Improving the Bottom Line by Improving your MPG

Fuel mileage is an important factor when you make your living on the road.  Anything that you can do to improve the MPG rate of your truck is worth consideration, because less fuel means less expense and more money made on each trip.  So, what can you do to improve the gas mileage achieved by your tractor trailer?

Drive slower.  It may sound counterintuitive.  After all, time is money, right?   But, the truth is that a slower traveling speed can have a drastic impact on the fuel economy of any vehicle.  The faster you drive, the more fuel you use per mile.  It makes sense.  If you can keep your traveling speed to sixty miles per hour, you can maximize your fuel efficiency, and ultimately that means that you spend less to get where you are going.  And, in most cases, the difference in speed will not have a tremendous impact on drive time.

Optimize your vehicle.  Today, there is much done to improve the aerodynamics of vehicles, and that includes tractor trailers.  In addition to improvements in structural design, the right tires can help immensely, by cutting down on road resistance, thereby reducing the effort needed to continue moving.  Less resistance means less fuel consumed.  That means better mileage and more profit.

Stop Idling.  It is no secret that a traffic jam can devastate the fuel economy of a vehicle.  Idling of any kind can do the same.  Whenever possible, turn the vehicle off and avoid this fuel sapping standstill.

If you aren’t the driver, but rather the owner or manager of the fleet, be sure that you properly train your new recruits.  Good training means improved safety on the road, but it also means that you can pass on the tricks of the trade related to fuel economy.

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