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Watch your speed: For every mile per hour driven over 60 mph, fuel economy reduces by one-tenth of a mile per gallon. So, slowing down to 55 mph can save you 20% fuel compared to traveling at 65 mph. Excessive speed also increases wear and tear on your tires, brakes, and engine, leading to higher maintenance and repair costs.
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Drive at a constant speed: Continually slowing down and speeding up is inefficient, as accelerating burns more fuel.
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Find the engine’s sweet spot: The sweet spot is the most efficient RPM at which to run the engine. Running your engine in its sweet spot requires that you drive at a constant speed that is usually slower.
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Avoid harsh braking: Every time you brake, you lose energy. To reduce braking, anticipate changes in traffic and follow at an extended distance.
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Accelerate smoothly: Fast, hard acceleration wastes fuel and is hard on the engine. Try to anticipate acceleration points so you can use the appropriate amount of acceleration for the situation.
- 6Maintain your truck: According to industry research, maintaining your truck and engine appropriately can play a substantial role in enhancing fuel efficiency in the trucking business. In fact, carrying out regular maintenance can result in a potential fuel mileage increase of up to 5%.
- 7Check tire inflation pressure: Underinflated tires result in decreased fuel efficiency and increased tire wear. Keep the weather in mind as temperature changes cause tire pressures to fluctuate.
- 8Check the condition of aerodynamic devices: Make sure all aerodynamic devices are in good condition with no dents, rips, tears, or dangling parts. Minimize the tractor-to-trailer gap.
- 9Watch your load distribution: maintain a low and evenly distributed load. An unevenly distributed load can increase the effort required for your truck to move, so keeping the load height low is essential.
- 10Use cruise control: Cruise control helps maintain a consistent speed and avoids unnecessary accelerations and decelerations. Adaptive cruise is even better; use it if so equipped.
- 11Minimize idling: A 10% annual reduction in idling is worth about 1% in fuel economy, translating to about $500 to $800 annually at $5/gallon fuel prices and 100,000 miles per year. Use a windshield curtain or solar reflector to keep heat loading out of the cab.
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Do not overfill your tank: To avoid potential hazards and inefficiencies, it’s important not to fill your fuel tank beyond its recommended capacity. Excess fuel can expand when heated by external sources such as sunlight or the engine, leading to overflow. This not only wastes fuel but also poses a safety risk to other motorists. Additionally, the added weight of the surplus fuel can decrease the vehicle’s speed and performance.
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Watch your interval: Keep the appropriate amount of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you based on speed and road condition. This helps eliminate harsh braking.
- 14Optimize routing/reduce out-of-route miles: Take the shortest and quickest reasonable route with the least stops to your destination. Plan to avoid rush hour traffic.
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Minimize shifting: Every time you shift the engine, rpms increase, and you burn fuel. Try to shift to the next highest gear while still at a low rpm. If you are not using an automated transmission, minimize the number of shifts you make.