5 Tips for Increasing Your Work Truck’s Fuel Economy

As costs of goods and services continue to rise, an increasing number of businesses and individuals are reviewing their spending more closely, looking for creative ways to reduce expenses. Traditionally, fuel has been seen as simply a necessity and “a cost of doing business.” But, what if you could reduce that cost by cutting down on driving and operating inefficiencies? Keep reading to learn five tips for reducing your fuel usage.

1. Keep your idle time to a minimum.

Idling a work truck on the jobsite is a fairly common practice, and is sometimes necessary to run equipment like inverters, power takeoffs and air compressors. However, don’t get in the habit of idling as just a convenience. Doing so continues to burn gas and provides you with no real benefit. You’d be surprised at just how much cutting your idle time down can add up over the span of months and years.

2. Maintain your vehicle.

It’s common sense that properly maintaining vehicles keeps them in better working order than operating without. But did you know it could also impact your vehicle’s fuel economy?

Regular fluid changes, changing filters, and routine engine tune-ups keep your truck’s powerplant optimally efficient. In addition to maintaining the powertrain, properly worn and inflated tires can make a big difference in fuel efficiency.

Check out Knapheide’s preventative maintenance blog post or even our spring checklist to make sure you’re ticking all the boxes when it comes to maintaining your vehicle.

3. Lighten your load.

Although your unit may have the capacity to carry everything you need and the kitchen sink, do you really need it all? Loading your work vehicle with only the tools you need for that day’s jobs will reduce your weight and in doing so, improve your vehicle’s fuel economy. While you won’t be saving millions right away, you could save a few hundred over the course of a year, depending on the amount of weight you cut.

4. Drive with efficiency in mind.

Unfortunately, not all driving is equally fuel efficient, which is why your driving habits may be what’s impacting your fuel efficiency the most. If you’re constantly late, speeding to your jobs, and not planning your route ahead of time, you have an opportunity to improve.

Plan your service calls ahead of time to help cut down on unnecessary driving back-and-forth, which saves both time and money. Additionally, give yourself a little wiggle room so you’re not constantly rushing. Keeping a slow, steady pace will help you burn less fuel than when you’re accelerating and braking.

5. Get the right truck for the right job.

While you can’t change your work vehicle on the fly, you’ll want to make sure that you’ve got a vehicle that’s appropriate for your line of work. Over-spec’d and under-spec’d vehicles waste fuel. It’s vital that you’ve got the right vehicle to get the job done and to do it efficiently.

If you’re interested in learning more about different upfits for the job or have one in mind and are ready to start rolling, check out the links below.