Evaluation of the eco-driving training of professional truck drivers

Abstract

This paper presents the evaluation of the impact of Eco-driving program (classroom with on-road instruction) on truck drivers’ operation parameters. A total of 8 professional truck drivers were tested in real driving conditions. Evaluation of the impact of training on driving behavior was done in 3 periods: intervention period (P1), one month after training (P2) and four months after training (P3). Data was collected with the assistance of Scania Fleet Management SystemTM. Fuel economy and CO2 emission, idling time and coasting were significantly improved in the periods P2 and P3 compared to period P1, while the speeding significantly increased. Statistically, use of the brake did not significantly change in the first and fourth month after completed training in comparison to intervention period. This study shows that the use of eco-driving techniques has got a potential for the significant short-term reduction of fuel consumption and CO2 emission in road transport, and so in the future the researches will deal with the effects of training and potential downtrend in the long term (> 6 months).