Posted on 02/18/2014 10:32:02 AM PST by jazusamo
Linking increased fuel economy to the larger issue of economic growth, President Obama on Tuesday directed his administration to write new rules to improve mileage for the nation’s big-rig trucks.
Mr. Obama made the announcement during a speech at a suburban Maryland Safeway distribution center and cast it as the latest move in his so-called “year of action,” a time he’ll act without Congress wherever possible.
“Improving gas mileage for these trucks is going to drive down our oil imports even further,” Mr. Obama said. “That reduces carbon pollution even more, cuts down on businesses’ fuel costs, which should pay off in lower prices for consumers. So it’s not just a win-win. It’s a win-win-win.”
The president added, “The economy is growing. We’re creating jobs. We’re generating more clean energy. We’re cutting our dependence on foreign oil. We’re pumping out less dangerous carbon pollution. If we keep going down this road then we’re going to have a future full of good-paying jobs.”
Under current federal standards, medium and heavy-duty trucks must reduce their fuel consumption by 10 percent to 20 percent by 2018. The president’s new proposal — which won’t be finalized until 2016 — will set even more ambitious goals the trucking industry much achieve in the years after 2018.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
So he’s a “big rig” expert now, huh?
bkmk
He’s got a pen and a phone. Someone needs to show him where to put them.
The “brown clown” sure wants to be “green.”
There has to be money in for his party.
For example, I sold a load of lumber about an hour ago. The lumber weighs 68,000 lbs. I am paying a trucking company to haul it from northern Idaho to the Boise area. I am paying them $1050 to go about 280 miles. That works out to about $3.65/mile. This is what is called a maxi load or tri axle flatbed truck. On a longer haul, say 500-600 miles I will pay closer to $2.50/mile. It costs about $2.00/mile or more to run these rigs based on the labor cost and diesel fuel. his company just bought a couple new Peterbuilts. They were $154K. The trailer is another $75. The trailers are almost all aluminum to lower weight.
Time to take over and kill another industry.
I think we’re going to need a “Year of Action” quick link at the top of the FR Index page.
Obama: “Repeal the laws of physics now!”
Railroads eliminated much of their tracks into smaller population centers long ago. Trucks have evolved a different power transmission than railroad engines. The idea of using motor driven wheels and utilizing an engine driven generator or alternator for power adds weight to a truck. Trucks are also speced differently based on usage and region. Most fleets have already gone with lightweight semi trucks for better mileage and more load capacity. The less the truck and trailer weigh the more cargo can be carried and more money earned.
Dead heading or bobtailing would obviously would be cheaper.
One of the biggest issues is the EPA has been jagging trucks for years since they woke up to the fact engine manufacturers were gaming the system using the computer. Meeting new EPA requirements and getting batter mileage at the same time is a tall order.
He is an absolute idiot. You can’t repeal physics by royal decree. Big rigs get terrible mileage and everyone knows it, especially the people who have to pay the fuel bill. If a diesel engine manufacturer had been able to develop an engine that would get 10-20%, the manufacturers would have been all over it.
Remember this the next time you’re stuck behind a rig chugging along at 28 MPH
LOL!!!
Or maybe we should just go back to oxen pulling freight and the shovel-ready gangs can follow behind and scoop up after them for the ultimate "green" solution.
“O” moved from ‘you didn’t build that’ to ... ‘you will NEVER build anything-and I’ll make sure of it!’.
Good post, couldn’t agree more.
There is a triad in the economy of ‘big rig’ trucks like almost anything else, fuel economy, durability and power.
You get fuel economy by making everything as light as possible and running the engine in its optimal rev range.
You get durability by maximizing the strength of the components.
You get power by designing a power-train that can handle the designed mission.
If you maximize one and slight the others, you make a good demo vehicle that is impractical on the road and mission.
If Mr Obama has a magic wand I sure wish that he would use it already!
they are....very few trucks are NA diesels anymore. Most are turbo or two-stage series turbo seems to be the choice now.
Bath house Barry seems to think that he can break the second law of thermodynamics as well as all the others he’s violated.
..........Jags look like a box just like every other ugly box car. ....................
Except that new F5 roadster. She’s a beauty (but made in the UK by an India firm.)
Obama, who never held a real, working job in his life, nonetheless is a genius expert on mechanics and engine design, and is a superior intellect when it comes to the economics and design of fuel-saving mechanisms.
But why was he so modest? Why didn’t he just decree the doubling of fuel efficiency of all vehicles, and order them to reduce pollution by 90%? That would have been really good. And what about a program to design wind- and solar-powered heavy trucks?
He will just repeal them by Executive Order.
Just like he did for Government Motors.
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