<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="https://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="https://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="https://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="https://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="https://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="https://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Kychaca Systems</title> <atom:link href="https://kychaca.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://kychaca.com/</link> <description></description> <lastBuildDate>Thu, 25 Oct 2018 21:03:38 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2</generator> <image> <url>https://kychaca.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/cropped-relco-systems-favicon-2-32x32.png</url> <title>Kychaca Systems</title> <link>https://kychaca.com/</link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height> </image> <item> <title>Trucking to Turn More to Alternative Fuels, Experts Say</title> <link>https://kychaca.com/transport/trucking-to-turn-more-to-alternative-fuels-experts-say/</link> <comments>https://kychaca.com/transport/trucking-to-turn-more-to-alternative-fuels-experts-say/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Wangelin]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 25 Oct 2018 20:47:48 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Transport]]></category> <category><![CDATA[alternative fuel]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://kychaca.com/?p=428</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>INDIANAPOLIS — Sales of Class 8 natural gas fueled trucks are rising, grants and incentives for using alternative fuels are expanding and more related regulations are coming as major shippers pursue environmental sustainability, experts said at an industry forum here. They said these changes are coming against a backdrop of rising need for alternative-fuel vehicles....</p> <p>The post <a href="https://kychaca.com/transport/trucking-to-turn-more-to-alternative-fuels-experts-say/">Trucking to Turn More to Alternative Fuels, Experts Say</a> appeared first on <a href="https://kychaca.com">Kychaca Systems</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="TX">INDIANAPOLIS — Sales of Class 8 natural gas fueled trucks are rising, grants and incentives for using alternative fuels are expanding and more related regulations are coming as major shippers pursue environmental sustainability, experts said at an industry forum here.</p> <p class="TX">They said these changes are coming against a backdrop of rising need for alternative-fuel vehicles.</p> <p class="TX">“We are going to need more near-zero and zero-emissions trucks throughout the country in the near future,” said Joe Lyou, CEO of the Coalition for Clean Air and a member of the South Coast Air Quality Management District in California. “The national situation is pretty bleak.”</p> <p class="TX">He and other speakers addressed the 2018 Shippers Forum convened by independent engine maker Cummins Inc. at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oct. 15-16.</p> <div style="width: 660px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" src="https://www.ttnews.com/sites/default/files/cummins-lyou-1022.jpg" alt="Alternative Fuels" width="650" height="363" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Lyou speaks during the forum. (Roger Gilroy/Transport Topics)</p></div> <p class="TX">According to Lyou, more than one in three people in the United States live in a county that is in violation of the 2015 National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone, which at ground level is a harmful air pollutant.</p> <p class="TX">He noted that the Cummins Westport ISX12N natural gas engine on display at the event is certified to 0.02 gram per brake horsepower-hour, or 90% cleaner than Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 engine emissions standard for nitrogen-oxide levels from trucks.</p> <p class="TX">“In actual operation, it has been shown to be 99% cleaner than the EPA standard,” he said.</p> <p class="TX">A key part of the challenge of increasing the use of alternative-fueled commercial vehicles is “reaching the right decision-makers,” said Hugh Donnell, North American truck market and truck maker business leader for Cummins Westport. He told Transport Topics that it is CEOs and boards of directors that must approve such a dramatic shift away from diesel — not the maintenance executives typically involved in the spec’ing of diesel trucks.</p> <div class="notch-left"> <div style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.ttnews.com/sites/default/files/cummins-class-8-1022.jpg" alt="Alternative Fuels" width="300" height="400" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Class 8 trucks like this one fueled by compressed natural gas were on display at the forum. (Roger Gilroy/Transport Topics)</p></div> </div> <p class="TX">At the same time, structural shifts in the trucking industry are encouraging the move to various alternative fuels, said Tim Denoyer, ACT Research Co. vice president. For example, the average length of haul is growing shorter, falling 31% to about 550 miles in 2017 compared with 800 miles in 2003.</p> <p class="TX">Sales of Class 8 natural gas day cab tractors “are north of 5%,” Denoyer said, and “are making some headway and the population is growing.”</p> <p class="TX">Natural gas trucks are supported by more than 1,000 fueling stations nationwide, he said — a network far larger than what is available for either electrified trucks or those using hydrogen fuel cells.</p> <p class="TX">“In very broad terms, large for-hire truckload carriers are not really willing to try new [powertrain] technologies mainly because of how well diesel works,” Denoyer said.</p> <p class="TX">However, diesel engines face tougher EPA emissions standards for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases set to take effect in 2021, 2024 and 2027.</p> <p class="TX">Carriers that do switch to alternative fuels deserve recognition for making the move, another expert said.</p> <p class="TX">“It’s easy for [shippers] to demand certain actions, then take all the glory for using trucking companies that are more sustainable than others,” said Yossi Sheffi, director of the Center for Transportation and Logistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.</p> <p class="TX">But those shippers aren’t going to pay for the equipment, “so someone else is going to have to put up” the money, he added.</p> <p class="TX">State grants and incentives are available to help, but navigating them can be a complicated landscape, said Lacy Buckingham, grant manager at Rush Truck Centers in Whittier, Calif.</p> <div class="notch-right"> <div style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.ttnews.com/sites/default/files/cummins-buckingham-1022.jpg" alt="Alternative Fuels" width="300" height="315" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Buckingham speaks at the forum. (Roger Gilroy/Transport Topics)</p></div> </div> <p class="TX">California is expected to increase its voucher amount to $45,000 from $40,000 for new purchases and repowers for fleets buying alternative fuel engines including the ISX12N.</p> <p class="TX">The funds are coming from the Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project and low NOx natural gas vehicle incentives. The program also provides funding for heavy-duty trucks using hydrogen fuel cells, but a proposed change would lower the voucher amount for vehicles that supplement fuel cell power with either combustion or plug-in range extenders.</p> <p class="TX">In Texas, “if you have a 2003 Class 8 truck that you scrap, you could get $161,000 to buy a new natural gas fueled truck. It can’t exceed 90% of cost, but that is a great opportunity. You are not only going to be cheaper than a diesel truck, you barely have to pay for a new truck,” Buckingham said.</p> <p class="TX">In the meantime, more trucking regulations are coming, especially in California where trucks more than 14,000 pounds that operate in the state are going to be required to have a 2010 or newer engine by 2023, according to the California Air Resources Board.</p> <p class="TX">“Regulations provide market certainty,” said Tony Brasil, chief of the transportations and clean technology branch at CARB. “The regulations don’t necessarily give everybody a choice to make it happen, for the greater good.”</p> <p class="TX">CARB is going to “pursue regulations” to ensure the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — the nation’s two largest — go to zero-emissions trucks long term, he said.</p> <p class="TX">There are about 17,000 drayage trucks registered to serve the ports servicing the world’s leading shippers.</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.ttnews.com/articles/trucking-turn-more-alternative-fuels-experts-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Original Article by Transport Topics</em></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://kychaca.com/transport/trucking-to-turn-more-to-alternative-fuels-experts-say/">Trucking to Turn More to Alternative Fuels, Experts Say</a> appeared first on <a href="https://kychaca.com">Kychaca Systems</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://kychaca.com/transport/trucking-to-turn-more-to-alternative-fuels-experts-say/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Congestion Creates $74.5 Billion Burden for Trucking, ATRI Analysis Shows</title> <link>https://kychaca.com/transport/congestion-creates-74-5-billion-burden-for-trucking-atri-analysis-shows/</link> <comments>https://kychaca.com/transport/congestion-creates-74-5-billion-burden-for-trucking-atri-analysis-shows/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Wangelin]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 18 Oct 2018 20:58:16 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Transport]]></category> <category><![CDATA[congestion]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://kychaca.com/?p=431</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Congestion on the nation’s highways added $74.5 billion in operational costs to the trucking industry in 2016, according to the American Transportation Research Institute’s recent analysis. ATRI’s “Cost of Congestion to the Trucking Industry” update, released Oct. 18, relied on data from ATRI’s GPS database and the Federal Highway Administration to determine what costs the...</p> <p>The post <a href="https://kychaca.com/transport/congestion-creates-74-5-billion-burden-for-trucking-atri-analysis-shows/">Congestion Creates $74.5 Billion Burden for Trucking, ATRI Analysis Shows</a> appeared first on <a href="https://kychaca.com">Kychaca Systems</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="TX">Congestion on the nation’s highways added $74.5 billion in operational costs to the trucking industry in 2016, according to the American Transportation Research Institute’s recent analysis.</p> <p class="TX">ATRI’s “Cost of Congestion to the Trucking Industry” update, released Oct. 18, relied on data from ATRI’s GPS database and the Federal Highway Administration to determine what costs the industry incurred from clogged roads. This year’s figure marks a 0.5% increase from the updated 2015 figure of $74.1 billion.</p> <p class="TX">The report notes that road delays added up to 1.2 billion hours in lost productivity. Distributing $74.5 billion across the 11.5 million large trucks registered in the United States means congestion costs each truck $6,478.</p> <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-432" src="https://kychaca.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Screen-Shot-2018-10-25-at-5.00.24-PM.png" alt="Top 10 States by Total Congestion Costs" width="300" height="326" srcset="https://kychaca.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Screen-Shot-2018-10-25-at-5.00.24-PM.png 604w, https://kychaca.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Screen-Shot-2018-10-25-at-5.00.24-PM-276x300.png 276w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p> <p class="TX">The list of top 10 states ranked by total congestion costs held steady with last year’s report, although the ranking order shifted slightly.</p> <p class="TX">Texas’ congestion cost was $6.3 billion.</p> <p class="TX">Runner-up Florida’s congestion cost was $5.6 billion. Florida Trucking Association President Ken Armstrong said the state’s large population (21 million, according to Census Bureau estimations) and booming tourism industry contribute to the hordes of motorists that clog the interstates. Visit Florida, the state’s tourism marketing corporation, reported that 118.5 million visitors traveled to Florida in 2017.</p> <p class="TX">“We’re pretty much in a constant state of being jammed up on [Interstate] 75, I-95 or I-4,” Armstrong said. “It is a constant concern for our shippers and customers that when you’re going across I-4 or headed south on I-95, you can just plan on a lot of stop-and-go all the way down through Miami. Unfortunately, a lot of people that are on the road with you aren’t sure where they’re going because they’re tourists and so that somewhat exacerbates the problem as well.”</p> <p class="TX">ATRI found that the majority of congestion occurs on relatively short portions of road in urban areas. Some 86.7% of congestion costs occurred on 17.2% of National Highway System miles.</p> <p class="TX">More than 91% of 2016’s total congestion costs occurred in metropolitan areas. The New York City-Newark-Jersey City area again topped the list with $4.9 billion.</p> <p class="TX">To reduce the amount of vehicles clogging New York City’s streets, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed congestion pricing in Midtown and Lower Manhattan. Cars and trucks would have to pay a fee once they entered this “congestion zone.” The purpose would be to encourage subway use and raise money to improve the public transportation system.</p> <p class="TX">Although Trucking Association of New York Executive Director Kendra Hems acknowledged that the transit system offers an alternative that potentially can clear up roads and curb space for trucks, she said congestion pricing is unfair to truckers.</p> <p class="TX">“Our argument is the trucks don’t choose when they enter that zone,” Hems said. “They are servicing the needs of their customers, and they’re delivering or picking up based on the request of their customer. They have no other option. They certainly can’t take a subway. And they shouldn’t be penalized for that.”</p> <p class="TX">Georgia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Natalie Dale said that sound infrastructure, while important, is not a silver bullet for fixing congestion problems. Georgia, home to a growing population, many corporate distribution centers, inland and coastal ports and some of the nation’s worst freight bottlenecks, ranked No. 7 on ATRI’s list of states with the largest congestion cost increases, growing by $67 million.</p> <p class="TX">“[Infrastructure is] one part of a system. It’s important that people understand that that’s only one part,” Dale said. “We, especially in the metro Atlanta area, can’t build our way out of congestion. You have to have elements of transit, you have to have elements of new infrastructure, you have to have elements of commute alternatives, ride-sharing and teleworking. You have to have everything that plays a role in moving congestion at their best in order to improve connectivity [and] mobility.”</p> <p class="TX">Robert Puentes, president of the Eno Center for Transportation, said ATRI’s report offers specificity, which can help states and cities invest prudently in certain “pinch points.” In mentioning specific locations, Puentes said the report includes details that President Donald Trump’s $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan lacks.</p> <p class="TX">“National congestion is tough because we know that it’s usually so isolated and specific to certain places,” Puentes said. “We understand, particularly as it relates to freight and trucking, that a huge problem is not the recurring congestion that happens in morning and evening rush hours, but it’s these pinch points where freight and other traffic is funneled and there’s no way around it.”</p> <p><a title="View ATRI Cost of Congestion to the Trucking Industry 2018 Update 10 2018 on Scribd" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/391136196/ATRI-Cost-of-Congestion-to-the-Trucking-Industry-2018-Update-10-2018#from_embed">ATRI Cost of Congestion to the Trucking Industry 2018 Update 10 2018</a></p> <p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.ttnews.com/articles/congestion-creates-745-billion-burden-trucking-atri-study-shows" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Original Article by Transport Topics</em></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://kychaca.com/transport/congestion-creates-74-5-billion-burden-for-trucking-atri-analysis-shows/">Congestion Creates $74.5 Billion Burden for Trucking, ATRI Analysis Shows</a> appeared first on <a href="https://kychaca.com">Kychaca Systems</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://kychaca.com/transport/congestion-creates-74-5-billion-burden-for-trucking-atri-analysis-shows/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> </channel> </rss>