In an era of record high fuel prices, better gas mileage is a goal most of us share. And if fuel management directly affects your bottom line, you know the importance of minimizing your fuel consumption. Everything from driving style to your equipment and preventative maintenance can impact your fuel efficiency. The following tips will help you determine where you can make improvements to conserve fuel and save money.
- Watch your speed. Every 1 mph increase over 55 mph lowers your truck fuel economy by 0.1 mpg.
- Avoid excessive idling. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, idling can use a quarter to a half a gallon of fuel per hour, depending on the size of the engine and your AC use.
- Keep tires properly inflated and check your tire pressure regularly. Under-inflated tires can result in shorter tread, shorter tire life and lower fuel mileage. Ask your Kenworth dealer about a tire pressure monitoring system like the Bendix SmarTire™, Link® Cat’s Eye®, Meritor® TIS or Hendrickson TIREMAAX®.
- Use cruise control and avoid unnecessary acceleration. It takes more fuel to get a truck moving than it does to keep it moving. Cruise control helps you maintain a constant speed and avoid additional fuel burn from sudden acceleration.
- Change your oil and filters regularly. Clean air filters can improve your fuel economy and a well-maintained engine will last longer. Lubricated truck components that move more easily can lower fuel consumption.
- Get routine service checks. Preventative truck maintenance can have a significant effect on your truck fuel economy. Your Kenworth service technician can inspect the systems and components that affect fuel usage.
- Practice Zen driving. Driving aggressively—speeding, rapid acceleration and sudden braking—wastes gas. In heavy traffic, driving slower is more efficient than stopping and starting. You can improve your truck’s fuel economy up to 30% by driving more efficiently.