ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Trucking Associations launched a program of initiatives to set the trucking industry on the road toward a more sustainable future, under the banner, “Trucks Deliver a Cleaner Tomorrow.”

This industry-wide environmental sustainability program identifies a series of initiatives that will reduce fuel consumption and combat what many perceive is the global challenge of climate change, reduce CO2 emissions — and save on fuel costs.

“ATA has committed itself to a series of measures that can reduce fuel consumption by 86 billion gallons and CO2 emissions by 900 million tons for all vehicles over the next 10 years,” said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. “Our proposals are practical, reasonable, and doable. They make environmental sense, and they make common sense.”

The program is a continuation of environmental advances made by the trucking industry over the last quarter century, Graves added. “But there’s no doubt that today’s skyrocketing diesel prices give us an added incentive to roll it out across the industry, and for Congress to provide the support the program needs.”

The report includes six key recommendations to reduce fuel consumption, including:

Setting governors on new trucks to limit speeds to no more than 68 mph and reduce the national speed limit to 65 mph for all vehicles; reduce engine idling.

Increase participation in the U.S. EPA SmartWay program; reduce congestion by improving highways, if necessary by raising the fuels tax; use more productive truck combinations; and support national fuel economy standards for trucks.

The report was developed by the ATA Sustainability Task Force.

The recommendations are displayed in more detail on a new Web site, www.trucksdeliver.org (link below).