How to drive for fuel economy

With the cost of fuel making up approximately 30 per-cent of a truck’s operating cost, it’s little wonder many fleets are now investing big money hiring driver trainers to help both old and new drivers how to squeeze extra kilometres out of a litre of fuel

Even the slightest savings in fuel will have significant effects on the company’s bottom line and in some cases, the savings in fuel economy can be as much as half of a monthly truck payment.

And it’s not just new drivers to the industry that require training. Today the average age of Australian truck drivers is 47, which is up from 43 only two years ago. Frequently we hear from seasoned drivers who have just been handed the keys to the latest truck in the fleet, with little or no instruction on how to operate it. More often than not the new truck is up to five to seven years newer than the vehicle they stepped out of.

How can a driver be expected to achieve optimum performance from their truck when they don’t know how to operate it?

One operations manager we spoke to recently explained: “Handing over the keys to any one of the latest highly advanced trucks on the market today to an old truckie who learnt his trade back in the eighties or nineties is like giving a dirt track racer the key’s to a Formula-1 car and sending him out to line up on the grid at Albert Park”.

“I think training and driver incentives are the two best ways of improving fuel economy,” SRV Road Freight owner, Errol Cosgrove said. “We hear a lot of drivers say that most companies offer little incentive to drivers so there’s not a lot of return for a company driver who is working to do better with his fuel economy, consequently they don’t have much of a reason to do things differently.”

“We run a performance and incentive based reward systems to encourage work smart practices and reward drivers who implement efficiencies and productivity enhancements under their own initiative,” Errol explained. “But it has to be more than just a fuel saving incentive. Drivers could achieve significant fuel economies while neglecting everything else and so negate any advantage. Our drivers are in the front line, they’re in the perfect position to see where inefficiencies occur and they should be rewarded for initiatives that benefit the company.”

Here are some of the top five tips to improve fuel economy that we’ve assembled from the best fleet drivers and driving coaches around the country.

1. Don’t idle

Modern vehicles equipped with auxiliary air-conditioners do not ever need to idle except a few moments before shutdown after a hard pull. However, big savings can be gained when pulling into a parking bay, truck stop or depot by starting your cool-down a few minutes before arriving by easing the load on the engine. This reduces the idle time required once stationary.

2. Use Anticipation

Each time you stop and start the truck, you’re burning extra fuel to get the load moving. For instance in heavy traffic, if possible keep a consistent lower speed, even down to walking pace rather than bursts of acceleration and braking.

Look well ahead. Take notice of traffic lights in the distance, if they are green now, they’ll probably be red by the time you arrive or vice versa, adjust your speed so you arrive at the lights while green to maintain momentum.

When approaching roundabouts, try to judge your arrival so that there is a convenient gap in the traffic. If you stop, you’ll need to wait for a larger gap and consequently you’ll burn more fuel while you accelerate up to speed. In trucks with AMT (automated manual transmissions), after coasting and braking up to the roundabout, it pays to gently tap the accelerator prior to entering the roundabout to ensure the transmission positively selects the correct gear.

When cornering, set yourself up by getting the speed right before you start to turn. Select the right gear and maintain a smooth line, the best rule of thumb is slow in, fast out which reduces the chances of a rollover.

3. Avoid unnecessary braking

Maintaining a slower speed than the prevailing traffic flow will reduce the need to decelerate for slower traffic and then speed up again, which burns excess fuel. Look ahead so you can get off the throttle pedal sooner and coast to a stop light rather than roar up and then brake harshly.

4. Accelerate gently

While it’s best to get your truck up to operating speed as quickly as possible, squeeze the throttle gently to build up momentum. Most AMTs will shift according to their programming; many take cues from how aggressively the driver hits the pedal. High throttle demand usually produces higher revs between gear changes and more aggressive shifts.

5. Drive the truck

A driver has one big advantage over most of the automated functions on a truck; they can see the road. Instead of leaving the cruise control on all the time, manage speed and momentum by squeezing or lifting of the throttle to signal the engine and transmission of what’s ahead, because the truck can’t see.

For instance when in undulating country lift off the throttle when nearing the crest of a hill, then let gravity take over and coast down the other side without letting the vehicle overrun on speed or engine revs. There’s no need to go over the top of a hill at full power only to jump on the brakes moments later.

Lift off the throttle early when coming to a stop. Manage road speed according to traffic conditions rather than letting the cruise control bring you in so close to another vehicle that you have to brake harshly.

How to drive for fuel economy

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