Top Truck Drivers Offer Fuel-Saving Tips
Some of the techniques they have learned will work just as well for drivers of “four-wheelers,” trying to save fuel and money in the face of gasoline prices climbing toward $3 a gallon.
The American Trucking Associations asked for tips from some commercial truck drivers, whose outstanding driving records qualified them for membership in ATA’s elite America’s Road Team that travels the country as representative of the best in trucking.
Road Team members, along with maintenance experts from the ATA’s Technology and Maintenance Council, shared a few of their fuel-saving tips. Many of these apply to passenger cars as well as commercial vehicles.
- Topping the list is making sure to drive a well-tuned vehicle, with clean air and fuel filters, they say.
- And, TMC members urge that all drivers make sure to use the proper thickness of oil in engine, transmission and axles.
- A driver’s habits are important in saving fuel, truckers say. A driver should plan direct routes, curtail side trips, reduce the number of stops and starts, and use an automatic cruise-control feature where possible or at least try to hold a steady speed.
- Don’t worry about the air conditioners. The technicians say that at top speeds on interstate highways, running the air conditioner is likely to be more efficient than trying to overcome the wind resistance created by open windows.
- Finally, says TMC, make sure tires are properly inflated. Tire rolling resistance can’t be avoided, but it can be minimized – and proper inflation offers the bonus of reducing tire wear.
7243
