Four Ways to Increase Fleet Fuel Efficiency

The U.S. Energy Information Administration is projecting diesel fuel prices to spike for the remainder of the year as global oil supplies tighten due to political reasons and supply lines damaged by tropical storms.

This short-term price increase, however, could easily continue into 2019, according to the federal agency’s forecast. So how can fleet managers mitigate those rising fuel costs?

Our On-Highway team has a few ideas.

Aerodynamics

Race car teams obsess over the aerodynamics of the vehicle in the push for increased speed. The same technology has filtered down to the trucking industry. Tire covers, side skirts and nose cones are just a few of the devices that have been designed to improve the airflow around commercial trucks.

Done properly, these add-ons help improve fuel efficiency. But too often these pieces are added without thought about how they work together. For drag reduction to be most efficient, it needs to be thought of and treated as a comprehensive system.

Fully Automatic Transmissions

Switching from a manual transmission to a fully automatic transmission increases fuel efficiency in addition to several other benefits.

Fully automatic transmissions like Allison operate by seamlessly multiplying torque and transferring power to the wheels. Power interruption between shifts is negligible.

The Allison transmission also allows a fleet to operate at higher average speed and haul more loads, which increases profits. Drivers are more comfortable and aware because they don’t need to worry about manually shifting gears.

Driver Behavior

The human factor can’t be ignored. A heavy foot on the accelerator or sudden surges in speed can guzzle fuel and drive up expenses. Studies have shown that maintaining a steady speed will reduce fuel usage.

Adhering to recommended speed limits and monitoring traffic to limit stopping as much as possible are two easy ways to improve a fleet’s mileage. Tests have shown that adhering to speed limits ultimately will lead to reduced fuel consumption.

Maintenance

Following a routine maintenance schedule can not only save money on the wear and tear of your fleet, but help with fuel costs. A truck running with an engine that isn’t operating efficiently isn’t going to use fuel efficiently.

Our experienced and factory-trained On-Highway techs know how to keep the vehicles in your fleet operating at peak efficiency. Contact us today to see how we can improve your fuel costs.