The importance of diesel power to the expansion of freight transportation and the continued growth of the U.S. economy was outlined for the Congressional Panel on 21st Century Freight Transportation by the Diesel Technology Forum. The panel, which was created by the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and is chaired by U.S. Rep. John Duncan Jr., conducted a roundtable meeting - “Effectively Coordinating Freight Planning Activities” – this week with federal and state officials including Polly Trottenberg, the Under Secretary for Policy for the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Diesel’s Dominance

“The goods movement and construction industry almost exclusively operate on diesel fuel and engines,” Allen Schaeffer, the executive director of the Diesel Technology Forum, stated in a letter to Duncan and members of the panel prior to the hearing.

“Unique attributes of diesel fuel make it the most energy dense transportation fuel surpassing gasoline and natural gas.  The diesel engine is capable of transferring this energy density into power efficiently.  This is why heavy duty vehicles and equipment are powered by diesel.

“The National Petroleum Council, International Energy Agency and ExxonMobil have all concluded that diesel will remain the predominant powertrain in heavy duty applications and the predominant global transportation powertrain in the future," he added. "Much attention has been granted to emerging fuels, such as natural gas.  However, these groups all conclude that natural gas will not be able to compete with the diesel given the inherent efficiency of the diesel engine and the energy density of diesel fuel.  Natural gas and other emerging fuels may find a place as a niche fuel in certain heavy duty applications such as refuse hauling,” Schaeffer wrote in his letter to the panel.

Future of U.S. Freight Policies

Schaeffer said the panel will play a key role in addressing efforts to coordinate the efficient delivery of freight, the future growth and cooperation of largest scale freight projects, and identifying potential challenges to large freight projects. He added that diesel technology and power will be critical to the success of this agenda in a manner that will reduce emissions, improve air quality, and conserve fuel.

Some of the major issues Schaeffer outlined for the panel include:

Near Zero Emissions: Because of the introduction and widespread availability of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD) in 2006-2007, new engine and aftertreatment technologies were able to come online to significantly reduce many criteria pollutants including particulate matter (PM), or soot, and oxides of nitrogen (NOX), a smog forming pollutant.  These technologies allowed on-road heavy duty trucks to meet the “near zero” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency emissions regulations beginning with engine model year 2007.

These standards were further tightened for the 2010 model year. A truck manufactured after 2007 emits 98 percent less particulate matter and NOX relative to a truck manufactured in 1988.