One of the major headaches for the fleet managers is how to reduce the fuel expenses of the fleet. Most of the fleet consists of various new and old trucks. While new trucks are coming with latest technological specifications to enhance the fuel mileage, the main cause of concern is to manage the fleet of older trucks. Fuel expenses of old trucks can put a significant burden on the fleet companies.
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As we all agree that trucking is the lifeline of every country’s economic growth and one cannot allow the fuel expenses to derail it. You can utilize many smaller steps to improve the fuel efficiency of the older trucks. Every single dollar saved on fuel purchases is a dollar earned. Therefore, let’s discuss the 7 ways to make an old truck more fuel efficient.
1. Maintain required tire pressure
The best way to enhance the fuel efficiency of your older truck is by maintaining the correct air pressure in your tires. First of all, you need to buy the correct tire for your truck and to keep them in healthy condition you have to keep the tire pressure as per the truck manufacturer suggestions.
This will not only improve your truck’s fuel efficiency but also increase the lifespan of your truck while also improving the safety of your vehicle. Under and over inflated tires can present the risk of accident and also enhance your truck’s fuel consumption. Therefore, maintaining the right tire pressure is very essential for safe and cost effective driving.
2. Driving within the speed limit
To boost your ifta fuel tax rates for older trucks, it is very important to follow the driving speed guidelines. By maintaining smooth and steady speed you can increase your fuel mileage considerably.
Rapid acceleration and sudden braking can decrease the fuel economy and speeding can burn fuel very quickly. It will all start with your driver, if he is watchful of the speedometer and maintain consistent speed, you will get better mileage from your old trucks. Some trucks come with the cruise control and you can use that to maintain a steady speed of your vehicle. To check fuel mileage, fuel tax software is better option than older methods.
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3. Reduce idling time considerably
For old trucks the biggest fuel consumption occurs during idling your vehicle. Now, it is the fleet managers job to figure out ways to encourage your drivers to cut down on the idling time. The best way is to provide your driver the best route for the destination in such a way that reduces the requirement for idling while waiting for completing a delivery.
By cutting down on idling time, you can save a good fortune worth of fuel and also reduce the risk of regular wear and tear.
Fuel Consumption Easily Calculate By Mileage Calculator.
4. Always maintain the right load weight
Each and every truck comes with a maximum load capacity. You cannot cross that limit as it is mandatory to comply with load capacity. Going over actual load capacity can be detrimental to the fuel economy while also increasing the chances of vehicle’s breakdown.
It is especially very important for the old trucks to strictly follow the load capacity as they are the one that is going to eat more fuel. Therefore, for better vehicle maintenance you have to adhere to the load capacity guidelines. This will help your old trucks to run longer with better mileage.
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5. Avoid cheap fuel
To get better mileage from your old trucks, you must always buy the good fuel. A lot of time fleet managers and the drivers go for the cheaper fuel to save a little fortune. Cheap fuel receipts only cost a few cents cheaper as compared with the good one but can affect your vehicle in the long run. It can affect the engine and other parts of the truck.
To ensure your vehicle runs smoother with better mileage, you must ensure that your truck is always filled with good fuel. Good fuel helps your older trucks to generate better mileage on top of keeping your engine healthy and powerful.
6. By regular and preventive maintenance
This is the most basic way to improve your old truck’s mileage by keeping it in excellent driving shape. To do so you have to maintain a proper maintenance schedule. You need to ensure that your drivers are inspecting the vehicles on time and taking them to service stations for the regular maintenance.
Properly maintained trucks will always offer you better mileage as compared with the ill maintained trucks. The best way to keep your truck healthy is preventive maintenance with fuel tax software. Proper inspection leads to any small problem your truck has at the beginning and you can effectively sort out that problem to avoid any future breakdowns.
7. Shadow parking and shutting your engine off when not in use
During summer time it is important to try to park your old trucks in shade as overheating can cause fuel evaporation. You will spend more fuel on air conditioning if you keep your vehicle parked in the heat while in shade your vehicle will remain much cooler, therefore requiring less energy to cool your truck.
Another way to improve your old truck’s fuel economy by shutting your engine off when you are at the traffic lights or traffic jam. This way you will be able to save a good amount of fuel.
These are 7 basic tips you can utilize to make your old truck more fuel efficient.
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