NACFE Charts ‘Messy Middle’ Next Steps
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The announced that it will reveal the fleets participating in its upcoming Run on Less: the Messy Middle test on April 3, and also shared additional details on the event.
“I liken the Messy Middle to a smorgasbord where fleets have a wide variety of options,” said Mike Roeth, NACFE executive director. “It can seem like an overwhelming number of choices.”
Testing with fleets in the program will take place in September. NACFE will look at natural gas, diesel, biodiesel, renewable diesel, battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell electric and hydrogen internal combustion engine trucks in the latest program. The goal of the upcoming initiative is to explore various alternative fueling options, and investigate the need for infrastructure changes to accommodate alternative-fueled vehicles, NACFE said.
“To be in a mess means there are lots of alternatives — which is a good thing,” Roeth said. “So, I congratulate the industry for creating this mess.”
NACFE first began using the term Messy Middle in 2018. It describes the time it will take for trucking to transition from primarily diesel-only power to a zero-emission future.
NACFE in November held a “speed dating” event in Newark, N.J., during which utilities and carriers participated in short, round-robin discussions of infrastructure issues for electric trucks. Another is set to be held in Orlando, Fla., in May. NACFE plans to hold nine webinars and three or four workshops before testing begins in September.
Fleet managers and executives are looking forward to seeing the results.
“We maintain a fleet of more than 450,000 vehicles and are always looking at ways to optimize our assets,” said Paul Rosa, Penske senior vice president procurement and fleet. “We are constantly evaluating powertrain options to determine which make sense for each of our Class 2b to 8 commercial vehicle duty cycles. NACFE’s work on defining the Messy Middle and laying out a framework for evaluating the various options should help fleets have a better understanding of which powertrain solutions will work for them.”
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The latest work builds on 2024’s Run on Less: Electric Depot, which looked at battery-electric tractor utilization for return-to-depot fleets. NACFE is following up on that initiative with a “Back to the Depot” program that will explore what has transpired since Run on Less: Electric Depot finished, what lessons were learned and how fleets’ operations have changed or stayed the same. Reports from each of the 10 fleets involved will be published.
“Little trucks are easier to electrify. Big trucks are harder to electrify. So, we’re taking a big, wide look at it,” Roeth said.
NACFE on March 9 also issued a white paper titled “Navigating the Messy Middle: The Move to More Sustainable Trucking.” In it, NACFE team explored longhaul trucking’s role as alternative fuel developments continue, and how the definition of longhaul trucking could evolve.
