B20 compared to 100 percent dieselfuel.

B20 compared to 100 percent diesel fuel--The "2 Million Mile Haul" is a unique field study examining the benefits of using B20, a 20 percent soy biodiesel blend, in tests using over-the-road trucks. The study is believed to he the first comprehensive, publicly documented demonstration of B20 in

over-the-road trucks. First-year results of the two-year study show that B20 performs similarly to the 100-percent petroleum diesel fuel when used in the trucks, with a slight but statistically insignificant decrease in overall fuel efficiency for the B20 group. The study also examines the effects of various fuel additives on the cold-flow properties of biodiesel blended with the new 2007 Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel, focusing primarily on the cloud, plug and pour points. The study is sponsored by the Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa Central Community College and Decker Truck Line Inc., Caterpillar Inc., National Biodiesel Board, Renewable Energy Group, Inc. and USDA.

The study consists of two groups of 10 Decker Truck Line Inc. semitractors running with flatbed trailers on matched routes to either Minneapolis or Chicago. The control group uses 100% No. 2 petroleum diesel. The B20 test group uses a blend of 20% biodiesel from Renewable Energy Group, Inc. and 80% No. 2 petroleum diesel. Data is routinely analyzed for fuel efficiency, maintenance records and fuel quality. More than 1.5 million miles had been logged by the end of the first year, from Oct. 1, 2006, to Oct. 1, 2007.

Overall fuel efficiency, including idle time, was slightly reduced in the B20 group. Average fuel consumption for the control group was 6.29 miles per gallon (mpg) and for the B20 group it was 6.15 mpg. Driver fuel efficiency ranged from 5.72 mpg to 7.40 mpg for the control group, a 23% spread. For the B20 group, fuel efficiency ranged from 5.76 mpg to 7.00 mpg, an 18% spread among drivers. Winter driving resulted in relatively few problems regarding cold-flow issues, and no drivers experienced fuel gelling problems.

Early in the study, a few filter plugging problems occurred in trucks using the B20 blend. After changes were made in blending of the biodiesel fuel in early February 2007, the rate of filter plugging for the B20 group dropped significantly. At the conclusion of the study, engines from both the control group and B20 group will be torn down for a closer analysis of engine wear. For information on the first-year results of the 2 Million Mile Haul study, visit www.twomillionmilehaul.com and scroll down to "First Year Summary" for the full report.