Trucking by Warren Fleming

A Research Project Proposal Submitted in Partial fulfillment of the Requirements of
Completion of LMGT 1321
Materials Handling

Lone Star College
Cy-Fair Campus
Houston, TX
June 2015

Almost every industry in today’s economy relies on large tractor trailers to deliver their goods and materials across our country’s roadways. You cannot travel anywhere these days without seeing a multitude of trucks that are hauling all sorts of commodities from one place to the next. The men and women that operate these trucks, leave their families sometimes for days or weeks at a time to keep up with the supply of products that you and I depend on every day. In recent years there have been many regulatory changes due to concerns over both safety, and the environmental influence. These transformations have been at the forefront of a number of technological advancements in the trucking industry.
Before the trucking industry goods were transported across the United States by the rail road system. The trucking industry grew to a transportation industry leader after “[c]ongress provided funds to build the Interstate Highway System, an extensive network of highways and freeways that linked major cities across the continent” (Trucking Industry in the United States). These highways have benefited the trucking industry in several different ways. For example these multi-lane highways have no intersections that require a driver to stop therefore, traffic can flow freely, at higher speeds, and without interruption. The interstate highway system also avoided going directly through smaller towns when possible, instead heavy traffic would typically be routed around them. This aided the movement of materials due to the fact that trucks could keep their speeds up which reduced transit times and fuel consumption. It was also more convenient for companies to transport via truck because they could have their goods delivered directly to them,

rather than the need to collect them from a rail yard as in the past. These are some of the reasons more companies began to utilize this means for transporting goods.
As more trucks began traveling our roads there became a need for restrictions to protect both the drivers of these trucks, and the other motorist. One of these restrictions called “hours-of-service limit[s] the number of hours that can be driven in a 24-hour period” (Murphy 215). By doing so it may be possible to bring an end to drivers that push themselves too far, and eventually have a collision due to exhaustion. Drivers are paid by the loads they delivered or by the mile, they would

do what ever they could to make as many loads or miles as possible, which would in turn increase the revenue they earned. Drivers are now required to keep a log book to track the hours they have been in operation, and at rest. These log books are regularly inspected anytime a driver is stopped by the highway patrol, or at a weigh stations. “[Many] states mandate a two-tier speed limit policy in which the maximum speed for motor carriers is lower than for noncommercial vehicles”
(Murphy 215). Restricting the speed at which these trucks can operate gives the driver more reaction time to the hazards that are presented to them, and also driving at lower speeds would increase the chances that they will be able to avoid these hazards in the first place. Our environment has also benefited from the restrictions that have been implemented. “[T]he E.P.A. is expected to propose regulations to cut greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty trucks, requiring that their fuel economy increase up to 40 percent by 2027” (Kessler). These are among several reasons that the leaders in this industry are making the necessary strides forward to improve their technology in regards to these matters. In today’s times

trucking is bigger than ever, just last year “the trucking industry generated 700.4 billion dollars . . . making 2014 the first year in history the industry topped 700 billion dollars in total revenue” (McNally). With these financial gains companies such as
Walmart are looking forward to the next level of evolution. Walmart has been in works with companies such as Peterbuilt, Great Dane Trailers, and Capstone
Turbine to develop a high tech truck and trailer that is exceptionally energy efficient.
They have developed a truck that is more arrow dynamic, lighter, and “can operate on natural gas or other fuels, this will help Walmart achieve its goal of using 100 percent renewable fuels in the future” (Walmart). Their design uses a small turbine engine to charge a battery storage system that powers an electrical motor to drive the truck. When compared to the diesel engines now in use, this design has improved by leaps and bounds.
I feel that with the trucking industry touching so many different industries in today’s marketplace that the changes set into place with regard to safety and environmental impact are a necessity, primarily due to mere size of many of the fleets that are in operation today. It is absolutely essential to move forward with the technology that is being designed and researched to create a better means for transportation of the goods and products we need. I feel like the steps that industry leaders such as Walmart are taking to improve on these issues just shows that the others won’t be far behind.

Works Cited
Kessler, Aaron, and Coral Davenport. “E.P.A. Proposal Will Put Bigger Trucks on a
Fuel Diet.” New York Times. New York Times. 31 May 2015. A1. Web. 13 June
2015.
McNally, Sean. America Trucking Association. n.p. 11 May 2015. Web. 13 June
2015.
Murphy, Paul R. Jr., and A. Michael Knemeyer. Contemporary Logistics. 11th ed.
New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc., 2015. Print.
“Trucking Industry in the United States.” Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia.
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 22 July 2004. Web. 13 June 2015.
Walmart. “Walmart Advanced Vehicle Experience Concept Truck.” Online video clip.
YouTube. YouTube, 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 13 June 2015.