U.S. Express joins PIT Group
PIT Group, an organization specializing in accelerating truck-related technology implementation through testing and fleet advisory services, announced U.S. Xpress has joined its ranks. The major U.S. carrier signed up for the PIT Group’s membership program following the success of in-service fuel consumption tests carried out at U.S. Xpress’s Tunnel Hill facilities in Georgia, last November.
Founded in 1985, U.S. Xpress Inc. is the second largest privately-owned truckload carrier in the United States. Based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the carrier provides a vast range of transportation solutions throughout North America with a fleet of 8,000 tractors and 22,000 trailers.
“By collaborating with the PIT Group, we will be able to quickly obtain reliable results about fuel saving technologies,” stated Gerry Mead, senior vice president of maintenance at U.S. Xpress. โWe take fuel economy very seriously and we believe that PIT Group membership will help validate the decisions we make about our equipment.โ
In-service fuel consumption tests were carried out on U.S. Xpress trucks consisting of several types of combinations of tractors and powertrains supplied by a number of manufacturers. Utilizing U.S. Xpress trucks configured in a variety of tractor and trailer combinations with equivalent loads, the comprehensive evaluations included 2016 and 2017 vehicles. The testing covered a 52-mile test route on highways and local roads that represented the fleet’s day-to-day operations.
“The fact that such a major carrier as U.S. Xpress has joined our membership program and that it has done so immediately after the tests were carried out at its facilities emphasizes the valuable contribution that the PIT Group can make to all types of fleets in the North American transportation industry,โ said PIT Group Manager Yves Provencher.
Other U.S.-based carriers that are members of the PIT Group include Praxair, Experior Transport, Skyline Transportation and Keller Logistics.
