Top 5 Ways to Improve Truck Fuel Economy

The cost of fuel is one of the most significant operating expenses for mobile service truck fleets. In some cases, it makes up more than half of the budget. And as you’d expect, the larger the fleet, the faster your fuel costs add up.

While it isn’t possible to control the price of fuel, fleet managers can make sure service technicians and trucks use fuel more efficiently. Fleets of all types and sizes can reap the benefits when they choose solutions and technologies that reduce fuel usage.

Improve Your Fleet’s Efficiency and Fuel Economy With These Five Tips

1. Pay attention to preventive maintenance 

Maintenance is critical to keeping your truck running optimally, and cleaning the air filters and diesel particulate filters (DPF) regularly is key to fuel efficiency. A DPF traps soot from engine exhaust gases and needs to be cleaned periodically through regeneration. Regeneration is the process of burning off the trapped soot to keep the filter from clogging. It can be time-consuming, making it an easy thing to skip in the moment and move to the bottom of the to-do list. However, the more an engine idles, the more clogged the filter becomes. A dirty DPF increases the need for greater engine output that burns more fuel — which can increase fuel consumption by 4.5% to 7%. EnPak® all-in-one solutions can help reduce the downtime and maintenance associated with the regeneration process.

Other maintenance habits that play a role in truck fuel economy include regular oil changes and keeping tire pressure at recommended levels. Under-inflated tires can reduce gas mileage by about 0.2% for every 1-psi drop in average tire pressure. The bottom line? A well-maintained truck is a more efficient truck.

2. Stop unnecessary truck engine idling

Turning off truck engines on the jobsite is a great way to deliver significant fuel savings. It’s extremely inefficient to run these high-horsepower engines to drive air, hydraulic or other low-power needs — and it decreases the truck’s overall fuel economy and eats into profits. In fact, engines in typical truck configurations can burn up to 0.9 gallons of fuel per hour while idling. This may not seem like much, but the extra fuel adds up. Consider: A PTO-equipped system uses 34% more fuel on average to supply air, hydraulic and other power needs compared to an auxiliary power unit (APU) system.

From a weather perspective, however, shutting off the engine completely can be a daunting prospect when the temperature swings hot or cold. CabEn™ Climate Solutions control cab temperatures without taking up load space or requiring extensive cab modifications. Plus, they can run all day without running the truck engine, allowing you to switch to all-in-one power and eliminate idling. Taking it a step further, pairing a CabEn Climate Solution with an EnPak creates a complete anti-idle system. Operators get all the capabilities they need, including welding, hydraulics, compressed air, battery charge/crank assist, cab heating and cooling, and generator power. They can also decrease engine idle time by up to 75% while maintaining the power capabilities of a traditional PTO system — all with the truck’s engine turned off.

3. Evaluate and optimize your truck equipment

Having the right equipment is undoubtedly important to solve whatever problem arises on the job. Having too much, however, can be more of a hindrance than a help. An equipment audit is another way to reduce overall truck weight and increase fuel efficiency, so you can remove unnecessary or infrequently used tools.

Other considerations include whether you need a crane (and if so, what size) or whether you need a welding solution (and at what output). Once you have those answers, look for tools and equipment that can be combined to save space and weight on the truck, such as using a single APU-type unit rather than several separate components (like an air compressor, welder/generator and battery charge/jump packs).

4. Use equipment and technologies that maximize fuel efficiency

Whenever you seek out fuel-efficient equipment and technologies, know that not all systems are created equal. Look for solutions with technologies that maximize fuel efficiency, such as equipment that automatically shuts off when not in use. Some equipment can also match engine output to the load, so it’s not constantly running at the highest rpm and burning more fuel. Again, using APU-type equipment to run your tools, such as air and hydraulics, is also an easy way to minimize fuel spend. These technologies can quickly pay for themselves — usually in less than one year. When specifying the truck, don’t just consider the acquisition cost; it’s also important to think about your long-term ROI.

5. Lightweight and right-size your fleet

Reducing vehicle weight does make a difference for fuel economy and savings. Every additional 100 pounds on a vehicle reduces the average miles per gallon by 1%, according to the EPA. Using telematics on your fleet and the associated power equipment lets you analyze metrics and review equipment usage data to ensure you have the right equipment as well as the right-sized equipment.

It’s also worth researching to see if smaller, lighter and more fuel-efficient trucks might work for your fleet and still allow techs to carry the tools and equipment they need to get jobs done efficiently. In addition to using a lower class of truck — a class 5 versus a class 7, for example — consider bodies constructed of alternative materials. These can potentially reduce weight considerably and greatly increase fuel efficiency on the road. Lightweight tools and equipment are also helpful in lowering your overall truck weight.

Start Saving on Fuel Today

Fuel costs are likely some of the biggest expenses in your work truck fleet. While you can’t control what you pay at the pump, you can control many of the factors that affect how your fleet uses fuel.

For costs that are in your control, check out these additional tips for saving money within your fleet.