Large-scale Fuel-Efficient Driving Program implemented in Monterrey and Tijuana for freight truck vehicle operators

Posted on January 30, 2014

Two fuel-efficient driving courses for freight truck operators were conducted in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon and Tijuana, Baja California to provide classroom training and hands-on experience for drivers employed by CLC Solutions.

This program is intended to contribute to the reduction of energy consumption, emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and criteria pollutants, as well as operating costs of the licensees of the federal motor carrier, passengers, tourism and private transport.

Sergio Sanchez, Executive Director of Clean Air Institute and trainer who spoke at both training sessions said that "the goal is to prepare training instructors, freight operators and managers and teach them driving techniques that will help them obtain substantial fuel savings.” With this, the international expert said, transportation companies can benefit from increased "security and reduced costs.”

In Monterrey, the course was attended by more than 27 participants, including area managers, transportation company officials, and instructors currently teaching at auto mechanic and commercial driving schools. In Tijuana, training was provided to 26 instructors representing various participating companies, such as LaLa, Bimbo, and Gasmart.

During the presentation in Baja California, Jorge Hernandez from the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) said the training has a double effect because among the participants are “training instructors from Training Centers for Industrial Work (CECATIS) who then instruct other local drivers on proper freight truck driving techniques.”

At the Tijuana session, Sanchez stated that fuel-efficient driving is expected to reduce fuel use by 15% to 45% through the implementation of driving techniques that are appropriate to the characteristics of each truck. He explained that freight transportation is one of the main sources of air pollution in urban areas.

This program is hosted jointly by Mexico's Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Clean Air Institute (CAI) and BECC. The initiative is part of the Clean Transportation Program advanced since 2010 by SEMARNAT and Mexico's Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (SCT) and is supported through funds from the EPA's Border 2012/Border 2020 Program.

"The program intends to promote specific, high-impact actions to reduce energy use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and pollutants and to minimize operating costs for companies with federal cargo, passenger, tourism, and private transportation licenses" said Luis Adrian Fernandez, a private consultant and one of the course instructors.

This is a voluntary program which builds upon the "Smartway" initiative launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In April 2010, the implementation of this program in Mexico resulted in a reduction of 634,486 ton/year of CO2 emissions.

This initiative is particularly relevant, given that interstate trucking in Mexico accounts for 47% of energy use and contributes 93.4% of total CO2 emissions generated by all modes of transportation nationwide. The largest number of emissions generated by this sector corresponds to vehicle fleets that are 20 years old and older and whose main characteristic is their high fuel consumption. Most of these trucks are driven by independent drivers called owner-operators.

Fuel-efficient (Eco-Driving) training has proven to be the most efficient strategy to reduce fuel consumption and air emissions by freight vehicles in the short term, while improving driving safety. The results of the different Eco-Driving training activities carried out to date show an average savings of 17% in fuel use. In some exceptional cases, certain trucking companies in Toluca, Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez were able to reduce their fuel use by 44% to 49% and their CO2 emissions in the same proportion.

This training program intends to catalyze and improve, at the national level and in a sustainable manner, the benefits achieved to date by the Clean Transportation program through its strategy for increasing energy efficiency and environmental performance of the freight transportation under federal jurisdiction and local levels in Mexico. The goal for this year was to conduct four training workshops in different cities throughout the border. To date workshops have been held in Cd. Juarez in September, Monterrey in October and Tijuana in November. The program uses specialized instructors and expects to train 50 Eco-Driving instructors and have 60 participating companies.