Tips to Minimize Fuel Costs
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TIPS FOR FLEET MANAGERS Fleet managers – including IT professionals, safety directors and operations managers – all can put pencil to paper and contribute to lowering fuel consumption by employing any number of strate- gies and technologies. Investigate traffic problems, and plan around them. Slow traffic not only 1sucks hours from a driver’s on-duty time, it also requires more decelera- COMMON tion and acceleration, which requires more fuel. Check state U.S. Department of Transportation Websites for potential con- struction projects CENTS and traffic on a route. Use route-planning TIPS TO MINIMIZE software or a GPS unit. 2Choosing the short- est, most practical truck route FUEL COSTS can save hundreds of dollars a year in fuel. Spoken turn-by-turn BY AARON HUFF, TODD DILLS, JACK ROBERTS AND JAMES JAILLET directions will take you directly to ith the “new norm” cost of diesel at $4 per gallon, fl eets street-level addresses. With navi- should look at every possible opportunity to lower fuel gation, savings of 10 or 15 miles consumption. Like no other time in the trucking indus- a week are possible by eliminat- try, every drop counts. ing out-of-route miles. A tractor-trailer combo or driver able to improve fuel Weconomy by a mile per gallon gained is huge in savings terms. Plan fuel stops carefully. The difference between 6 and 7 mpg on a power unit operating 120,000 Some in-cab navigation miles annually is nearly $12,000. Multiply that for a fl eet with 100 3systems and smartphone trucks, and the savings come to $1.2 million per year. apps include real-time infor- Unfortunately, there is no silver bullet or overnight solution when it comes mation in their point-of- to improving fuel economy. But by paying close attention to a number of small interest features to help gains, fl eets can fi nd incremental ways to lower fuel drivers search for the costs effectively. nearest fuel locations Understand that every aspect of a fl eet’s organiza- and cheapest prices tion can impact fuel costs – not just the driver. With on their route. that in mind, here are 75 useful tips that fl eet managers, company drivers, maintenance managers and equipment purchasers can use to lower fuel costs. COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2012 1 FUEL TIPS CONSOLIDATE FUEL PURCHASES. Fuel card providers have negotiated discounts with truckstops, but just as importantly, drivers and fleets can use the data they collect to compare and consoli- date fuel purchases to negotiate more savings. Renegotiate fuel surcharge agreements. Isolate data and look for correlations. Fuel efficiency may be a better cal- Technology enables carriers to create ECMs record many things that can culation for your fleet instead of fuel 5surcharge programs using lane-specif- 8affect fuel economy. Look for notice- 13economy. Hauling 40,000 pounds ic fuel prices and a daily reset. able changes in average speed, top gear at 6 mpg day in and day out may be time, diesel particulate filter regenera- better for your bottom line than hauling tions, shifting and idling. Compare those 30,000 pounds at 7 mpg. trends with fuel economy during the same period. Consider other calculations to deter- mine fuel efficiency. Hours on the Check your fuel consumption by route. If 14road per gallon instead of mpg you have dedicated runs that can be may be a better measurement in some 9made via either interstate or a shorter applications. route with a lot of stop-and-go traffic, run trials for fuel usage and time to see Use reefer monitoring systems. An which is the most efficient. often-overlooked expense is burn- 15ing excess fuel to cool trailers. Use fuel incentive programs. Capture Trailer monitoring systems capture the data to compare drivers against vital information needed to use no more 10their peers based on mpg, idle fuel than necessary. time and other fuel metrics, and offer BYPASS WEIGH STATIONS AND TOLL cash rebates and rewards for perfor- Eliminate fuel theft. Truckstops and BOOTHS. Enrolling in programs mance. Consider taking a team approach fleets are beginning to use cardless such as PrePass and electronic to encourage top-performing drivers to 16systems with infrared technology toll collection systems can help mentor less-efficient drivers. Don’t rely and/or radio frequency identification that drivers avoid burning extra fuel solely on mpg as a measuring stick, as prevent fuel purchases from going into by stopping and then accelerat- there are too many variables outside the the wrong tank. ing back to speed. driver’s control. Employ telematics. To influence Analyze fuel consumption trends. When Be efficient across the board. Fill trail- drivers, you need data points, mpg falls, try to determine why. Did ers to capacity to haul more freight 17which is why telematics have 7you encounter more urban driving? 11while burning less fuel and driving become so important in boosting fuel Did your length of haul change? As a fewer miles. economy. general rule, drops of more than 0.5 mpg are due to maintenance problems. ECMs Consider trailer size and weight. Create driver scorecards. Onboard can be wildly optimistic, so your actual Are you getting the most out computers capture a range of mileage may be lower than indicated. 12of 53-foot trailers? Or can you 18information on how drivers are Validate ECM readings with your own get by with a smaller trailer? Why burn performing. This information can be calculations based on the odometer and fuel to haul a heavier trailer around if presented to managers and drivers in an gallons purchased at fillup. it’s not needed? easy-to-use scorecard format. 2 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2012 FUEL TIPS Locate trailers. Have you ever spent Avoid revving the engine between Lower your average highway speed. time and fuel looking for a trailer shifts. Ease into each new gear, Every mph over 55 equals a 0.1- 19in a parking lot? Trailer-tracking 25and don’t be in a hurry to climb 30mpg drop in fuel economy. systems provide the trailer’s precise loca- through them. tion to remove all uncertainty. Don’t punch the throttle. Gradually Run in your engine’s sweet spot. put your foot into it, pretending Minimize distractions in the cab. Once you reach cruising speed, 31there’s an egg between the pedal Lock out all in-cab interactive 26operating in the peak torque zone and the floorboard. Use smooth, steady 20devices, including cell phones, gives you optimum horsepower so that the accelerator inputs to avoid fuel burn to keep the focus on driving and fuel engine runs most efficiently. It takes only spikes. economy. about 200 horsepower to maintain 65 mph. Maximize use of cruise control. That Use speed governors. But recognize Minimize air-conditioning use. enables you to avoid wasteful that they are unpopular with Running the A/C delivers a 32throttle use to climb hills. 21drivers, so take the time to com- 272/10- to 4/10-mpg hit. municate your reasons and objectives for Use truckstops atop hills. Driving spec’ing them. Anticipate traffic lights. If you can uphill toward the truckstop approach slowly and avoid a 33allows natural deceleration, and Look for exceptions. Set up instant 28complete stop, it saves fuel and going downhill to re-enter the highway alert notifications when any reduces equipment wear. requires less fuel. 22action is out of bounds. This strategy will ensure you have the infor- mation when you need it – now – rather than days or weeks after the fact. TIPS FOR DRIVERS Of all the factors affecting fuel economy, including aerodynamics and tire maintenance, more than a third are attributable to driver skills. Turn off the engine. Drivers should avoid excessive warm-up times 23when starting the truck, even for a short time. Look for other times when MAINTAIN AN EXTENDED FOLLOWING DISTANCE. drivers have a habit of idling. It helps to prevent unnecessary acceleration due to frequent braking. USE SHOREPOWER WHEN IT’S AVAILABLE. Many inverters and auxiliary power units come with a plug-in option that converts incoming current to DC to charge the batteries, using AC to power climate-control units and/or in-cab accessories. The truckstop electrification move- ment to help eliminate idling has gained steam Todd Dills Todd in the last year, with plug-in options available at many more parking spaces. 3 COMMERCIAL CARRIER JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2012 FUEL TIPS Avoid needless acceleration when Keep up with oil and oil filter chang- Monitor tire pressure. Each 10 psi not on cruise. Don’t hit the throttle es. A well-maintained engine not that tires are underinflated reduces 34too much when approaching the 36only lasts longer, it also has a fuel 43fuel economy by 1 percent. Check hill’s crest. Instead, lay off the throttle and efficiency edge. tire pressure during pretrip. Tire pressure let the truck’s momentum carry it over. monitoring systems can monitor the pressure Watch the boost gauge for an exact read of Keep belts at proper tension. Even of each tire and, through wireless communi- what you’re doing. slight slipping creates parasitic cations, provide instant alerts through an in- 37horsepower loss. Make sure all cab display the instant a tire is underinflated. TIPS FOR belts are tightened properly and in good MAINTENANCE MANAGERS condition. Check wheel alignment. Make Next to driver behavior, a fleet’s alignment testing – both on the maintenance program has the next- Maintain fuel filters. Clogged filters 44tractor and trailer – part of your biggest net effect on fuel economy. make the engine run rough and periodic maintenance. It’s essential for opti- Routinely check systems and com- 38work harder.