ROAD WARRIORS

According to a new National Academies report, one experimental vehicle boosted freight efficiency 115 percent by incorporating a more aerodynamic chassis, a hybrid diesel/electric low-friction engine, and a waste-recovery power system that harvests thermal energy from exhaust. [...]the fourth component depends on who is speaking. Trailers haven't attracted the same degree of attention as the tractor, Woodrooffe adds, because they are utilitarian and often not owned by the tractor's owner. [...]the benefits of modifications that would make trailers more aerodynamic - and save fuel - don't accrue to the trailer owner.