Fuel represents one of the biggest expenses of operating a trucking business. By focusing efforts on a few key areas, fleet managers can experience a significant uptick in fuel savings. Some of the biggest opportunities for fuel savings include improvements to truck tires, driver behavior, and safety efforts.
Reducing Tire-Related Fuel Costs
Putting cheaper tires on a commercial vehicle can result in increased fuel expenses later. However, how much fuel a truck consumes depends on several other factors when it comes to tires:
- Fleets will notice an increase in tire and fuel expenses if the alignment isn’t precise. Checking tire alignment regularly can reduce tire wear and tear, which has a direct effect on fuel expenses.
- Underinflated or overinflated tires reduce fuel efficiency; it’s also terrible for the tire itself, increasing wear and tear. Drivers should check their tire pressure during every pre-trip inspection to avoid this issue and unnecessary expense.
- Tread size matters when it comes to fuel efficiency. Deeper treads and lug patterns increase traction, which decreases fuel efficiency. Fleets need to research tires to ensure their tires don’t contribute to rolling resistance without sacrificing safety.
Mitigating Costly Driver Behaviors
Drivers have a significant effect on fuel expenses based on how they operate their vehicle. The following are several ways truck drivers can reduce their fuel costs:
- Truck drivers should avoid revving the engine to expedite the warming up process. Allowing the truck to do so on its own is more fuel-efficient.
- However, drivers should bear in mind the warming up process only takes around ten minutes. Lingering beyond that starts to consume unnecessary fuel. The only caveat to this is when the driver is warming up the truck in sub-zero temperatures as it will take longer in that scenario.
- While many roads have a posted speed limit of 70mph, this isn’t the best speed for fuel efficiency. With every five mph over 65 mph, drivers experience a seven percent decrease in fuel economy. Drivers should bear this in mind when operating their vehicle.
Safety Efforts that Improve Fuel Economy
The top two concerns for many fleets are truck driver safety and cost-reduction efforts. The following suggestions can help achieve both those goals:
- Responsible driving can help improve safety as well as reduce fuel consumption. For example, maintaining proper following distance reduces hard breaking as well as wear and tear on tires—both of which affect fuel consumption.
- Engaging in preventative maintenance boosts safety as well as reduces fuel costs. Preventative maintenance can identify minor issues before they become major problems, expand the lifespan of equipment, and help save fuel.
- Creating or implementing a driver training program can improve safety. Offering incentives that promote better fuel efficiency can make drivers more conscious of their unsafe, costly behaviors while behind the wheel.
Numerous factors contribute to increased fuel costs. Fleets that implement telematics tracking solutions can pinpoint driver behaviors that affect fuel efficiency, set up maintenance alerts, and more to help improve their fuel economy. Contact the experts at DriverCheck to learn more.
