A couple more little things……

 In a previous article I mentioned that it’s the little things in life that really add up.  Here are a couple more things to think about doing to your truck for better fuel savings.

Adjusting the clutch -

Allow your clutch to have good free travel and a soft pedal.  By soft pedal I mean about two inches of free play, so it does not slip.  If your clutch slips, even a little, it will eat into your fuel mileage.  And let’s not forget about that premature expensive clutch replacement down the road because of clutch slips.

When was your last axle alignment?

Keeping everything aligned keeps your truck rolling with less resistance.  This helps to prolong the life of your tires.  Have the alignment checked every time you replace tires, even if your truck or trailer is brand new.  It’s a given that trucks and trailers are hustled down the assembly line and get just a “rough” alignment to get them out the door faster.  

Can’t say enough about tire pressure..

This is such a simple thing to check and often overlooked.  Check your tire pressure daily.  Your tires are probably your second-largest operating expense.  Poor tire pressure results in more rolling resistance, causing lower fuel mileage or worse, causing the adjacent tire on that hub to blow because of heat from excess weight.  Not a good thing.

Aerodynamics

Less wind drag equals better fuel efficiency.  Pretty simple, pretty basic.  Most newer trucks come with some sort of aerodynamic enhancements on them.   If you are in the market for a new truck, check out the aerodynamic models.  

Long hooded trackers look great, but you know, pushing that big hood through air is like pushing a brick through mashed potatoes.  At least mashed potatoes with gravy taste good.  Where the other you are losing precious fuel mileage. 

Look for air deflectors above the sleeper that benefit the van haulers and fuel tank fairing panels.  Check for any lose or damaged panels that could be catching the wind, they will defeat their whole purpose.  

Bug shields are nice to have, but again they create enough wind drag to be detrimental to your truck’s fuel mileage.

If you pull a van trailer and your truck has a sliding fifth wheel, close the gap between truck and trailer to minimize the wind turbulence between the two.  Do this as you can taking into consideration the weight and allowable room you have.

Doing just a couple things can help you realize some fuel savings and better fuel mileage.  I know you’re busy getting it down the road.  But when you do stop, and since you are out of the truck anyway, take a few extra minutes to check your truck and trailer over.

Just like checking your truck and trailer over to maximize your fuel mileage, check out Easy Trucking Software to help streamline your paperwork and maximize your deductions.

I’m not saying Easy Trucking Software has all the answers but it really does an exceptional job at keeping your paperwork organized and it’s easy to use.

Easy Truckin is brought to you by Easy Trucking Software. We hope you enjoy it.