Is Rail More Fuel Efficient Than Truck?

Freight Manager
Fuel Surcharge Update for the week of 2/3/2010 to 2/9/2010
Dept of Energy reports national average fuel price is $2.781
The http://www.fr8manager.com/ estimated fuel surcharge is $0.28 per mile or 17% of the line haul charge.
The complete chart of the Weekly Retail On-Highway Diesel Prices can be found at http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/wohdp/diesel_detail_report_combined.asp


For years, actually decades now the freight railroads have been claming that shipping by rail was somehow more fuel and emission efficient than that of the over the road truck and trailer. A recent report by a former trucking and rail executive disputes these statements of efficiencies, and goes on to say that claims of rail freight being greener and more friendly to the environment is nothing more than an attempt to gain market share.

There is no question that there is an economic fuel advantage when moving heavy, and high volume loads very long distances, however the report identifies no advantage in medium haul moves. Furthermore railroads are often reluctant to factor in the cost of dead head miles and fuel burn by simply repositioning empty rail cars for their next load.

Many customers making a supply chain change from over the road shipping to rail have found they must ship substantially more product to hedge against unreliable rail schedules as well as increased damaged freight due to excessive heat, leaking rail cars, or damage due to loads shifting in transit.

The report estimates that energy efficiency could be increased by 20% by simply increasing the gross weight limits of over the road trucks to 97,000 pounds. The railroad lobbyist have fought hard to oppose these changes.

Railroads are by far more carbon dioxide efficient than trucks moving freight four times farther while releasing the same amount of carbon dioxide. The economists report goes on to say nitrogen oxide (emitted by both trucks and trains) regulations for trucks is four times stricter than for trains, effectively nullifying and eliminating the railroads significant carbon advantage.