Fuel, Cost & Efficiency · Driver Training VideoEfficient Trip & Fuel Planning

Fuel is one of the biggest costs this company controls, and most of it is decided by habits, not luck. Two drivers can run the same truck on the same route and land ten to twenty percent apart in fuel burn. That gap is speed, shifting, and planning — nothing exotic.

Start with speed

Above about sixty miles per hour, wind resistance climbs fast, and every extra mile per hour above that can cost roughly half a mile per gallon. Five miles per hour over the plan isn't "making up time" — on a long haul it can burn enough fuel to erase the time you gained.

Smooth inputs matter as much as speed. Accelerate gradually, keep the engine in its sweet spot instead of revving to redline, and use cruise control on flat and rolling ground.

Route choice is part of this too. A shorter route with tight turns and stop-and-go traffic can burn more fuel than a longer one that keeps you rolling at a steady speed.

The truck itself plays a role. Correct tire pressure, closed aerodynamic fairings, and a clean, undamaged trailer skirt all reduce drag. Unneeded weight in the cab or trailer costs fuel on every single mile of the trip, so if it doesn't need to be on the truck, it shouldn't be.

Your company standard: hold the posted speed and the plan's speed — don't chase time with the pedal; use cruise control and smooth throttle whenever conditions allow; manage momentum on grades instead of stabbing the brakes or the gas; and flag inefficient routing or unnecessary out-of-route miles to dispatch before you run them, not after.

None of this is about driving slow or nervous — it's about driving smooth, planned, and steady. That's what saves fuel, saves the truck, and still gets the load there on time.