Rudolf Diesel
Rudolf Diesel was a German engineer who patented the compression-ignition engine in 1892, the design that now powers most trucks, locomotives, and ships that move freight.
What they did and why it matters
Diesel's engine is the reason freight transport costs what it does, and diesel prices still feed directly into the fuel surcharges on every carrier invoice. His compression-ignition design burned fuel more efficiently than gasoline or steam engines, and it was later adopted for heavy trucks, rail locomotives, and ocean ships. Diesel himself disappeared from a Channel steamer in 1913, before trucking took off. Today the weekly US diesel price index sets fuel surcharge percentages for parcel, LTL, and truckload freight, so a rise in diesel prices quickly shows up in a brand's shipping bill.
Related people
Events
Sources
- Rudolf Diesel (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org
- When the Inventor of the Diesel Engine Disappeared (Smithsonian Magazine) smithsonianmag.com