Ways to Improve Your Truck Mileage
The cost of operating a big rig today has gone up dramatically. Soaring gas prices and other incidental costs have created a climate in which it’s absolutely a requirement to find ways to save. From Texas Truck Insurance come these tips on saving money on the cost of your 18 wheeler operations.
AAA tells us that the average diesel price is $3.90 per gallon. The average 18 wheeler truck has the ability to hold between 150 and 300 gallons of fuel. At that price point, it means that every time that you fuel up your truck it’s going to cost you between $600 and $1100 dollars at a rough estimate. Getting fueled up for the long haul trips is nothing short of astronomical in pricing. For everyone, from the large trucking company to the small independent trucker, saving money today on the cost of fuel is imperative and in some cases, it’s survival.
There are a few ways to improve your fuel-efficiency even when you’re driving one of the big rigs. If you’re in it to improve your take home and increase your overall bottom line– and these days, who isn’t– you can lower the out-of-pocket expenses for fuel by making a few simple changes to the way in which you operate your truck.
Better Speed Management.
Driving can be a long haul–hence the term long-haul trucker. The temptation to get there more rapidly and to increase your speed to do so is strong. Driving as fast as you are legally able to do in order to get from one place to another is something that many drivers succumb to over time. Keeping your foot off the gas and taking your time to get there has a massive advantage. It costs a lot less to get from point A to point B. Even while taking longer, you’re going to pay less to get them and you don’t risk a ticket along the way. Trucking costs enough without adding additional expenses such as fines and costs.
Keep Your Weight as Low as You Can.
It’s tempting to add those extra items to the cab. When you do that, it increases the amount of fuel that you use. It may actually be cheaper to stop for a meal than to carry that mini fridge and microwave with you.
Check Your Tire Pressure Regularly
In every vehicle, cars as well as big trucks the tire pressure can help to regulate the amount of fuel that you use. When your tires are not properly inflated they can lower your take home and increase the amount of fuel that you use on a day to day basis. Check them at least weekly to make sure that they are properly inflated.
These little tips from Texas Truck Insurance can help you to prevent using more fuel than you want to use and can keep your truck humming along for a lot less money.