Trucking Industry Delivers Biggest Gift of All This Holiday, Coronavirus Vaccine
Majority of Nation’s Commercial Trucks Depend on Diesel
Washington, DC, Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the nation reaches a turning point in the battle against the COVID-19 Pandemic, America’s trucking industry and diesel technology is playing an essential role, according to the Diesel Technology Forum.
“This week the nation saw hope that came in the form of tractor trailers loaded with the COVID-19 vaccine pulling away from Pfizer manufacturing facilities in Michigan. And now that those vaccine-carrying trucks have made their way across the country, their arrival at community hospitals, health care centers and nursing homes is being greeted with joy,” said Allen Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum.
“Ensuring the timely and safe delivery of these vital vaccines demands reliable equipment and technologies. These trucks, the companies, the industry, and customers they serve all rely substantially on diesel power, as over 97 percent of the largest tractor trailer trucks are powered by diesel. When considering medium-duty and smaller trucks, diesel powers 70 percent of all commercial trucks. And currently, the nation’s trucks are delivering more critical shipments but with far fewer emissions. More than 43 percent of the nation’s trucks making deliveries today are the newest generation of new technology diesel engines that are 98 percent lower in emissions of both particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen.
“Earlier this year, we saw the trucking industry and the men and women who are its essential workers provide trucking services that delivered food, household goods, personal protective equipment and medical devices like ventilators that helped our nation respond to this pandemic, and now they are ensuring the timely delivery of life-saving vaccines.
“The trucking industry enables all Americans to get what they want, where and when they want it. This time of year, our nation’s delivery system comes into the spotlight, as package carriers like FedEx, UPS and the USPS deliver record deliveries of holiday packages, boosted substantially by the pandemic-related shift to working at home and shopping online rather than in the traditional brick and mortar retail environment.
“Each day the trucking industry goes about its work delivering the goods that our nation needs, in every corner of the country under every kind of condition. In this extraordinary year, and during this season, that work goes on even as this new demand for vaccine delivery comes into focus. Thanks to these companies, their drivers, maintenance teams and logistics and supply chain experts for the work they do each day."
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Celebrating its 20^th year, through research, collaboration and outreach the not-for-profit Diesel Technology Forum, promotes greater awareness of the energy efficiency, economic importance, and continuous improvement of advanced clean diesel technologies in all applications in the United States and around the world.
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CONTACT: Allen Schaeffer
Diesel Technology Forum
3015149046
aschaeffer@dieselforum.org