One of the problems the world is facing today is an on-going oil ‘crisis,’ and that is pretty well shown in the constant increase of fuel prices worldwide. For any trucker, even the slightest increase in the price of diesel can mean a huge reduction in revenue. While we can’t really do anything about the soaring oil prices but hope for a miracle, there’s definitely something we can do to get the most out of every gallon of fuel. Here are some tips you can do to stretch the full tank on your commercial vehicle some extra miles.
Observe Regular Maintenance
Lubricants – Keeping a commercial vehicle’s engine well-maintained can improve its fuel efficiency. This includes changing the oil regularly as specified by the truck manufacturer. The oil lubricates the engine components eliminating friction. Overtime, oil can loose its viscosity along with gaining collected dirt. This can eventually compromise the engine’s performance. Less lubrication means more friction and resistance to the moving parts. More fuel is burned to maintain the required power output. Don’t forget the transmission, transfer case and differential oils as well!
One very simple thing to do is to make a switch of all the oils in your truck to synthetic lubricants. Many claims are made in this regard – and the stories out there on the internet are giving truth to these claims! Not only do synthetic lubricants provide extra protection to those moving parts; they really do add to increased mileage in the vehicle being driven.
Filter – Change the truck’s air filter at regular intervals. This filter cleans the air that goes into the engine. Dirt will eventually accumulate over time. If you keep driving your truck without changing this filter, the dirt can choke it up. Less air means less power output since a proper air mixture is required to achieve an efficient burn inside the engine blocks. You’ll end up stepping on the gas pedal more and burning more fuel to compensate for the power loss.
Tires – Under-inflated tires can affect your truck’s fuel efficiency. An under-inflated tire creates more drag and puts more load on the engine. Make sure that the tires are properly inflated before rolling according to the tire specifications and according to the vehicle’s load.
Alignment – Watch out for any tire or wheel misalignment as well. Misaligned wheels will not only cost you more fuel but will shorten your tires’ lifespan as well.
Drive at a Consistent Speed
As much as possible, keep a constant speed when driving. The longer you can sustain the high gears, the better your fuel efficiency since high gears have less stress on the engine. Do not rev it unnecessarily. Use the minimum amount of throttle to get up to the desired speed and keep the rpm’s down as much as possible.
Avoid unnecessary stops. Getting a stationary truck moving actually burns more fuel since the engine revs higher in order to move the vehicle. When planning your route, don’t forget to calculate your stops to get the most miles out of your fuel.
Install a Boost Gauge
It is always important to monitor the boost level of your engine. A boost gauge will help you do that since boost is in direct relation to how much power your truck is making. If you can see that something has changed in the boost level, you may be able to detect some small problem that would otherwise go unnoticed and lower the power output of your engine. This is true whether the change in boost level is higher or lower; either direction can indicate a potential problem.
These are some simple steps you can do when driving to achieve the most miles for every gallon of fuel in your commercial vehicle. This may not save you thousands of dollars right away; but eventually, every mile that adds up would translate to less cost and additional revenue.
Christoper Hunter is an expert in commercial specialty trucks. If you are interested in learning more about Used Dump Trucks, go to the main website at: http://www.centraltrucksales.net/home.
