Fuel, Cost & Efficiency · Driver Training VideoFuel Economy Driving Techniques

Here's the number that matters: every one mile-per-hour you shave off your cruising speed above 60 saves you roughly one tenth of a mile per gallon. That's not a rounding error. Run 65 instead of 70 all day and you can add half a mile per gallon or more to your average.

Idling is the next big one. A sleeper cab idling overnight burns close to a gallon of fuel an hour for zero miles. Ten hours of idling is ten gallons gone before the truck ever moves.

Momentum is free fuel

Every hard brake throws away speed you paid diesel to build. Look far enough down the road to see the slowdown coming — a light, a hill, traffic — and ease off the pedal early instead of coasting up fast and stabbing the brakes.

Progressive shifting matters too

Short-shifting at lower RPM keeps the engine out of its thirstiest range. Let cruise control and the engine brake do the work on rolling terrain instead of chasing the accelerator up every hill and coasting down the other side.

Tire pressure is a five-minute check with a real payoff. Underinflated tires increase rolling resistance, and running every tire ten PSI low can cost you about one percent in fuel economy. Check them cold, check them often, and report anything that looks off before you roll.

Aerodynamics count more than people think. Gaps between the tractor and trailer, a raised fifth wheel, missing fairings — all of it adds drag at highway speed. Keep the equipment closed up the way it was built to run, and report any missing panels.

Your company standard: run the posted speed or five under on undivided highways, keep idling to genuine need only, use progressive shifting and cruise control on the interstate, check tire pressure at every pre-trip, and report any aerodynamic equipment that's damaged or missing.

The trucks that get the best numbers aren't driven by the most cautious drivers. They're driven by the ones who look furthest ahead and touch the brake pedal the least. That habit costs you nothing and pays you back every single mile.