How to Save Money on Semi-Truck Fuel
Good driving habits can help you achieve maximum efficiency. To save money on semi-truck fuel, you should observe fuel efficiency best practices.
Keep reading for 7 practical tips to help you minimize your gas expenses and boost your profits.
1. Optimize Your Driving Route
Careful route planning is crucial to trucking businesses. Apart from ensuring timely deliveries, it’s also an ideal tool for achieving fuel efficiency. Nowadays, you can find software in the market to improve your navigation and reduce your gas usage.
2. Avoid Idling
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to warm up your semi-truck for ten minutes to reduce engine wear during the cold weather. Modern vehicles have updated systems that you can drive within a few seconds of startup. Avoid idling because it’s one of the most common ways to waste fuel.
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3. Don’t Overfill Your Tank
Apart from being harmful to your vehicle, overfilling your tank causes the engine to suck excess gas. While it’s tempting to pack your tank to save time, there’s a reason why manufacturers set limits. Save your gas — and your engine — by not overfilling your tank.
4. Stay in Higher Gear
The lower your gear is, the higher the revolutions per minute (rpm). The higher the rpm, the more fuel you use while driving. For this reason, staying in a higher gear is the more economical choice.
5. Regulate Your Speed
Driving too fast boosts your fuel consumption and decreases your fuel economy because of tire and air resistance. If you want to make the most out of every liter of gas, it’s best to stay within the 55 to 65 miles per hour (mph) range. Most semi-trucks achieve peak fuel efficiency at these speeds.
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6. Practice Moderate Braking
When you drive your semi-truck, avoid tailgating the vehicle in front of you. Not only is it a dangerous habit — but it’s also a costly one. When you don’t leave enough space between you and the other car, you will have to practice hard braking to prevent accidents. Doing so increases your gas consumption just as much as sudden accelerations.
7. Watch Out for Slippery Roads
When you cruise through slippery roads, your tires work twice as hard to pump the water away from your vehicle. Such a scenario will lead to higher fuel usage. Snow, ice, and water on roads can cause a drop in fuel economy of 30% to 34%.
Now that fuel prices have increased to record highs, good driving habits have become a must. However, you also need regular fleet maintenance and top-quality commercials tires to help achieve maximum fuel efficiency.
While you take care of the driving, Bauer Built will help keep your vehicle — and your operations — in top-top condition.
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