SmartWay Applications for Drayage Trucks

Project Description

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay Transport Partnership program helps to reduce fuel usage and emissions from freight operations through the use of technologies and best practices. SmartWay strategies are primarily touted for long-haul trucking and not the short haul operations found in drayage vehicles. This project studies the availability, use, and effect of SmartWay technologies on emissions and fuel use from drayage trucks traveling between the U.S. and Mexico. The overall goal of this project is to provide a broad range of stakeholders (drayage truck owners and operators and public and private sector organizations) with information on effective SmartWay technologies for drayage trucks.

Three different SmartWay strategies were tested and evaluated for their emissions and fuel consumption impacts. Based on their costs, potential emissions benefits and applicability to drayage operations, researchers tested the emissions and fuel economy performance of lighter trailers, driving behavior, and diesel oxidation catalysts. Five drayage trucks representing common makes and models were tested with portable emissions measurement systems units before and after implementation of a SmartWay strategy.

The research team found that the operating mode bins provide satisfactory estimates for drayage operation at the U.S./Mexico border. A cycle-based analysis was performed using the drayage operation speed profiles that were collected using a GPS technology. All the investigated strategies resulted in lowering PM emissions compared to the baseline.

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Link: Final Report

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