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Safety and driving a big rig go hand in hand. The responsibility involved with controlling an eighteen-wheeled vehicle that can weigh upwards of a hundred thousand pounds is paramount. The laws of physics are crystal clear when it comes to stopping a semi-truck traveling at 55 miles an hour. It just doesn’t happen on a dime. Also consider the way drivers react to a truck on the road – impatiently. Fortunately several non-profit organizations exist solely for the purpose of supporting drivers, fleet owners, and all drivers in general by providing on and offline safety resources.
Road Safe America is one such organization. The public safety group works with the trucking industry to establish new policies in support of safer roads. One such initiative supported by a group of fleet owners as well is pushing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to “have petitioned Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to require speed governors to be activated at no more than 68 mph.” (www.roadsafeamerica.org). In addition, the company provides a list of top safety tips for drivers to follow on its site wwwroadsafeamerica.org:
1. Drivers - keep your safety first
2. Drive at a slower speed in work zones
3. Always keep a safe distance with your vehicle
4. Drive with the fists ups (defensively)
5. And buckle up – it’s the law
Ol’ Blue, USA is another organization that in addition to a bevy of safety information, provides an open question and answer forum mediated by those who know the law best – police officers and sergeants. Ol’ Blue, USA is non-profit organization dedicated to highway safety education and to improving relations between the motoring public, law enforcement and commercial drivers.” (www.oleblueusa.org).
Safety is always an issue when it comes to the road, and keeping both tractor trailers and passenger vehicles safe is the primary concern of several organizations, as well as state and the federal governments’.
You thought your SUV was expensive to fill up - try emptying your wallet to fill up the average recreational vehicle. Doing so can cost as much as $610.00 to fill a Fleetwood RV that carries 125 gallons of diesel. Add the fact most RVs only get 7 miles to the gallon and that five star hotel suddenly looks like a bargain. Extraordinary fuel costs though means more and more people are staying home instead of hitting the road. Or, instead using the old station wagon, or even less gas guzzling Hummer that have replaced Range Rover the iconic brontosaurus that has been a regular on U.S. highways for decades.
The Los Angeles Times reported RV financing has been hit hard and on comparable levels to the real estate industry. Not surprising considering some RVs cost upwards of $200,000, an amount one could buy a home for. In addition, the RV comes with weekly fueling costs that run more than home insurance policies and more. The Time’s article reported that all around, the RV industry has experienced financial shortcomings not seen in the last thirty years.
With the airline industry hiking fares for the same reason the RV industry has seen a decline in sales, one would assume the more frugal vacationer would choose land versus air. However, despite a decline in air travel (According to Wired.com, The Air Transportation Association predicts 211 million passengers will take a flight somewhere this summer, down from 214 million last summer) even the most dedicated RV aficionados are taking fewer trips this year. The decline on both sides is due to the same reason – gas prices.
Are hybrids are the answer to the nation’s unmanageable fuel prices? It’s hard to say. The economic benefits are oftentimes not seen right away when it comes to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Despite this notion, the automotive market is steadily adding new HEVs both in passenger vehicle markets and light duty trucks. For fleet owners who are currently dealing with diesel prices hovering at the five-dollar mark, a truck that operates on electricity would likely be an immediate relief. How do fleet owners calculate the savings though? Fortunately, there are software tools that are twofold – they compare the costs and emissions of HEVs and have been available to fleet owners for the past few years.
In 2005 the US Department of Energy created the Hybrid Vehicle Fleet Cost and Benefits Calculator Tool that instantly shows fleet owners how much their saving both monetarily and in terms of their carbon footprint. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, “New hybrid vehicle registrations reached nearly 84,000 in 2004, while sales of hybrids in the first five months of 2005 reached 73,000. Public and private fleets are contributing to this surge in popularity. More than 90 city, state and county governments, and some private fleets, use light duty hybrids according to data collected by the Center for a New American Dream.” (http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/hev/news.html).
For now, the benefits tilt more to the environmental benefits, even the monetary advantages exist as well. With consistently rising gas prices however, the economic benefits will undoubtedly ascend.
Are hybrids are the answer to the nation’s unmanageable fuel prices? It’s hard to say. The economic benefits are oftentimes not seen right away when it comes to hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Despite this notion, the automotive market is steadily adding new HEVs both in passenger vehicle markets and light duty trucks. For fleet owners who are currently dealing with diesel prices hovering at the five-dollar mark, a truck that operates on electricity would likely be an immediate relief. How do fleet owners calculate the savings though? Fortunately, there are software tools that are twofold – they compare the costs and emissions of HEVs and have been available to fleet owners for the past few years.
In 2005 the US Department of Energy created the Hybrid Vehicle Fleet Cost and Benefits Calculator Tool that instantly shows fleet owners how much their saving both monetarily and in terms of their carbon footprint. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, “New hybrid vehicle registrations reached nearly 84,000 in 2004, while sales of hybrids in the first five months of 2005 reached 73,000. Public and private fleets are contributing to this surge in popularity. More than 90 city, state and county governments, and some private fleets, use light duty hybrids according to data collected by the Center for a New American Dream.” (http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/hev/news.html).
For now, the benefits tilt more to the environmental benefits, even the monetary advantages exist as well. With consistently rising gas prices however, the economic benefits will undoubtedly ascend.