The North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) has released a new white paper-Navigating the Messy Middle: The Move to More Sustainable Trucking.
So, what is the Messy Middle? It’s an industry term introduced by NACFE in 2018, which defines the transition period between traditional diesel-powered trucking and a zero-emission future, where fleets must choose from a variety of evolving powertrain options—battery electric, hydrogen fuel cells, natural gas, and more. NACFE’s paper provides a framework to help fleets determine the best solutions for their sustainable trucking options.
"The Messy Middle: Time for Action" visualizes the process of stepping out of an unknown and comfortable present in order to provide new optimization solutions, growing infrastructure, multi-fuel choice, facts replacing estimates, learning curves, innovation and maturation in transportation.
What's the roadmap for trucking's future? This groundbreaking paper cuts through the confusion by offering fleet managers a clear framework for navigating powertrain decisions.
The trucking industry is currently navigating what experts call the "messy middle"—a critical transition period between diesel dominance and a zero-emission future powered by battery electric and hydrogen fuel cells.
But here's the million-dollar question: When will we get there? 2040? 2050? 2060?
This timeline uncertainty makes the current middle period crucial for the industry. The next decade will likely see explosive growth in technologies that barely exist at scale today—hydrogen engines, renewable natural gas, and breakthrough innovations still in development.
This isn't just another white paper. It's part of NACFE's ambitious "Run on Less – Messy Middle" initiative, complete with interactive fleet bootcamps, real-world fleet profiles, live operational dashboards, and data-driven decision tools.
The goal? Transform trucking's most complex transition into clear, actionable insights for fleet operators making critical powertrain decisions today.
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