CN Buys 200 EcoTherm Containers

Freight firm Canadian National Railway has purchased 200 super-insulated EcoTherm containers for the transport of cold-sensitive goods.

The company now has a fleet of 500 EcoTherm containers.

EcoTherm containers have more insulation than conventional diesel engine-powered “heater” containers. The insulation allows the container to retain the proper temperature for sensitive goods throughout rail trips up to 10 days long with no need for an engine to burn fuel en route.

The 40-foot-long EcoTherm containers can carry the same amount of product as a heated 53-foot container, as the design eliminates the need for “blocking and bracing” – or partitioning – the container, CN says.

CN has also purchased 25 EcoRide chassis. EcoRides weigh 15 percent less than conventional chassis and are equipped with aerodynamic features such as side skirts and low-rolling resistance tires to increase fuel efficiency.

Containers delivered on EcoRide chassis consume 8-to-11 percent less fuel than containers delivered on traditional chassis.

Fleet safety and efficiency firm SmartDrive Systems has announced the results of its Commercial Transportation Fuel Efficiency Study.

The report says that commercial fleets can reduce fuel consumption on average as much as 22 percent, saving more than $12,500 per vehicle annually, by engaging in fuel-efficient, eco-driving best practice.

A report out earlier this month by BSR says that wireless-enabled fleet management solutions could allow trucking and logistics companies to limit truck idling time. “Wireless and the Environment: A Review of Opportunities and Challenges” says that such technology could reduce fuel cost per truck by $3,600 and eliminate nine million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually.