Medium-and Heavy-Duty Truck Fuel Economy and Consumption Trends

This paper presents the results of an analysis of trends in medium- and heavy-duty truck fuel economy and fuel demand. The analysis is based on an examination of in-use fuel economy data contained in the 1977 Truck Inventory and Use Survey and a survey of the available literature. Estimates of future trends in medium- and heavy-duty truck fuel demand through 1995 are developed with the use of an accounting model of highway fuel consumption.

The authors conclude that the estimation of current and future trends in medium- and heavy-duty truck fuel economy and fuel demand is subject to a high degree of uncertainty due to the significant variation in truck weight and use characteristics and the lack of sufficient data which are based on consistent fuel economy measurement procedures.

The output of the model of highway fuel demand is compared with available statistics on truck use patterns in order to calibrate projections of medium- and heavy-duty truck fuel consumption usage by medium- and heavy-duty trucks is estimated to grow from 1.1 MMB/D in 1979 to 1.4 MMB/D in 1995.