Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) announced delivery of its first fleet of U.S. EPA 2010 trucks to Meijer, an EPA SmartWay award-winning supercenter retailer headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich. Meijer placed one of the nation’s first 2010 fleet orders, purchasing 75 EPA 2010 Freightliner Cascadia trucks equipped with Detroit Diesel DD13 engines and BlueTec emissions technology.
Designed to be one of the most aerodynamic trucks ever, the Freightliner Cascadia Day Cab exceeds the EPA SmartWay voluntary specifications that improve fuel economy and reduce emissions. In combination with the Detroit Diesel DD13 engine and BlueTec 1-Box™ emissions control system, Meijer’s new fleet of Freightliner trucks will dramatically improve fuel efficiency while reducing emissions to near-zero levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter as measured at the tailpipe.
When compared to an average EPA 2007 truck and over an average vehicle lifetime of one million miles, the new, clean emissions 2010 Freightliner Cascadia with the DD13 engine and BlueTec will:
Reduce fuel consumption by nearly 11,500 gallons of diesel fuel per truck Reduce fleet fuel costs by nearly $30,000 per truck
Reduce CO2 emissions by 124 U.S. tons per truck
Reduce NOx emissions to near-zero – eliminating approximately seven U.S. tons per truck
As a fleet of trucks, Meijer’s investment in environmentally-friendly 2010-compliant trucks will actually save the company money, reducing fuel consumption by more than 800,000 gallons of diesel fuel and reducing fuel costs by more than $2 million over the lifetime of the fleet as compared to deploying less advanced technology. Thanks to their fuel efficiency, this same Cascadia fleet will reduce CO2 by 9,300 U.S. tons while virtually eliminating 525 U.S. tons of smog-creating NOx from the air.
Meeting Meijer’s specification for a short wheel base and tandem axles attests to the commitment and extensive efforts made to develop BlueTec as an adaptable system that could be configured for almost any application. The optimized chassis packaging on the new 2010 Meijer fleet trucks delivers maximum freight and fuel efficiency, manages overall vehicle weight distribution, and maintains vehicle maneuverability.
According to Tom McCall, vice president of logistics for Meijer, the pairing of the aerodynamic Freightliner Cascadia with the DD13 engine and BlueTec effectively matched Meijer’s criteria for reliability, fuel economy, durability and serviceability. “We’re extremely proud to be one of the first companies to deploy these clean driving 2010 trucks,” said McCall. “While it’s thrilling to be at the front end of the rollout of such innovative technology, it’s also exciting to partner with another Michigan-based company, Detroit Diesel Corporation, to help stimulate the economy and provide jobs right in our own backyard.”