AMERICAN TRUCKING AND THE ENERGY CRISIS

THE PROPOSAL THAT INTERCITY FREIGHT BE SHIFTED FROM TRUCKS TO RAILROADS IS STUDIED IN ITS PROPER PERSPECTIVE, AND PITFALLS, INVOLVED IN ITS IMPLEMENTATION ARE POINTED OUT. THE STUDY SHOWS THAT INTERCITY TRUCKS ARE NOT MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THE ENERGY CRISIS AND THAT SHIFTING FREIGHT FROM TRUCKS TO RAIL ARE LIMITED AND WOULD ONLY DOWNGRADE TRANSPORTATION SERVICE. IN 1971 TRUCKS USED 13.2 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL PETROLEUM CONSUMED. THIS INCLUDES THE 3.3 PERCENT DIESEL FUEL USED BY INTERCITY TRUCKS. RAILROADS ARE PRIMARILY LONG HAUL CARRIERS OF BULK COMMODITIES WHILE MOTOR CARRIERS HANDLE SMALLER SHIPMENTS AND MANUFACTURED COMMODITIES. THUS THE TWO ARE NOT READILY SUBSTITUTABLE ONE FOR THE OTHER. EARLIER STUDIES REVEAL THAT ONLY 40 PERCENT OF THE TRAFFIC IS TRULY COMPETITIVE IF IT IS ASSUMED THAT SHIPMENT SIZE CAN BE ALTERED WITHOUT ADDITIONAL COST TO THE SHIPPER AND CONSIGNEE. IF SUCH ALTERATION IS NOT POSSIBLE, THE PERCENTAGE OF COMPETITIVE TRAFFIC FALLS TO ONLY 25 PERCENT. THE BASES FOR THESE CONCLUSIONS ARE PRESENTED IN APPENDED TABLES. STUDIES LEAD TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE AREAS OF COMPETITION BETWEEN RAILROADS AND MOTOR CARRIERS IS LIMITED TO SHIPMENTS WEIGHING BETWEEN 10,000 AND 60,000 POUNDS. LISTED ARE THE REASONS WHY FUEL SAVING THROUGH TRANSFER OF TRAFFIC TO RAIL PIGGYBACK IS IN QUESTION. THE TRANFER OF TRAFFIC TO PIGGYBACK WOULD INVOLVE ORIGIN AND DESTINATION MOVEMENTS IN CONGESTED URBAN AREAS AND WOULD BE THE MOST INEFFICIENT TYPE OF MOVEMENT FROM A FUEL STANDPOINT. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE USE OF FUEL IN HEAVY DUTY OPERATIONS IS EXTREMELY SMALL IN TERMS OF TOTAL PETROLEUM AND FUEL CONSUMPTION AND THAT THE SERVICE PERFORMED THROUGH UTILIZATION OF THIS RELATIVELY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL NEEDS IS ENORMOUS. VARIOUS POSSIBLE ENERGY SAVING MEANS ARE LISTED. UPDATING OF VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT LAWS COULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE DIESEL FUEL REQUIREMENTS OF THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY.

• Corporate Authors:

  American Trucking Associations

  2200 Mill Road
  Alexandria, VA  United States  22314-4686
• Publication Date: 1973

Media Info

• Pagination: 12 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crude oil; Diesel fuels; Energy; Freight transportation; Fuel consumption; Intercity transportation; Laws; Piggyback transportation; Railroad transportation; Trucks; Vehicles; Weight
• Subject Areas: Economics; Energy; Freight Transportation; Highways; Law; Motor Carriers; Railroads; Society; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00202344
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 17 1973 12:00AM