The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partnership, which previously approved using the company's Fuel Max line-haul tires on SmartWay tractors and trailers.
SmartWay is a collaboration between the truck transportation industry and the EPA to increase energy efficiency and significantly reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and air pollution.
"We continue to do our part for the environment with our innovative technologies that reduce tire rolling resistance and energy use at all facilities and eliminate all waste disposal in landfills. We also offer solution-based business tools that calculate fuel consumption and help fleets lower their costs of operation," says Steve McClellan, Goodyear vice president of commercial tire systems.
"Through the SmartWay Transport Partnership, we see opportunities to further our relationships with America's fleets and truck and trailer manufacturers in the pursuit of even greater gains in fuel efficiency and emission reductions. The savings are substantial," McClellan adds.
The fuel-efficient line-haul tires deliver up to 4% improved truck fuel economy, and when used with other SmartWay-qualified components, each 18-wheel tractor and trailer used in long-haul can produce savings of up to 4,000 gallons of fuel per year, or more than $11,000 annually, according to Goodyear and EPA officials.
Goodyear tires featuring Fuel Max Technology include the Unisteel G395 LHS steer tire, Unisteel G305 LHD drive tire and Unisteel G316 LHT trail tire in standard (11R22.5) and low-profile (295/75R22.5 and 285/75R24.5) sizes.
While company officials are citing up to a 4% hike in fuel economy with the new tires, actual Society of Automotive Engineers lab test results showed an 8% improvement in fuel economy compared with standard Goodyear over-the-road tires. The difference reflects adjustments for real-world variations, including vehicle speed, idling time, varying road grades and different driving styles.
McClellan suggests that fleets and owner-operators consider specifying equipment to improve fuel economy, even if it means retrofitting existing vehicles.
SmartWay has developed a set of specifications to help guide the process and even offers low-cost loans to make it easier. In addition, several truck makers are now selling trucks that are SmartWay-certified as being highly fuel-efficient vehicles.
The SmartWay Transport Partnership, a collaboration between freight shippers, carriers, and logistics companies, voluntarily improves fuel efficiency and reduces emissions from freight transport. By 2012, SmartWay aims to save between 3.3 billion and 6.6 billion gallons of diesel and eliminate between 33 million and 66 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions and up to 200,000 tons of nitrous oxide emissions per year.
For additional information on the SmartWay Transport Partnership, go to http://www.epa.gov/smartway.
