The Problem

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Improper loading is one of the leading causes of unscheduled maintenance, vehicle stress, uneven tire wear and road damage. It also doubles the risk of a vehicle rollover when changing lanes or turning quickly.

In addition to vehicle rollover injuries and fatalities, improper loading and load-shifting causes: 

• Increased fuel, maintenance & operating expense
• Out-of-route and load rework revenue losses
• Reduced traction and vehicle handling 
• Lost hours-of-service for drivers
• Increased braking distance
• Vehicle wear and tear reducing its useful life
• Uneven tire wear and blowouts from overheating
• Increased traffic stress to bridges and pavement

Dwell time is responsible for a $1 billion loss in annual income for drivers. Improperly loaded trailers represent a large portion of these delays.

DAT research revealed that “63 percent of drivers spend more than 3-hours waiting for their trucks to be loaded or unloaded on average, often leading to them missing subsequent loads as a result.”

The EPA’s Phase 2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Fuel Efficiency Standards impose increasingly stringent regulations on truck and trailer manufacturers to reduce rolling resistance and CO2 emissions. 

On a standard 18-wheel tractor-trailer, up to 33% of the vehicle’s total fuel consumption is attributable to rolling resistance. 

For the trucking industry, load weight equals revenue. Over the past decade, trucks have gotten 1,000 pounds heavier due to the increased number of EPA mandated emissions components and aerodynamic devices. 

With the EPA inspired industry shift towards hybrid and battery-electric trucks, which are up to 5,000 pounds heavier than diesel trucks for the same duty cycle, available revenue-generating load weight is further reduced leading to decreased revenues and higher operating costs.