Fueling up for the long haul is expensive. Here are some simple fuel saving tips that can help your bottom line:
Limit Idling
We suggest that if you don’t have to idle, then don’t. Did you know that idling your big rig for just over 10 seconds will use more fuel than if you shut off and restart your engine? In addition to wasting a bunch of gas, idling can damage your rig’s engine, pollutes the air, and in some jurisdictions, it is illegal to idle and you can get slapped with fines as high as $25,000.
Light-weight Your Rig
Light-weighting allows a truck to have a lower rolling resistance (meaning a truck can cruise down the road easier because of less friction) and can help you save nearly $10,000 per tractor per year. Some light-weighting solutions to consider are: investing in aerodynamic equipment, replacing your vertical exhaust stack with a horizontal stack, ditch the extra fuel tanks and remove any extra interior equipment that’s not needed (passenger seat).
Watch Your Tires
Improperly inflated tires decrease your fuel efficiency. Make it a habit to check all your tires for proper inflation, adding or removing air when necessary and replacing or repairing tires that look worn or lose air at a frequent rate.
Keep a Steady Speed
Speed up, slow down, speed up, slow down, stop abruptly, accelerate too quickly; this practice of constantly fluctuating your speed is not only bad for your fuel economy but bad for your truck’s engine, as well. Best practices suggest gradually working up your speed from a complete stop, breaking smoothly and setting your cruise control, when possible.
Additionally, slowing your highway driving speed down can make a big difference on your fuel savings as well. Let’s say you have two trucks with all factors the same except their speed – one truck is driving at 65 mph and another is driving at 55 mph. Who do you suppose will have the better fuel economy? The rig driving at 65 mph will use about 20% more fuel than the rig driving at 55 mph. The difference between driving at 65 mph and 55 mph is quite substantial and that is why, for the best fuel savings, it is recommended that big rigs drive at a steady rate of 55 mph.
Making simple changes can end up saving you big bucks throughout the year. Limit your idling time, keep an eye on your tires, lightweight your rig and manage your speed to help you save on your fuel.