Truck Tractor Trailer Drivers Save - Fuel Costs

Time, gas and loads cost money. Any of the equity that you have hard earned driving on the highways , roads and byways of North America – be it Canada , the US or Mexico that you can save is profit in your trucking business as well as money in your pocket. Think of it a dollar saved is much more than a dollar earned – after all each and every dollar that you earn driving your vehicle has to pay more than its fair share of taxes – be it for diesel fuel , gas , lodging taxes as well as tolls and even income taxes. No doubt all of these pennies, dimes and nickels add up fast.

You can well consider that in today’s trucking environment it is even more vital since those who succeed take tight control of all their expenses and factor in every single penny into their profit and loss equations. Its all about mileage, money and costs. Take the time and effort needed to use fuel efficiency tactics and take smart fuel purchasing measures everyday.

Here are a collection of various and assorted fuel efficiency tactics that you can easily employ? It all comes down to common sense. Most of life comes down to the applications of basics. Few apply these simple basics. Do this and you will be in the driver’s seat when it comes time for your final trucking bonus payments to yourself. First in line stands “idle reduction”. It is said that an idling truck burns nearly one gallon of diesel fuel per hour. Reduce unnecessary idling and it is generally estimated that you can save $ 3,000 in fuel costs per trailer a year.

Next on the road learn to appreciate and apply the science and art of improved aerodynamics. Simply by taking the time and effort to think about and apply e the aerodynamics of your typical line haul trailer you can easily reduce costs in the approximate ranges of 15 percent and more. It is not a hard fact to face that you could with ease and the application of simple aerodynamics and streamlining concepts cut out your annual fuel use per year by more than 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel. And these fuel savings work 24 hours a day 7 days a week year in year out.

Improved freight logistics can also come into play. The use of “improved logistics” can reduce the miles that a truck drives empty. Eliminating the 15 % of a line haul truck’s empty miles and you can save an additional thousand of dollars annually. Along with this saving add in automatic tire inflation systems and single wide tires and you are really on a roll. In calculating the benefits of automatic tire inflation systems retrofitting a line haul truck with such an automatic tire inflation system can save you more than considerable gallons of fuel each and every year as well as save expensive tire wear and maintenance. Similarly by specifying single wide base tires when purchasing and ordering a new combination truck from a truck dealer can well save $ 1,000 immediately and reap annual savings each and every year of two percent or even more.

Again rolling down the road and toll way map simply with advanced driver training courses even the most successful transport companies find that with experienced drivers boosting as well as further sharpening and honing their skills and skill sets that they can aim at a fuel economy target and targets of yet another 5 % overall. Some of the loadmasters can do even more and greater. Its all about cost savings and thrift. Continual and ongoing training is always a good thing. You never can stop learning new tips and tactics when it comes to being fresh on the road. Cutting that fuel use by 5 percent further can save hundreds of dollars in fuel costs as well as cutting eight metric tons on carbon dioxide spewed into the atmosphere each and every year. Along with training using low viscosity lubricants can be a most wise choice when it comes to fuel economies. When used in a long haul truck, synthetic engine and drive train lubricants can improve fuel economy by three percent, again saving more than 500 gallons a year.

Although it might be considered heresy by some take the time and effort to be open minded and consider the benefits of inter-modal shipping. Intermodal freight .Inter-modal or piggy back rail transport can be said to combine the best attributes of both truck and rail shipping. Over long distances using intermodal shipping can cut fuel use by as much as 65 % that is compared to truck only moves.

Lastly two most basic and standard means of saving fuel and driving costs known well to every trucker on the road – although not always employed 100 percent of the time. These of course are firstly reducing highway speeds and weight reduction. It has been well proven that a line haul truck with 90 % highway miles that reduces its top speed from 70 to 65 miles per hour cuts its fuel bill and costs substantially. By reducing only 3,000 pounds from a line haul truck, simply by using and employing lighter weight components that smart trucker can well save fuel and costs of up to 500 gallons of diesel fuel a year.

The trucking industry is hard enough – what with the costs of equipment, ever rising fuel and diesel fuel costs, the costs on the road traveling and even foreign competition on the books. Why not be proactive, pare your costs down and be in good shape overall when it comes to your trucking and transport operations. Fuel costs may go up. They may go down. Just as cost control is important to your driving success you can always count that a penny saved in the trucking and transport industry is more than a penny earned.