This article will discuss about how you can make your truck run more miles with one gallon of fuel and get more out of your truck driving job. Changing some driving and maintenance methods can be of great help in this regard. Let us take a look what can be done to increase your mpg.
First thing goes with the maintenance of your truck before you plan for your next journey: Maintenance can be of two types required maintenance and preventive maintenance. If you make the habit of preventive maintenance than in maximum number of cases there is no need of required maintenance. This measure helps you to carry out your task more quickly as the maintained trucks performs at its best. The fuel required is less and there are very less chances of you truck breaking down on the road. This will enable making all the deliveries according to your schedules.
If you are a driver of the 18 wheeler, then it is a must that you regularly check the pressure of the tires. Before and in between the journey make this a habit. Since these big trucks carry voluminous loads available therefore the tire pressure plays a vital role in its efficiency. Also make the use of standard gauging equipment for this purpose to make sure that readings are correct.
Now that the maintenance part is covered let us see what components you can add to your truck to make it give more mileage per gallon.Check our loadboard blog page for more owner operator business solutions.Adding an Auxiliary power unit (APU) to provide power for your electrical appliances in the truck can go a long way in saving fuel. When the truck is not running and you need the power to run air-conditioner or an electric kettle then with the use of an APU you do not require your truck engine to run all the time. This one time cost incurred will save your daily maintenance and fuel expenses.Adding fuel additives and lubricating engine from time to time will also make the overall running of the truck smooth thus saving fuel in turn.
The next important step comes is bringing some changes in your driving style. The first thing here is reducing or cutting of the time your engine is idling. This is the most effective way of reducing fuel burn. You can stop your engine at many times when your truck is parked for loading and unloading, talking the dispatch requirements with trucking companies or at times when you are in some queue waiting for your turn. This can be at places like petrol stations, service stations, truck terminals etc.
Other tips include running your vehicle at a constant speed a little below the stated speed limit so that you need not apply excessive brakes to control the truck. Next tips is on the use of gears, practicing correct use of gears and its shifting makes the driving more smooth and thus achieving more fuel efficiency. The gears should be correctly placed as per the required conditions. Use of truck cruise control is yet another strong method to make your truck run effortlessly on the road.Taking this few measures into account and you can easily add a mile or two to your per gallon mileage.