Useful Tips to Improve Your Gas Mileage

If you are operating a fleet of diesel trucks fuel is bound to be one of the biggest expenses in your operating budget. No operation can completely control their cost of fuel but It pays to have a plan. Here are some ways to increase the fuel mileage of your fleet.

Drive more conservatively.  Aggressive driving – which the U.S. Department of Energy (USDE) defines as speeding, rapid acceleration, and rapid braking – can lower your fuel efficiency by 15% to 30% on the highway and 15% to 40% in stop-and-go traffic.

Watch the weight. Manufacturers specifications charts include a trucks gross vehicle weight rating – usually referred to as its GVWR.  The GVWR is a truck’s maximum safe weight and it should not be exceeded.  Extra stress is put on a truck when it is loaded down enough to take its weight beyond the GVWR. The brakes must work harder and may not be able to stop the truck efficiently. Tires could blow and the suspension might be compromised. Extra weight lowers the fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

One of the easiest ways to improve your gas mileage is to inflate tires to the correct pressure. Running on low tire pressure increases the rolling resistance on your tires.  This robs you of precious fuel efficiency.

Avoid prolonged idling. Did you know running your engine at idle actually consumes about a gallon of fuel every hour?

Refueling in the early morning can actually save you a couple of dollars. Early in the morning the ground is still relatively cold. The lower ground temperature helps maintain the density of the fuel you are pumping into the tank. As the day progresses temperatures rise. If you’re refueling later in the day, the fuel has already expanded and you will be comparatively pumping less fuel into the tank.

Changing or replacing your air filter could be one of the most practical ways to improve your gas mileage.  If the air filter is clogged up with dust, debris, or other particles, your engine will have to work much harder to draw in air for mixing with fuel. This increases fuel consumption and lowers gas mileage.

Since 2001 at Managed Mobile, we’ve been helping to improve our clients gas mileage and maintaining their fleet by crafting a personalized Fleet Service Plan (FSP) for every client. A Fleet Service Plan includes checking and setting tire pressure, checking and topping fluids, checking and changing air filters, and much more that will lead to a more fuel efficient, and ultimately to a more safe, compliant, and reliable fleet for every client.