Anyone got any tips on improving fuel efficiency while driving obviously plan ahead do you think using cruise control saves fuel its just I’ve been told to use it more I only use it on motorways because of stop start told em it depends what you carry obviously carrying egg boxes as aposed to timber is going to use more fuel like talking to the wall needless to say the night lads are at the top of the leadership board wonder why !
Close coupling and properly adjusted cab roof air dams/spoilers for free flow could help ,
I also find wiping my rear view mirrors and headlamp glasses with a damp cloth helps, 
not forgetting to turn your baseball cap with the peak facing backwards and lean down over the steering wheel – less drag. 
.
ps . if your a night driver - you have to leave the cab rear coupling work lamp lit, it attracts the flies and moths to go behind you, rather than hit your windscreen causing extra weight and blobby drag airflow coefficients . 
Ha ha nice one trux have to remember them tips suppose I could get behind the wind as well lol.
We are all being told the same st our place, we’ve been given a memo on how to improve.
A few key things I remember,
Don’t let the engine idle unnecessarily, if it’s cold in the morning use night heater whilst performing checks and paperwork.
Use overrun as much as possible, so on an exit slip cancel cc and let the engine do the braking.
Don’t accelerate aggressively, we are asked not to use more than 95% of the pedal travel (our trucks don’t have kick down anyway or any manual gear selection for that matter)
Use cc as soon as safe to do so.
Try to leave a minimum 5 second gap between the vehicle in front.
Lastly try to avoid harsh braking, so as above use over run and try to plan your gap on roundabouts etc (easier said than done when half the population don’t indicate)
This has worked for me as I was stone cold last on the company driver league before, since adopting their regime I’m always top 3.
Although the way I see it speed goes down, hours go up. I don’t mind as I get paid by the hour and to be fair my blood does boil abit less.
Stick it in neutral at the top of a hill and let it go, not recommended if u have a panic attack if an overspeed pops up on the tacho
BradCarTransporter:
We are all being told the same st our place, we’ve been given a memo on how to improve.A few key things I remember,
Don’t let the engine idle unnecessarily, if it’s cold in the morning use night heater whilst performing checks and paperwork.
Use overrun as much as possible, so on an exit slip cancel cc and let the engine do the braking.
Don’t accelerate aggressively, we are asked not to use more than 95% of the pedal travel (our trucks don’t have kick down anyway or any manual gear selection for that matter)
Use cc as soon as safe to do so.
Try to leave a minimum 5 second gap between the vehicle in front.
Lastly try to avoid harsh braking, so as above use over run and try to plan your gap on roundabouts etc (easier said than done when half the population don’t indicate)
This has worked for me as I was stone cold last on the company driver league before, since adopting their regime I’m always top 3.
Although the way I see it speed goes down, hours go up. I don’t mind as I get paid by the hour and to be fair my blood does boil abit less.
All excellent advice - but don’t associate this style of driving with being slower. It may seem it but generally it’s quicker. Less braking, more coasting equals better fuel economy. Use the gears and exhaust brake for slowing. Take your foot off the throttle aye every opportunity - no fuel used.
Certain bit of the country where u can do almost 8miles in neutral
Try to leave a minimum 5 second gap between the vehicle in front.
+1 Best bit of advice I have seen on here for a long time.
albion1971:
Try to leave a minimum 5 second gap between the vehicle in front.+1 Best bit of advice I have seen on here for a long time.
Is it still ok for drivers to clear the flys off my windscreen with their trailer or is that considered dangerous?
BradCarTransporter:
We are all being told the same st our place, we’ve been given a memo on how to improve.A few key things I remember,
Don’t let the engine idle unnecessarily, if it’s cold in the morning use night heater whilst performing checks and paperwork.
Use overrun as much as possible, so on an exit slip cancel cc and let the engine do the braking.
Don’t accelerate aggressively, we are asked not to use more than 95% of the pedal travel (our trucks don’t have kick down anyway or any manual gear selection for that matter)
Use cc as soon as safe to do so.
Try to leave a minimum 5 second gap between the vehicle in front.
Lastly try to avoid harsh braking, so as above use over run and try to plan your gap on roundabouts etc (easier said than done when half the population don’t indicate)
This has worked for me as I was stone cold last on the company driver league before, since adopting their regime I’m always top 3.
Although the way I see it speed goes down, hours go up. I don’t mind as I get paid by the hour and to be fair my blood does boil abit less.
All good advice; the purpose of which is usually negated by the planners not knowing their backsides from their elbows.
A lot of fuel efficiency is about anticipating the road ahead to keep the wheels moving. It’s the standing starts that really eat the fuel.
Taking your foot off the gas & letting the wagon slow itself down before you need to start braking is a good habit to get into. To do this you have to keep a good distance between you & the traffic in front at all times which requires a totally slow and patient approach to driving which many struggle with.
All great advice and the upside should be a much more relaxed drive hopefully leading to less accidents which in my humble opinion is usually the cause of most accidents ,aggression and rushing should be avoided
If anyone is interested in some technical detail, ■■■■■■■ Engines put out a 25 page guide to the things that affect fuel efficiency, which is quite readable, with some interesting graphs.
Here’s a link to the article: tinyurl.com/jx9uakt
Buckstones:
If anyone is interested in some technical detail, ■■■■■■■ Engines put out a 25 page guide to the things that affect fuel efficiency, which is quite readable, with some interesting graphs.Here’s a link to the article: tinyurl.com/jx9uakt
The article was written in the USA, so refers to speeds well over 56 mph but most of it is still useful stuff.
I still can’t get my head around how cruise control can save fuel. What I mean is that if I’m driving and come to a hill, I’ve got the choice (common sense) as to how much throttle I give it, whereas a CC will give it the works to try and maintain speed. If it’s only a short hill, I’ll let it lose a bit of momentum and ease off before cresting so that momentum will take me over and down to regain lost speed. If it’s a short hill to a flat at the top, I’m still better off because I haven’t used full throttle at all. I might not be explaining this all that well, but I know what I mean. 
Does anyone else think the same, or am I a bleeding old dinosaur ?
bubsy06:
Stick it in neutral at the top of a hill and let it go, not recommended if u have a panic attack if an overspeed pops up on the tacho
Never do this if you’re aiming for low fuel consumption. The 100+ MPG you’ll be achieving will still be more than the ∞ MPG you’ll achieve by leaving it in gear with your foot off the gas.
It is fun for seeing how fast you can make the lorry go though
peterm:
I still can’t get my head around how cruise control can save fuel. What I mean is that if I’m driving and come to a hill, I’ve got the choice (common sense) as to how much throttle I give it, whereas a CC will give it the works to try and maintain speed. If it’s only a short hill, I’ll let it lose a bit of momentum and ease off before cresting so that momentum will take me over and down to regain lost speed. If it’s a short hill to a flat at the top, I’m still better off because I haven’t used full throttle at all. I might not be explaining this all that well, but I know what I mean.Does anyone else think the same, or am I a bleeding old dinosaur ?
That’s the way to do it, cruise control cannot see, so it will keep throwing fuel at the engine until it reaches the predetermined speed, therefore it should only be used on flat ground, in rolling hills you use the momentum of the vehicle to do as much of the work as possible.
peterm:
I still can’t get my head around how cruise control can save fuel. What I mean is that if I’m driving and come to a hill, I’ve got the choice (common sense) as to how much throttle I give it, whereas a CC will give it the works to try and maintain speed. If it’s only a short hill, I’ll let it lose a bit of momentum and ease off before cresting so that momentum will take me over and down to regain lost speed. If it’s a short hill to a flat at the top, I’m still better off because I haven’t used full throttle at all. I might not be explaining this all that well, but I know what I mean.Does anyone else think the same, or am I a bleeding old dinosaur ?
You’re a bleeding old dinosaur.
Maintaining a steady speed is the most economical way of progressing - more economical than accelerating, slowing down and speeding up or slowing down climbing hills and then having to regain it. Accelerating up hills is the worst of all.
CC can increase fuel consumption when used innapropriately. Even with opticruise the vehicle can only react to what is happening not what is about to happen.
CC will also kick in engine braking when it’s better to just let her go up to 60mph if safe to do so.
A secondary effect of braking is always increased fuel usage.
As power is then needed to get going again.
Things like forward planning, using momentum, gradients to keep going, lifting and coasting, gently feeding in the power and not using more than is needed can also help.
Keep it smooth, tickle her along and good fuel figures will follow.
You’re a bleeding old dinosaur.
I’m 69 in June and I can’t remember what I was talking about now. 