U.S. Transformational Trucking Environment and Efficiency in Freight Mobility

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) examines the inefficiencies within the U.S. heavy-duty trucking industry, specifically Class 7 and 8 trucks. It identifies a fragmented value chain and cultural barriers as primary obstacles to efficiency, while asserting that existing technology could double trucking efficiency through improvements in platform, operations, and regulation.

• Class 7 and 8 heavy-duty trucks represent a significant opportunity for fuel efficiency improvements because they account for nearly 80 percent of all truck fuel consumption, despite making up less than half of the total truck population.
• The U.S. trucking industry is characterized by extreme fragmentation, with the top fifty companies controlling only 30 percent of the market. This lack of cohesion leads to system-wide inefficiencies, including empty backhauls and a reluctance among operators to invest in efficiency improvements due to a lack of trust in payback data.
• RMI states that the technology required to double the efficiency of trucking already exists. Achieving this goal requires a three-pronged approach focusing on the truck's platform efficiency, operational efficiency, and regulatory/infrastructure efficiency.
• Mega-fleets, defined as those with more than 1,000 vehicles, possess significant influence over the industry, often bypassing dealerships to order custom specifications directly from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and handling most maintenance internally.
• Infrastructure and government funding significantly impact fuel efficiency. For example, the Indiana DOT is conducting a $5 million USDOT-funded study on dedicated truck-only lanes on Interstate 70 through Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to encourage more fuel-efficient vehicle combinations.

APA

Sahl, A. B., Simpson, M. B., & Kawai, H. (n.d.). U.S. Transformational Trucking Environment and Efficiency in Freight Mobility. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2009-19_USTransformationalTrucking.pdf

Chicago

Sahl, Amanda B., Mike B. Simpson, and Hiroko Kawai. U.S. Transformational Trucking Environment and Efficiency in Freight Mobility. RMI, n.d. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2009-19_USTransformationalTrucking.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sahl |first1=Amanda B. |last2=Simpson |first2=Mike B. |last3=Kawai |first3=Hiroko |title=U.S. Transformational Trucking Environment and Efficiency in Freight Mobility |publisher=RMI |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2009-19_USTransformationalTrucking.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sahlndtransformational, author = {Sahl, Amanda B. and Simpson, Mike B. and Kawai, Hiroko}, title = {{U.S. Transformational Trucking Environment and Efficiency in Freight Mobility}}, institution = {RMI}, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_2009-19_USTransformationalTrucking.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }