Maintaining Fuel Efficiency
As a trucker, one of your biggest expenses is always going to be fuel. How can you maintain optimal fuel efficiency?
As a trucker, one of your biggest expenses is always going to be fuel. Your truck’s fuel tanks are enormous, and diesel fuel can be quite expensive. Even if the price of fuel isn’t coming out of your pocket, it is important to try to keep fuel costs as low as you can. Here are some ways you can keep your fuel use as efficient as possible.
Don’t Overuse the Brakes
Whenever your truck comes to a complete stop, it requires a huge amount of effort, and fuel, to get going again. While it is absolutely essential to follow stop signs, traffic lights, and all relevant traffic laws, you should try to limit complete stops. Planning your route to avoid traffic is one great way to do this!
Keep Your Speed Steady
For trucks as well as regular passenger vehicles, regulating your speed will regulate your fuel usage. Every time you press the gas pedal, you use more fuel. Maintaining a steady speed at the speed limit will optimize your fuel efficiency during your trip.
Maintain Tire Pressure
It may surprise you how much tire pressure affects fuel efficiency. Every one-psi drop in pressure decreases your mileage by around .3%. When you think about how much air and air pressure you need to inflate your truck tires, that could add up to a sizeable efficiency decrease over time.
Use Momentum Whenever You Can
When you’re trying to be more fuel-efficient, physics can be your friend. Whenever you’re going down an incline, you can ease off the gas and therefore use less fuel. The momentum you’ve already created will carry you. Just keep a close eye on your speed, as some inclines can be quite steep and therefore create a bit too much momentum.
Even Out the Weight of Your Loads
When your truck is being loaded, try to make sure the load is as even and as low as possible. Uneven distribution of weight can cause your truck to need more effort to get going. The less effort required, the less fuel that will be used.
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