September 2008, Automotive Fleet - Feature

60 Ways to Reduce Your Fuel Spend

By Mike Antich

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Truck Fuel Management

14. Minimize Truck Overloading.

Not only does overloading consume additional fuel, it poses a safety risk and unnecessary wear and tear on the vehicle. “In our business, our trucks are either fully loaded to the GVWR or on the road constantly or both. It is a challenge to lower our fuel costs based on our business requirements and the type of vehicle we need to do the job,” said Brenda Davis, fleet manager for Baker Hughes in Houston.

15. Modifying Truck Specs.

One way to reduce fuel expenditures is by modifying truck specs to increase mpg fuel economy. For example, fleets in certain industries are making changes to their truck, upfit, and tractor specifications to help improve fuel economy.

16. Modify Tire Specifications.

One cost reduction strategy is altering tire specifications, such as switching to low rolling resistance tires.

“We are examining the ROI on low rolling resistance (LRR) tires,” said J.J. Keig, CAFM, director of fleet maintenance for Brinks in Dallas, Texas. “The unfortunate issue is that often the tires are priced at a premium cost, which can eliminate or even offset the fuel savings on a cost basis.”

17. Over-Spec’ing Truck Engines.

PHH Arval recently conducted a study that showed fuel costs can be reduced by slightly over-spec’ing a truck. Fuel economy was improved by as much as 0.3 mpg by slightly over-spec’ing an engine to run more consistently in the “sweet spot,” choosing a gear ratio low enough to suit a fleet’s application and location and enabling the correct fuel-efficient, engine-specific parameters.

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