Wish you could save more money on your fuel costs?  Check out what some companies are doing to help you out.

FUEL CREDIT CARDS

Truckers Advantage www.truckersadvantage.com

This is a fuel credit card that is honored at Fleet One fueling sites nationwide and at over 1,300 rebate and $0 transaction fee locations.  Something to consider is the transaction fee per location.  It doesn’t say that ALL locations are transaction fee free, so you may want to check first.

Momentum Fuel Card offers fleet cards offer up to 20 cents off per gallon on your fuel purchases.  If you are a fleet owner, this might be worth looking into.  www.momentumfuelcard.com

If you choose a fuel credit card, look at the fine print.  Some give you a very low introductory APR rate and then jack the APR to 11+% after the introductory period ends.  Be aware of what this card could potentially cost you in the long run.  Also look at annual fees, if there are any.

Fleet Cards USA offers a fuel savings calculator and assists in finding the right credit card for you.  Fleetcardsusa.com

You pick the area of the country, your vehicle type (18 wheeler) and number of trucks you have.  Two is the least number of vehicles this site will calculate for but if you are a single owner-operator, just divide the Average Savings in half.  Pretty simple.  Something to also consider.

LOYALTY PROGRAMS

Petro Truck Stops

Petro Truck Stops www. Petrotruckstops.com are nationwide and have a rewards program called Petro Passport Driver Rewards.  Here’s a link to get you there.  http://www.petrotruckstops.com/driver_rewards.sstg

You earn 1 point for each gallon of diesel fuel purchased and 1 point for each dollar spent on Petro:Lube services (some exclusions apply).

Redeem points at any of their locations, looking for the Passport kiosk to print out Award Certificates.  Award certificates may be redeemed at the Travel Store, the Iron Skillet Restaurant, the Fuel Island, and at Petro:Lube for all products and services excluding fuel, tobacco, and lottery tickets.  Membership looks to be free as I didn’t find anything indicating otherwise.

Travel Centers of America

Truck Stops of America is another large chain across the country  www.tatravelcenters.com is partnered with Petro Truck Stops to provide Loyalty Program options to drivers.  Earn points to use in their restaurants, shops, and stores.  Plus they have an on-line catalog for easy shopping as well.  Check their website if interested.  Membership is free.

And, while you are on the internet checking everyone else out, check out Easy Trucking Software.  www.easytruckingsoftware.com It is a great software program designed by a trucker for truckers at a reasonable cost and no additional fees of any kind.  Get a FREE Trial Download by going to www.easytruckingsoftware.com and click on Download.  Follow the directions and install it on your computer.  Very easy to use and the download can be turned into either the Owner Operator version or Fleet version with a password.  Information entered into the program is saved, no need to re-enter anything.  Try it before you buy it!  The only thing you spend is your time.

The bottom line is shop around!

Check with your financial institution for a line of credit on your Debit card for business.  See what they can recommend to you.

Like I said before, be aware of all the fine print, such as % rate or APR cost (annual percentage rate), and annual fees if you are looking for a fuel credit card.  If you are faithful on paying the balance off on a credit card each and every month, then the interest rate is not as important to you as to those who may carry a balance month to month.  You may be more interested in the rewards the card may offer than the costs, since you won’t be accruing any.

Let me know if there is a topic/subject you would like to see in my blog and let me know how I’m doing.

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

Knowing the base cost of fuel can save you money.  Want to know how?  Keep reading.

With the cost of fuel what it is, being a successful trucking is getting harder.  That is why you absolutely have to know how to calculate your next fuel purchase.

As you know, the cost of fuel is comprised of the actual fuel cost plus the state and federal taxes collected on each gallon.

It is essential that you know the base cost of the fuel so you can make wise buying decisions.  For example, if you are in one state that has fuel of $2.99 a gallon and has a $0.35 per gallon tax, that would give you a base cost of $2.64 per gallon ($2.99 – $0.35 = $2.64).

The state right next to it is selling fuel for $2.79 a gallon. That looks like a very attractive price, however, their tax rate is only $0.09 per gallon.

This then brings the base cost of the fuel to $2.70 a gallon which is considerably higher than the previous state.  ($2.79 – $0.09 = $2.70)

Finding the tax rates in the Easy Trucking Software program is very simple.

Just go to the tax table page in Fuel Manager and click on the fuel tax rates on the internet button.  That will open your web browser to www.ifta.org which lists the tax rates for each quarter.

By subtracting the tax rate from the gallon of fuel you will know the base cost of fuel and be able to make wise buying decisions.

Let Easy Trucking Software help you run your business successfully.

Get a FREE Trial Download of the Easy Trucking Software software by visiting the website www.easytruckingsoftware.com and click on Download

Tires…….are they really all equal???

According to one of our customer’s by name of Wildbill this is what he has been doing to help improve his MPG.

Wildbill tells me he got another 1.5 mpg out of his old 95 volvo with 2,398,523 miles on it and 3.91 rears with 18sp.  “Unless you drive in mud or off road like flat bedders, change your drivers out for all position steers.  I am using Bridgstone r280 getting almost 200,000 miles on them with rotation of course.  But fact is they are extremely fuel efficient and according to Bridgstone the tire has about 5 % less rolling resistance than a normal drive tire.  And when you do that times 8 tires thats 40% difference on the roll.”

“I get great traction in rain, snow, and ice using the same driving practices.”

Thank you Wildbill for sharing your experiences with us.

Tell me how your tires measure up and what are you doing different to help with more getting MPG.

If you have a topic you would like to see an article on, let me know.  I am always interested in hearing from the audience of what you think and what you want to hear more about.

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

If you are a trucker, you know about IFTA reporting and that it is done on a quarterly basis.  Whether or not you are responsible for doing it or your company does it for you, it needs to be done on a quarterly basis.  All those fuel receipts need to be accounted for and reported.

The quarters for IFTA are as follows:  

January – March and are due April 30^th

April – June and are due July 31^st

July – September and are due October 31^st

October – December and Due January 31^st

You are required to report the following information with IFTA:

Miles in each state traveled and licensed in for the quarter

Fuel purchased in each state traveled and licensed in for the quarter

Fuel price per gallon of each purchase in each state traveled and licensed in for the quarter

All states require you to file your information quarterly and on time with them or be prepared to pay a fine.  Don’t expect any extensions on time, your state has heard every excuse in the book and can be pretty unsympathetic regardless of your excuse.

Some states will offer electronic reporting on the internet at their website.  Check with your state if this is available to you.  Otherwise your state will provide you with the tax rates and a reporting form for you to complete and mail back before the quarterly deadline.

To find the IFTA rates, visit their website at www.iftach.org and don’t forget that this information is FREE to everyone, no membership fees required.  Click on Compliance Tax Rates and then the quarter.  There is even an area to Download Tax Matrices which comes in very handy if you are licensed in more states than not.  Decide on what format you want and download the information to your computer.

Keeping track of all those little fuel receipts can be a real pain, but if you have a way of tracking it electronically, so much the better.  There are quite  a few different trucking software programs available such as www.easytruckingsoftware.com that will provide the tools needed to help you do your IFTA reporting by providing you with reports.

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

Summer is winding down and before you know it Winter will be here with cold weather.

Just when you think you are getting a break from having to run the air conditioner in your truck it will be time to begin running the heater.  

Some states are getting really tough with their idle laws and running your truck to keep cool or stay warm may be an issue you’ll need to address.  Here are a couple things to consider to help yourself.

For keeping yourself warm you may want to install thermal curtains in the cab and sleeper to keep the heat in and the cold out.  Putting a little more insulation in the cab and sleeper can’t hurt either.

Bunk heaters are also very popular and run on auxiliary power.  Using auxiliary power for heating in the Winter or cooling in the Summer saves on your fuel consumption and keeps you comfortable.  But we are talking Winter here and before going out and buying a heater, you’ll first need to decide how long you idle your truck engine to heat your cab or sleeper.  

There are two types of fuel-fired auxiliary heaters; coolant and air.  The diesel-fired coolant heater circulates truck engine coolant through a heat exchanger and helps reduce wear and tear on your truck engine.  Coolant heaters generally come in two different capacities:  light-duty and heavy-duty.  You will need to decide your heating needs depending on what part of the country you are running in the Winter months along with the heater’s capacity.  A general rule of thumb is when the outside temperature is 32 degrees, you’ll need 20 Btu’s for every cubic foot of space for a comfortable interior.  If you want things heated up quickly, you’ll want to consider a unit with a high Btu rating.

Diesel-fired air heaters draw air over a heat exchanger.  This method can preheat your cab or sleeper or provide supplemental heating when needed but NOT heat your engine block.  Air heaters burn from a half cup to full cup of fuel per hour of use and are good in cold weather but not extreme sub zero temperatures.

Heaters also have three types of controls: manual automatic timer or full-temperature.  A manual controller is just that, manual.  You control when the heater starts and stops.  The automatic timer enables you to warm up the truck and defrost windows all before you even open your cab door.  The full-temperature control is exclusive to air heaters and provides you with the greatest control over your cab and/or sleeper conditions.  You control the heaters’ fan speed and are able to regulate the temperature more accurately.  

Installation of an air heater is about 4 hours and a coolant heater is about 6 hours.  An authorized technician should also be used to avoid any warranty issues. 

So after all is said and done, you decide what is right for you and your budget. 

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

Running the air conditioner cuts into your fuel cost but is a necessary thing to have to keep your sanity.  A little maintenance every now and then will help head off any potential problems down the road.  

Check the coolant hoses and clamps for any leakage and tighten up the clamps and change hoses as needed. Don’t wait until a full spray begins or you lose something on the road.  By then it may be too late, especially if it fell off.  Don’t forget about checking your coolant too.

Coolant hoses usually last between 8 and 10 years unless they are in extreme high-heat as is the case near the engine block or hot exhaust component.  Those hoses near the engine block may also be a little harder to find.  Find a clamp and you find the hose.    

Hoses needing replacement around every 4 years include the air compressor, oil cooler, and water pump.  Again, don’t wait until you spring a leak or burst a hose completely because of neglect.  You know that according to Murphy’s Law, if something is going to break, it will be at the worst possible time, in the worst possible conditions.   Don’t forget to check the heater hoses and coupling sleeves running to and from the radiator too.

New clamps are always better than using old once but reuse old ones if you must, and secure hoses with black cable ties.  The cable ties are cheap and do a real nice job keeping things from rubbing together and wearing on each other.  If you just can’t tie off a hose and it could be rubbing on something, create a buffer between the hose and whatever it will come in contact with.  Use an old hose you may have handy from your last hose change, slit it open and be careful.  You don’t want to be slitting open fingers.  Position a suitable length of the slit open hose around the clamped hose and use a cable tie to secure the two in place.  You now have created a buffer, just in case the hose moves around.

Fan clutch linings wear out over time, and like everything else should be replaced.  If you have your truck ignition key turned so the fan turns freely and you can see more than a 1/8^th inch gap, your linings are worn and need to be replaced.

And while you are replacing your linings, go ahead and replace the engine belts too.  These should all be replaced about once every year.  With the fan belt off, take hold of the fan clutch and turn it.   If it binds up and/or has any up/down motion, the fan hub bearings could be shot.

Now rebuilding a fan clutch and hub is something you could probably do yourself, at home, following the directions of the rebuild kit.  But you know as well as I that if something is going to go haywire it will be on the road and away from home, and good luck trying to find a rebuild kit on the road. 

Af you see a damaged fan blade that means it time to replace the fan.  Don’t wait, the situation will not improve with age like wine.  Leaving this go could result in the fan getting out of balance and could wreak havoc on the bearings on the fan hub.

These are only a few of the things can could breakdown and cause you a slow burn.  So  keep cool by doing routine maintenance at home and regularly.

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

One trucking company around the Green Bay, WI area said a pick-up truck with a fuel tank in back pulled up to a semi that was in the shop for repairs and dropped a syphon hose into the fuel tank and syphoned out the fuel.  This was all done while the shop was busy and people around.  Now that is what I call ballsy!

Another rancher out West had a large reserve fuel tank in a field for fueling equipment on his land and had been robbed.  Even after installing a fence and tire spikes the thieves still found a way around to get at the fuel tank.   Persistent little buggers.

Thieves are likely selling the stolen fuel at a discount to truckers, farmers or even to their neighbors.   A year ago fuel was $2.70 a gallon and now the cost is anywhere from $4.50 and up.  Times are getting desperate.

The likely time for thieves to hit is in the dead of night when you sleep.  Some thieves have even been so bold as to pull in with a van over the top of a ground tank and through a hole cut in the floor of the van, opened the ground tank, dropped in a hose and using a pumping device, loaded up stored tanks inside the van.  A  very elaborate system and the thieves were also caught this time.

It is hard enough out there to make a living without having to also watch over your shoulder for another trucker to rip you off.  Be cautious and do what you can to safeguard your fuel tanks.

Locking fuel caps can be a pain.  However, when you look at the cost of that tank of fuel and weigh that against the cost of the locking fuel cap or even your time to unlock the tank to refuel, it seems like a pretty small price to pay.

Be aware of your surroundings when you park your truck.  Park at reputable lots that may even have surveillance  cameras and are well lit to help deter thieves.  Any measures you can take to keep your fuel tank safe is time well spent.

And if you see a thief, turn them in to local authorities.  If it’s a trucker out there stealing from another trucker, it gives you a bad name as well.  I know you are honest and are trying to make a living.  But keeping your mouth shut and looking the other way does not stop the thief.  Some people are more desperate than others and the thief may have a gun, so don’t be a hero.   Use your cell phone and call in the crime and let the professionals take care of the thief.  That is what law enforcement is being paid to do. 

Watch out for each other.  

Eliminate the feeling of being robbed at year end by by taking every legitimate deduction you can.  If you don’t track it, those details on deductions seems to fade with time and by year end forgotten.  Easy Trucking Software is a great trucking program designed just for you.  Check it out at www.easytruckingsoftware.com and get your FREE trial download.  Try it before you buy it!

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

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.

There are all sorts of little things that can be done to your truck to help you get better fuel mileage.  Any one thing doesn’t seem to be that big a deal, but when you do several, it can matter.

For instance, an engine overhead.

According to Scott Vanderheiden, a service manager for Peterbilt of Council Bluffs, IA, an overhead should be done every 100,000 to 125,000 miles.  Why?  Having an overhead done will help the engine breathe better through the intake and exhaust valves.  It also helps the injectors deliver a healthier shot of fuel into the cylinders for better fuel mileage.  This will also help with better pulling power on hills and in terms of response time when you need it.  Let’s not forget saving the engine on abnormal wear and tear.

Then there are air filters.

Air filters are like your body’s sinuses.  If your sinuses are clogged up even a little, it makes breathing a little harder on your part.  Same holds true for your truck.  If your air filter is clogged even a little, your truck isn’t getting the full benefit of unrestricted air flow.  Check your filters at every preventive maintenance check and replace when necessary.  Rule of thumb is you should replace air filters AT LEAST every 100,000 miles on a duel air filter setup, or every 60,000 to 70,000 miles on a single air filter setup.

And what about fuel injectors?

The average life of fuel injectors is about 500,000 miles.  Beyond that, the spray tips become worn and can no longer provide a decent spray pattern for proper combustion.  Nothing worse that worn fuel injectors that dribble excess fuel into the cylinders.  This eats into your fuel mileage by wasting fuel.  To help extend the life of the fuel injectors, be sure to replace your fuel filters at every preventive maintenance check.

Did you say radiator, air conditioner condenser coil and the charge air cooler fins?

If any of these are dirty it can cause your engine to run warm.  

As the water temperature gets up around 205 degrees or warmer, the engine fan comes on and uses some serious power to run using more fuel.

By keeping all these things cleaner, it will reduce the amount of time the engine fan runs  and will conserve your fuel.

I know some of you will run your engine fans when your truck idles or all the time for climate control of your cab. Running your engine fan more, greatly increases your fuel consumption.    Something to think about.

All in all, you do what you can to help conserve fuel wherever.

Easy Trucking Software is like that.  We help you track your expenses to help conserve more of your hard earned money and to get every legitimate tax deduction you are entitled to.  Knowing where you are spending money helps you analyze your spending habits.

Don’t miss out of any kind of savings, where it be fuel or software.

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

Drivers are trying new things and going back to the old ways that are now cost effective. 

Trailers are set as close as possible to the trucks.  For every inch over 30 inches, it decreases your fuel mileage by one tenth of a mile per gallon.  That’s like getting an extra mile free for every 10 miles you drive.  Free is good!   

Make your truck and trailer as aerodynamic as you can afford.  If you’re pushing less wind, you get better mileage.

Lower your speed.  If you reduce your top speed from 70 miles per hour down to 60 miles per hour,  the average truck got .21 more miles a gallon.  Every little bit helps.  

One trucker kept his highway speed between 55 & 60 mph and got an average between 7.5 & 8 mpg.  Setting the cruise on 55 was able to get another trucker nearly 10 mpg.  Now that’s a real saving.

Idling the truck less and using an auxiliary heater to keep warm when you sleep also helps on fuel savings.

These are all small things a driver can do but it all adds up over the course of a year.  A mile here and a mile there add up to many miles over time and $$ saved on fuel.

If you have a money saving tips you would like to share, email /them to me for posting.

Info@easytruckingsoftware.com

Share this article with your trucking friends.

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

Most regions tracked by DOE saw price declines. The largest decrease by region, 3.0 cents, was found in the Lower Atlantic, where week-over-week prices fell to $4.687. The smallest price decrease by region, 0.5 cent, was found on the West Coast, where week-over-week prices declined to $4.878.

The nation’s most expensive diesel by region, $4.907, was found in the Central Atlantic, where prices declined 0.6 cent. California, which DOE tracks separately, recorded the nation’s highest diesel price, $5.027; prices in that state were unchanged after passing the $5 mark last week. The nation’s least expensive diesel by region, $4.643, was found in the Midwest, where prices declined 2.4 cents.

Two regions saw price increases: the Rocky Mountains, where prices rose to $4.68, a 2.7-cent increase; and New England, where prices climbed 0.3 cent to $4.846. 

CLICK HERE to check on fuel rates in your state

http://www.etrucker.com/apps/promiles/fuelprices.asp