10 Ways Owner Operators Can Cut Their Fuel Bills

If you read any lorry-centric news sites at the moment, you’ll be aware that times are not exactly good. Fuel prices are higher than ever, there are taxes to enter major city centres and to top it all off the whole world is suffering from an economic downturn. The big companies will manage to get through this, no doubt, but what about the independent lorry drivers - the owner operators? It’s going to be a struggle for some of them undoubtedly, but cutting down on unnecessary expenses can allow them to fight another day.

As mentioned before, fuel is the biggest expensive problem for lorry drivers. So here’s 10 tips for owner operators that should ensure they can save fuel, save money, help save the environment, and ensure a bright future once the economic downturn lifts.

1. Start Off Slowly

It’s understandable you want to make a quick start to your daily deliveries, but you could be costing yourself a packet for only a small gain in time! Going too fast from the start of your journey will save less than 3 minutes over an hour of driving, but consume 40% more fuel and create 400% more carbon emissions!

2. More Haste, Less Speed

In fact, it makes sense to not just start off slowly, but to reduce your speed a little for the entire journey. It may seem the opposite of what you’d think (if you travel fast you should be able to take more owner operator jobs and make more money) but a lorry going flat out will consume significantly more fuel than a lorry going just 10mph less, which really adds up if you’re prone to speeding! It’s not just dangerous and bad for your pocket though - the same truck will increase its carbon monoxide output and emit more hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. Not good for the environment at all!

3. Save Time with Groupage

If you’re like many owner operators, you will have a number of jobs to do in one day. If you can ‘group’ your loads together allowing you to put more in a single trip, then you will save hugely on petrol with a lot less dead mileage. You may even save enough time to fit some more owner operator jobs in!

4. But Don’t Overload It!

Even though groupage can be a massive time and cost saver, you need to make sure that you don’t overdo it. Overfilling your vehicle can cause a lot of strain on the engine, and ensure that your fuel efficiency suffers.

5. Use a Freight Exchange

A freight exchange is one of the easiest ways to get more owner operator jobs, boost profits and potentially cut costs. It’s essentially an environment where lorry drivers can swap their cargo with each other, buying and selling loads. This not only means you never run empty (you can get a back load for the return journey meaning that every gallon of fuel counts) but that you can also move your owner operator jobs that would involve high fuel costs to someone else.

6. Watch Out For Fuel Thieves

With the price of fuel at a premium, and lorries having both large tanks and predictable routines, diesel rustling is a very real problem. While there’s no way of guaranteeing protection, you can reduce the likelihood of having your gas stolen by locking your fuel tank, fitting fuel siphon gadgets or alarm systems and parking ‘tank to tank’ with other lorries, making access more difficult.

7. Cut Down on the Idling

Allowing the lorry’s engine to ‘idle’ more than 3 minutes at a time can cause damage which harms the vehicle’s efficiency and shortens the engine life. On top of this it also consumes fuel - in fact, statistics state that excessive idling can add a massive 50% onto fuel costs. Cut down on your idling time and engine costs should follow.

8. Upgrade Your Lorry

Obviously upgrading a lorry’s fuel tank is an initially heavy outlay, but it may be worth it if you’re using a particularly old rig. Modern diesel engines are significantly more efficient and offer a far better performance with current diesel fuels like biodiesel and ultra low sulphur diesel. The initial outlay is hefty, but you could make big savings in the long run...

9. Keep Your Lorry In Good Nick

Get your vehicle tuned up regularly. Frequent servicing ensures top performance, reduced maintenance costs and improves fuel efficiency.

10. Keep Those Tires in Check

Make sure your tyres are properly inflated before each journey. It may sound minor, but it improves vehicle handling and break performance as well as allowing you a greater fuel mileage - one statistic states that properly inflated tyres can save owner operators as much as two weeks worth of fuel per year!

Related Videos

Play Video How to take a Drinking Water Sample

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Trucks SUVs" article category.

People interested in the above article "10 Ways Owner Operators Can Cut Their Fuel Bills" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

 

Used Trucks Industries are being rocked by Chevy Trucks!!

Chevy trucks for sale are having many of the features and also they are having all the speed oriented and performance oriented features. Also these Chevy trucks are the first choice of the users as they are unbeaten in performance. Models like Avalanche, Silverado and Colorado are the hot cakes of the times. Have used Chevy trucks and make your lives speedier and gear full!!

Hyundai Santa Fe - The Daring Luxury SUV

Hyundai Motor India luxury Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) 'Santa Fe' has its mega power to rule the roads. It will be available in both petrol and diesel versions with the most demanding cost somewhere around 19-22 lakhs, catering to the segment which adores to possess everything that looks royal. Riding on the huge success of Hyundai i10 and i20, the newest SUV from Hyundai Motor, Santa Fe will also make its position in the heavy-wieght segment of SUV's.

Lucky Mascots for Van Drivers

For as long as cars have been on the road, drivers have been adorning their windshields with lucky amulets designed to provide them with safety on their long journeys. These amulets differ throughout the world, from the evil eyes of Turkey and the Middle East to the slightly stranger rabbit feet often used as a talisman in Europe. So whether you're thinking of getting a mascot to guide you on your self-employed courier job, or already have one dangling from your windshield and just want to know the meaning, our guide will help you to discover the true meaning behind your chosen charm...

What You Didn’t Know About The Hummer

General Motors’ contribution to the outsized SUV stable is the Hummer, a vehicle that has had a relatively short but equally contentious lifetime. Based on the US Army’s Military High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle (MMWV or Hum-Vee), the Hummer is the layman’s answer to a tiny tank and its off-road capabilities are more than awe-inspiring.

Extreme Diesel Performance Part 2 of 2

Now once you have gone as far as you can on bolt on parts, its time to start doubling up...on everything! The great thing about diesels is that they don't have to be as fine tuned as gas vehicles. If you can find a way to dump more fuel into them then it's all a matter of mixing enough oxygen with the fuel.

Extreme Diesel Performance Part 1 of 2

The fact of the matter is that in the past few years the diesel performance industry has grown by leaps and bounds and what were considered to be extreme diesel performance modifications back then won’t even let you keep up with the big boys nowadays.

How to Change Spark Plugs and Wires

Okay... this is the 'sixty four thousand dollar' question – When should you change your Spark Plugs and Leads? Quick answer: 'Before it gets too late and costs you a fortune in Garage fees!' But that is not what you want to hear so this is a recommendation only.