Trucks carrying perishable goods are typically well maintained and it’s no surprise that HFR Transport is leading the way in reducing its harmful exhaust emissions.

By equipping its fleet of 300 horses and as many refrigerated trailers with diesel decontamination technology, HFR Transport aims to prevent 1524 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from spewing into the environment and in doing so, slash its fuel bill by at least 5 percent, says Ron Mattig of Clear Fuel Technologies, who supply the HFR fleet with a magnetic diesel anti-contamination device called Algae-X.

"The device will also prolong the lifecycle of the engines' fuel injectors and fuel pumps thereby increasing productivity and decreasing downtime," he adds, explaining that, "carbon dioxide forms naturally in the combustion process inside an internal combustion engine. It is part of the natural cycle of combustion, and unpreventable. The University of Johannesburg equated that for every litre of diesel fuel that is combusted, 2,524 kilograms of CO2 will be emitted into the atmosphere. This roughly equates to 1,250 kg per kilometre travelled by a heavy duty truck."
 

Removing contaminants from diesel helps prolong injector life, not to mention life on this planet.

With a direct link between poor fuel quality and higher emissions, Bertus Brink, general manager at HFR Transport says the company has been concerned about the environment and how badly the ozone layer and subsequent global warming is being affected by the carbon emissions emitted from diesel engines.

"As Africa's largest refrigerated haulier company, we believe we have a responsibility to the environment and need to think seriously about reducing the harmful carbon emissions from our engines," he says. "We investigated technologies that claim to decontaminate and optimise diesel fuel which reduces harmful emissions and decided to install Algae-X technology across our fleet."

Other fleet owners should follow suit and gear up for forthcoming emissions controls, as Brink says: "We believe in being proactive rather than waiting for an official to knock on our door. Now we can show that we have acted in good faith and done something in the right direction. We have certifiably reduced carbon emissions by 127 000kgs a month or 1524 tonnes per year."