Fuel-saving tips for owner-operators

Slow down a little

Speed is the cheapest fuel saver you have. EPA SmartWay's fact sheet on highway speed gives this rule of thumb: every 1 mph faster lowers fuel economy by about 0.1 mpg. The same sheet says a combination truck at 55 mph uses up to 7% less fuel than the same truck at 65 mph.

• Set a top speed in the engine's electronic controls. On most newer engines that costs little or nothing.
• Use cruise control on flat, open highway.
• Slower driving adds time on the road, so plan it into your appointments and your hours of service.

Track the result with the truck MPG calculator over a few weeks, not one tank.

Driving habits that waste fuel

EPA SmartWay's driver training fact sheet lists simple habits that save fuel:

• Accelerate and brake smoothly and gradually. Look far ahead so you stop less.
• Coast when you safely can.
• Shift progressively: upshift at the lowest rpm that works, and skip gears when you can.
• Drive at the lowest engine speed that does the job.
• Cut idling and turn off accessories you don't need.
• Avoid long, roundabout routes.

Idling: the cost and the rules

The cost. EPA SmartWay says a typical combination truck burns about 0.8 gallons of diesel per hour of idling. Long-haul trucks often idle 5 to 8 hours a day, more than 300 days a year, which adds up to roughly 900 to 1,400 gallons a year per truck. EPA estimates long-duration truck idling burns about 1 billion gallons of fuel a year nationwide.

The rules. Many states, counties and cities limit idling. One example: California's rule (13 CCR 2485) covers diesel commercial vehicles over 10,000 lb GVWR, including out-of-state trucks. The driver can't idle the main engine more than 5 minutes at any location, and a diesel APU can't run more than 5 minutes while you're in the sleeper if you're within 100 feet of a restricted area such as homes or schools. Rules and exceptions vary by place, so check the DOE's IdleBase database before you run a new area.

The tools. EPA SmartWay verifies five types of idle reduction technology for trucks:

• Auxiliary power units and generator sets (APU/GS)
• Fuel-operated (direct-fired) heaters
• Battery air conditioning systems
• Thermal storage systems
• Electrified parking spaces (truck stop electrification)

Weight matters too. On the Interstate System, federal law (23 U.S.C. 127) raises the gross and axle weight limits for a truck with idle reduction technology by up to 550 lb to cover the equipment. If asked, you must show it works and that the extra weight isn't used for anything else.

Tire pressure and tires

• Low pressure wastes fuel. EPA SmartWay says truck tires 10 psi below the recommended pressure can cut fuel economy by 0.5% to 1%. Under-inflated tires also wear faster and fail more often.
• Tires leak slowly. Truck tires can lose up to 2 psi a month even when the rim seal and valve stems are tight.
• Check with a gauge, not a thump. Do it often, and check trailer tires too.
• Consider monitoring or automatic inflation. Tire pressure monitoring systems warn you when a tire runs low. Automatic tire inflation systems keep pressure up while you drive.
• Low rolling resistance tires. EPA verifies new and retread low rolling resistance tires for tractors and trailers. Its fact sheet reports tests showing a potential 2% to 5% fuel economy gain over conventional duals.

Tires are part of your daily inspection. See the pre-trip inspection checklist.

Aerodynamics: SmartWay verified devices

EPA says wind resistance causes most of a truck's energy losses at highway speed. EPA SmartWay tests and verifies aerodynamic devices for 53-foot dry van and refrigerated trailers and groups them by measured fuel savings:

• Device types: gap reducers on the trailer nose, tails (boat tails), side skirts, other under-trailer devices and aerodynamic splash guards. EPA notes gap reducers aren't suitable for refrigerated trailers, and that not every combination of devices has been tested together.
• SmartWay tractors and trailers: EPA says designated SmartWay tractors and trailers used together can save about 15% to 20% in fuel over standard models.
• Free fixes: EPA's aerodynamics fact sheet also points to keeping the tractor-trailer gap small with your fifth-wheel setting and loading cargo low and even.
• Check the list. Before you buy, look up the exact product on EPA's verified list. You don't have to be a SmartWay Partner to buy verified equipment.

Route planning and deadhead

The gallon you never burn is the cheapest. EPA SmartWay's freight logistics fact sheet notes that in some fleets, 10% or more of yearly truck miles are empty deadhead miles that earn nothing but still burn fuel and wear the truck.

• Plan the next load before you deliver. Booking the reload while you're still loaded is the easiest way to cut empty miles.
• Run triangles, not just out-and-back, when one direction is weak.
• Price the deadhead into the load. A load that pays well but leaves you 300 miles from freight may net less than a cheaper one in a busy market. Check with the deadhead calculator and the load profit calculator.
• Pick routes for fuel, not just miles: fewer stops, less congestion and fewer steep grades all help.

Cutting empty miles is a big part of what a dispatcher does. See what a truck dispatcher does.

Fuel cards and IFTA records

Fuel cards can make record keeping easier, because every purchase lands on one statement. Whatever you use to pay, the receipts have to support your IFTA return. Under the IFTA Procedures Manual:

• Accepted proof: a receipt or invoice from the seller, a credit card receipt, a transaction listing from a third party (such as a fuel card statement), or an electronic copy of the original receipt.
• What it must show: the date, the seller's name and address, the gallons, the fuel type, the price per gallon or total price, the truck the fuel went into, and the buyer's name.
• No credit for receipts that are altered, erased or unreadable unless you can prove they're valid, or for fuel put into a vehicle that isn't an IFTA qualified vehicle.
• Miles by state: trip records need dates, origin and destination, route, odometer or ECM readings, total miles and miles in each state, plus the truck's VIN or unit number. GPS records must log at least every 10 minutes while the engine is on.
• Keep it all for 4 years from the date the return was due or filed, whichever is later.

Run your quarter through the IFTA calculator before you file.

Track diesel prices with EIA data

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) publishes the Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update every week, with a national average retail diesel price and averages for regions such as the East Coast, Midwest, Gulf Coast, Rocky Mountain and West Coast, plus California. Prices include all taxes. It's free and shows the next release date.

• Use the regional price for your lanes to budget fuel with the fuel cost calculator.
• If a contract pays a fuel surcharge, check which published price it follows. Then run the numbers in the fuel surcharge calculator.
• Update your cost per mile when diesel moves, so you know your floor rate before you accept a load.

Questions carriers ask