- Drive at 60 mph

- Eliminate idling

- Max warm up and cool down 2 minutes, more is unnecassary

- Maximize aerodynamics, try to have the trailer up as far as possible(due to my volvo being a pig, thats about 2/3 the way back!)

- Ensure I fuel at the best locations possible, south beloit flying hook is a pretty good one. Fuel in Canada is always cheaper.

- Take it easy coming off stops

- Conserve momentum, not rushing up to a red light

- Kicking the clutch in earlier, and more coasting

- Coasting is key

- Keep the truck maintained, including fuel filters, valve sets, and air filters


Last trip I averaged 7.7 mpg.

I know guys that run all-position tires on tractor and trailer. New tires go on the trailer for 20-40,000, supposedly to "round them out" then they get moved to the steers. You have less tread depth to start with but less resistance with those tires.

What does that mean? Same tire on steer, drives and trailer? Aren't trailer tires usually cheaper than steer tires? Do they believe it helps their fuel economy?

That's one thing I'll never compromise, good tires. I run XZA3's on the steer and XDN2's on the drives. Yet I still get very good mileage.

10-4!

Was going thru the some paperwork last night. We have a driver on a dedicated run and he takes the exact same 760 mile route 3 times per week or so. Same weight, same truck everything. Fuel bills are $25 more when he sleeps at the truck stop instead of coming home. And two nights ago, when he was dead tired and slept for 12 hours..... fuel was $50 more.

Coasting is key


..as well as ticket in socialist state of California, i should know as i recieved it !

We are running steer tires on the freightliner and yes you do get better fuel economy. I was reading an article about this last year and it said you have more of the tire in contact with the ground so you get better economy. Made sense to me. Anyway we will be putting steers on the KW when the time comes for tires.

tootie

Only turn the jake on when you really need it (like the mfg intended!). Every time you let off and it kicks in it eats up your momentum - and you have to burn fuel to get it back. Increase your following distance and look ahead distance so you don't have to be using the jake and/or brakes all the time. I think most of you guys think backwards as to what makes the truck eat fuel. The throttle converts fuel into momentum which isn't "wasting" it (unless you go too fast). The brakes and jake convert that momentum into heat, throwing that fuel you used away. Oh - and another advantage to going slower is that on a downhill you have that much more you can let the truck speed up coasting (in gear, clutch engaged, jake off!) before you have to brake to keep from becoming bear bait 8) . I usually set the cruise at 60 with the jake off and let it get up to 72 (in a 65 zone) on a downhill before I kick in the jake. I'd change the programming to do that automatically but then when I'm doing 60 in a 55 I'd be in trouble :shock: .

Another fleet owner. Scary thought, the boss knows exactly how much it's costing him when you idle. :D As an O/O, I've learned to almost never idle, that'd have been $50 out of my pocket, man, that's sprawling out in a decent motel room! Besides, the weather hasn't been that bad recently. I'm all the time walking by trucks wondering to myself, 'is he heating that truck or cooling it off!?' Hey, when it's below freezing, it's sweat pants, a sleeping bag and a heavy quilt over top. Idling is just pissing away money.

Thanks a lot, Tootie, that just seems to make so much sense. I spent $3,000+ last fall on a set of Bridgestone EL 726's or whatever they are called just because it was the first time I purchased drives and I was following what so many others are doing. That deep, widely spaced tread, rarely do I ever need that. I wouldn't put that kind of tread on a car, I hardly ever go off roading in construction sites with my truck, either. I think I'll do what you are doing next time.