Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/85435
Beyond anti-idling Plan your route Espinosa recommends meticulous route planning – taking traffic jams and construction into consideration – to minimize starting and stopping. "Neither is good for fuel mileage," he says. Albert says that if time allows, he won't leave during morning rush hour. "I might decide to sit down and eat breakfast for an hour rather than going to sit in traffic." Out-of-route miles present a two- fold loss, says Bethea. "You're not getting paid for them and you're burning fuel. You can spend a couple of grand there in just out- of-route miles if you do it often enough." GPS units with route-planning software can help you avoid unnecessary miles, and some offer subscriptions to real-time traffic services. Checking conditions online on sites such as traffic.com can help you avoid construction zones and traffic jams, too. Act on mileage data One of the best ways operators can improve fuel mileage, Albert says, is to keep tabs on your fuel efficiency and use that information to test changes in your equipment or operation. Weigh To Win Sweepstakes January 1 - June 1, 2012. THE TRUCK IS EQUIPPED WITH: CAT Scale and You Could WIN a 2012 Ford F250 Crew Cab 4x4! Weigh Your Truck on a ® Like us on Facebook. See Sweepstakes Rules at weightowin.com 44 OVERDRIVE MAY 2012 Getting that data starts with tracking every tank. Albert keeps a clipboard and paper in his cab and calculates his mpg for the previous tank each time he fills up. He averages 9 mpg in his current truck and holds an 8.6 mpg lifetime average. "Everyone I've talked to that started keeping track started seeing improvement," Albert says. "I sort of make a game out of it. If I turn a good number, I see what I did right and what I need to do more of. If you do something wrong, it magnifies it and teaches you not to do it again." Zack Ellison, director of customer technical support for Cummins, says fleets have tools that can offload information from engine computers that detail percentage in top gear and "all parameters for fuel economy," he says. Trucks that run in top gear more than 90 percent of the time get the best fuel mileage, Ellison says. Some modern GPS units and electronic logs can help keep track of fuel mileage, too. Circle 178 on Reader Service Card or visit overdrive.hotims.com