Longitudinal Cohort Study
This study was designed to examine the transfer of training skills from those learnt in the simulator to their application in the driver’s real vehicle and to investigate the durability of that training. |
For this purpose, 60 professional truck drivers were recruited from 11 different companies, each coming to TRL on three separate occasions over a period of six months. In each session, drivers received fuel efficiency training in the truck simulator and tailored feedback on their performance from an automated driver assessment system.
The behind-the-wheel fuel efficiency of these drivers was monitored for the duration of the study to measure accurately the improvements in fuel efficiency resulting from training. Additionally a control group of 60 drivers who received no training during the period of the study were also monitored to control for season changes on fuel efficiency. It was found that, relative to the control group, the simulator-trained drivers showed a progressive improvement in their fuel efficiency, returning a 16% improvement in behind-the-wheel fuel efficiency after the third training session. Results in the simulator suggest that this was achieved by operating the engine in a more fuel-efficient RPM range.
The truck simulator offers the potential for companies to achieve significant savings in their fuel expenditure through training of their drivers in fuel-efficient driving techniques.
For more information on this project, please contact Nick Reed on +44 (0)1344 770046 or nreed@trl.co.uk
