We built the C10 as the prototype fuel-efficient truck.  We wanted to develop, build and sell a truck capable of achieving 10 miles per gallon fuel economy. In a world of limited natural resources, we have challenged the conventional belief that trucking “is dirty, bad for the environment.”  We believe(d) the status quo could be different.

We submitted the C10 to the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation Sustainable Transportation Awards earlier this year in the hopes of increasing awareness for the project. The category was Sustainable Performance.

“Sustainable Performance – The winner in this category will have implemented holistic approaches to achieve sustainability and integrated environmental values and conservation of natural resources into comprehensive, long-term decision making and management of businesses and facilities. Nominations must demonstrate achievement in multiple operational areas such as facility lifecycle, supply chain management, community engagement, employee involvement, and product or service design and delivery.”

About the Award

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), announced today the winners of the 2018 Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Awards. The fourth annual Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Forum and Expo continues today at the UT Conference Center in Knoxville.

“Sustainable transportation is an important factor in public health and the quality of our environment,” said TDEC Commissioner Dr. Shari Meghreblian. “The following award winners are being recognized for their innovative ideas to improve the health and well-being of Tennesseans, provide for a strong economy and protect our state’s natural resources.”

The Tennessee Sustainable Transportation Awards recognize outstanding initiatives to improve the efficiency, accessibility, affordability, and sustainability of transportation systems in the state. A panel of judges selected the following entities as the 2018 winners. A full description of the winning initiatives follows.

About the C10

Cumberland International, a sales, parts and service provider for trucks and trailers, recently launched and funded the “C10 Project: Keeping Tennessee Beautiful” in order to reduce the company’s impact on greenhouse gas emissions. The project was designed to increase the fuel economy of Cumberland’s Class 8 long-haul diesel trucks from 6-8 mpg to upwards of 10 mpg. The strategy for meeting this goal included an improvement to vehicle aerodynamics to reduce wind resistance, the utilization of auxiliary power units to reduce diesel idle times, and driver training on optimization of fuel efficiency. The modified C10 semi-truck routinely outperforms generic semi-trucks of the same size by around 2-3 mpg. These savings equate to approximately 30 fewer tons of CO2 emissions per truck per year, or 3,000-5,000 gallons of diesel fuel. One thousand of these C10 trucks were launched and sold in 2017, bringing the total fuel savings to 3-5 million gallons of diesel fuel per year and total CO2 emissions reductions to 30,000 tons per year.