10 AM
super single tires are plenty safe, as long as drivers check their tires, the military has been using them for over 20 years on all kinds of heavy-duty trucks including tractor-trailers.
Posted by: Adam | 04 June 2007 at 09:18 PM
why blam the driver for what goes on in wal-mart, WE just driver the truck.
Wal-Mart private fleet does things that other carriers DON'T DO
THEY LISTEN TO THE DRIVERS
Posted by: kim | 20 August 2007 at 04:11 PM