Dimethyl Ether Fuel For Trucks

The standard for commercial trucks in the US has been to use traditional fuel like diesel. Although that is certainly acceptable for many trucks, there are problems of the horizon. In addition to the horrific environmental impact of current fossil fuels, the cost of the current fuel source continues to rise. And if fuel prices continue to rise for diesel trucks, there could be a fuel surcharge that is added to your freight shipping rates. Shipping companies and shippers are both trying to avoid this dilemma.

There might be solution to this issue. Volvo recently announced that they are going to sell dimethyl ether (DME) powered commercial trucks – the first of its kind in the US. This is part of Volvo's alternative fuel strategy. DME fuel maintains the same benefits of diesel fuel; the difference is that DME burns cleaner without producing any soot. In addition, Volvo says that DME is easier to distribute and store than other fuel alternatives. They will begin rolling out these trucks to the US in 2015.

These fuel initiatives could be groundbreaking in the trucking industry and shippers should take note. If commercial vehicles used for freight transportation can harness new fuel technology, they will save time and money. Those savings will be passed on to shippers across the US. And environmentally supportive freight forwarders are also excited that there will be new fuel technologies, such as DME, in the freight shipping industry. New technologies like dimethyl ether fuel could really benefit the freight shipping industry in the future.