FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The long-haul segment of trucking — the one most people think of when you say the word “trucking”— represents only 9% of total trucking, yet it is responsible for 48% of heavy-duty trucking-related emissions, according to a report from NREL’s report.
To showcase the various options for decarbonizing this segment of the trucking industry, the North America Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) and RMI are announcing the kickoff of Run on Less – Messy Middle, which will focus on heavy-duty long-haul return-to-base and over-the-road trucking.
“Each Run has tried to mirror market issues,” says Mike Roeth, NACFE’s executive director. “This Run is no different. We are calling it Run on Less – Messy Middle because today’s fleet managers have a variety of options when it comes to what will power their vehicles. While other market segments have proven to be a good fit for battery electric vehicles, we are still looking for the best solutions for the long-haul segment of the industry now and in the future.”
According to a media release, this is the fifth event in the Run on Less series, which began in 2017 with seven diesel-powered trucks running over real routes with real freight during a three-week period to demonstrate just how many miles drivers can get from a gallon of diesel.
NACFE monitored the vehicles that averaged 10 MPG over the three weeks of the Run — well above the industry average. In 2019, NACFE shifted the focus of the Run to regional haul. In 2021, recognizing the developments in the electric vehicle space, NACFE focused on electric vehicles and in 2023 the focus of the Run shifted to fleet depots that have 15 or more electric vehicles deployed in one location.
The release noted that all trucks in this Run will be Class 8 (33,001+ pounds gross vehicle weight) sleeper or day cab configurations and will feature approximately 10 fleets deploying trucks with differing decarbonization solutions including battery electric, hydrogen fuel cells and engines, renewable natural gas, renewable and bio diesel, hybrids and energy efficiency features for all fuel types.
“There is a great deal of work being done in the long-haul segment of the market to decarbonize it,” Roeth said. “This upcoming Run will give us the opportunity to showcase the realities of that market to help fleets make more informed decisions now and in the future about which powertrain options make the most sense for their Class 8 long-haul routes.”
According to the release, the Run will take place in September 2025 and again feature NACFE’s popular pre-Run Bootcamp series and metrics and dashboards on the Run on Less website. NACFE will be sharing results and Run updates via its social media channels, blogs and videos during the Run, and will publish a report that shares all the findings from the Run early in 2026.
“We are excited to begin vetting fleets to participate in the Run and to sign on sponsors to help underwrite the cost of the Run,” Roeth said. “All of us at NACFE and RMI are excited to be working on the fifth freight efficiency demonstration in the Run on Less series and look forward to bringing some clarity to the Messy Middle of long-haul trucking.”
For more information visit www.runonless.com.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
