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This is a story idea from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. To arrange for an interview with a researcher, please contact the Communications and External Relations staff member identified at the end of the tip.

Transportation - Wider tires increase cargo load

Wide tires on tractor-trailers can reduce the weight of a rig, enabling additional cargo to be added without compromising fuel efficiency. That conclusion is drawn from an in-depth tractor-trailer performance study managed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Center for Transportation Analysis. The study focused on a 12-month monitoring of a special tractor-trailer fleet traveling more than 700,000 miles across most of the Eastern United States through different terrain and driving conditions. DOE's Office of FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies funded the study.

Contact: Fred Strohl; 865.574.4165; strohlhf@ornl.gov