diesel tank on a truck

Lowering Fuel Expenses For Your Trucking Business

In order for your trucking business to succeed, your profits must exceed your expenses. As trucking company owners, you may have observed that fuel expenses are volatile. It is a goal of every trucking company to control or lower their fuel expenses. But how does one do it? What can you do to help lower the fuel expenses and therefore improve your trucking business?

There are many factors that could affect your fuel expenses. In order to help lower it down, let us break down the factors into various categories then look at what can be done to lower the expenses. 

Driving Behavior

One of the most influential factors when it comes to fuel consumption and expenses is driver behavior. One way to help lessen the expenses on fuel is to reduce idle time and top-end speed. 

Drivers could be more inspired to do this if you give them incentives or rewards for best practices. Sometimes, you also need to educate the drivers by providing training or seminars. In that way, it would be easier for them to figure out what to do. 

All About The Equipment

Did you know that the fuel expenses are also affected by the equipment and equipment parts that you use? One of the things that could help your trucks efficiently is to use low viscosity engine oils. This will help reduce the internal drag so your engine won’t be using that much fuel too.

Equipment maintenance is also a key to keeping your fuel expenses low. Well-maintained trucks are more efficient and that means that less fuel will be wasted. 

You should also take a look at the trailing equipment. Lift axles installed on trailers help lessen rolling resistance. Additionally, there is also aerodynamic equipment that could be added like side skirts, trailer wigs, wheel covers, and gap reducers. 

There are also some trucks that are more efficient in fuel consumption than others. These ones should be chosen because they could help you save on costs in the long run. There are also some parts that could be replaced to make the trucks more efficient like alternators

Fuel Purchasing

Another way to lessen expenses in fuel is to buy fuel wholesale. You can also negotiate discounts or find buying programs that will help you save on fuel purchases. Just make sure that even the fuel is still of high quality even if you are buying it at a discount price.

Company’s Culture

In order to save on fuel, you need all employees to be on board with this goal. To succeed, it would be best to educate the drivers as well as non-drivers about fuel economy and its importance to sustaining your business.

Although you could educate and instruct employees about fuel efficiency, there is no guarantee that they would do it. You can improve the chances of your employees helping you save on fuel costs by giving them incentives. 

Measure And Improve

You need to know how to measure your progress. Being able to accurately measure it is key to making sure that your efforts are all worth it. In order to correctly measure, you may use key performance indicators. These will measure and compare fuel economy and fuel expense. 

Today, the electric systems that are fitted in the trucks can readily give us actual readings and data about the gas mileage. However, improvement in gas mileage shouldn’t be the only focus. 

There are some practices that could save on fuel mileage but could also increase the cost of maintenance and repairs. An example is attaching aero bumpers. These will help direct the air up and avoid swirling underneath. However, due to the very low position, they are also prone to damage. That could cost more in the repairs or replacements. To really be successful in lowering the expenses in fuel, you shouldn’t also be spending more on other areas.  

diesel fuel

Effect Of Diesel Quality To A Trucking Business

The trucking business is constantly evolving to keep up with the times. However, one of the things that many business owners or fleet manager neglect is the fuel that keeps the trucking business running.

It is rare for people to talk about the diesel fuel they use for their trucks because of the many different aspects involved in the industry. Most of the time, people think that diesel is just diesel.

However, a change of mindset should be made. Diesel isn’t just diesel. There are different considerations that trucking business owners and fleet managers should also take note of. It is time to look closer at the diesel fuel formulation and consider the diesel fuel supplier because these can have a great impact on your trucking business.

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Trailer Tail on Open Highway

The Benefits Of Installing A Trailer Tail On Your Semi-Truck

We’ve all seen those wind tunnel tests with wisps of smoke moving effortlessly across the aerodynamically designed chassis.  I think we can all agree that traditional semi-truck / trailers are about the least aerodynamic vehicles on the road today, and while modern design have improved somewhat,  you should get smart on keeping your fleet as aerodynamically optimized as possible.  Enter the tried-and-true, industry-tested solution:  trailer tails.

Specifically designed to be used alongside trailers of semi-trucks, you’ve probably seen these retrofitted sheets of metal have been around for decades.  For a fleet operator, they offer a host of benefits including better stability, drag reduction and overall improve safety conditions for your driver and load.

Of course, these aren’t the only benefits that a trailer tail can offer. If you keep reading, you’ll see just how advantageous installing a trailer tail on your semi truck can be.

Dramatically Improve Fuel Efficiency

When you have a lot of rear drag, your fuel efficiency is going to increase. Carrying extra weight can cause your fuel costs to accelerate. If you are trying to keep your spending down, you should look into installing a trailer tail on your vehicle.

Once the trailer is installed, you’ll be able to spend significantly less on fuel. You’ll be able to reduce fuel costs, and you’ll be able to save yourself time as well. After all, if you don’t have to refuel all the time, you will be able to spend more time on the road.

Works In All Weather Conditions

Driving a truck can be more difficult under certain weather conditions. For example, it is hard to drive a semi truck safely when it’s raining. However, the right kind of trailer tail shouldn’t cause you any problems. It will be able to work in any weather conditions.

A lot of accidents occur during bad weather. You should try to keep these kinds of incidents from causing problems for you. If you install a trailer tail on your truck, you’ll be able to keep your truck stable when the weather turns.

It’s EPA Validated And CARB Compliant

The EPA has looked at trailer tails, and they have validated them for use with semi trucks. These tails are also CARB compliant, and they are exempt from any U.S. DOT restrictions regarding length.

There are no obstacles keeping you from using a trailer tail. If you have decided that you would like to take advantage of them, you can install one without an issue.

It Can Keep Your Fleet Competitive

Fleets drive many miles over the course of the year. Fuel costs can be high, and all this driving can cause damage to a semi-truck. If you want to keep your fleet profitable, installing a trailer tail can be extremely beneficial. It will help you to save money every year.

If your fleet drives more than 20,000 miles each year, the savings you see will be dramatic. You’ll be amazed at the difference a trailer tail can make. A device like this can save you a great deal of money.

There are many benefits to installing a trailer tail on a semi-truck. If you want to take advantage of these benefits, you should start looking at trailer tails as soon as possible. Once you have one of these tails installed, you’ll be able to enjoy the perks that they offer.

Biodiesel Fuel Fill Up

Biodiesel – A Viable Alternative Fuel for Truckers?

With the push for cleaner burning Alternative Fuels, Bio-diesel has become an ever more popular source of fuel for motor vehicles, especially in the commercial transportation industry. In essence, biodiesel is a fuel with very similar characteristics as regular diesel fuel. The main difference is that rather than being refined from crude oil, bio-diesel is produced by refining renewable sources, mainly animal and vegetable fat/oil. An entire industry has been created for the direct supply of raw materials to bio energy production plants, with vast amounts of crops like corn and rape seed being produced for this very purpose.

There are many biodiesel fuel advantages including environmental impacts through lower CO2 emissions. But for a commercial truck driver environmental factors are not necessarily the primary reason to switch to a renewable fuel source. There are economic advantages as well that can have a very positive effect on operating costs. However, these have to be offset by some disadvantages that many people in the bio energy industry do not highlight as much as they should be.

In this post, we’ll take a look at what makes a fuel “Biodiesel” and cover the various advantages and disadvantages of using this fuel in the commercial trucking field.

What is Biodiesel Exactly?

Biodiesel is a renewable energy solution that is derived from substances like restaurant or diner grease, plant oils, animal fats and food-oil byproducts.  Since the ignition / compression ratio for these bio-fuels are similar to that of petroleum-based diesel, biodiesel’s chemistry allow it be used in most diesel engines with little or no modifications.

Although the ignition properties are similar to standard diesel, biodiesel burns much cleaner.  According to the U.S. Department of Energy, biodiesels can significantly reduce the emissions of ozone-depleting compounds such as carbon monoxide, sulfates, polycyclic aromatic, and nitrated polycyclic aromatic.  Additionally biodiesel emissions are safer to breathe as particulate matter from exhaust has shown to be significantly reduced.

Biodiesel is available in the United States as a blend with standard diesel in a number of concentrations up to 100% biodiesel.  These include:

  • 100 – 100% Biodiesel
  • B20 – 80% Petroleum-based diesel fuel, 20% Biodiesel
  • B5 – 95% Petroleum-based diesel fuel, 5% Biodiesel
  • B2 – 98% Petroleum-based diesel fuel, 22% Biodiesel

B20 is considered the most common blend for use in North America and can now be found at most truck fueling locations in the United States.  For an updated map of bio-fuel ready stations, check out this Bio-Diesel Retail Location Finder.

The Advantages of Biodiesel

1 – No Engine Reconfiguration

A standard Diesel engine will be suitable to run on bio diesel without any reconfiguration or modification. This means that you do not have to go through significant expenses and time off the road just to get ready for a switch to Biodiesel. However, you should check your vehicle’s warranty to see whether using alternative Diesel fuels will affect or void it.

2 – Engine Operation

Diesel engines by their design are fully reliant on the fuel for lubrication of internal engine parts and components. Without this lubrication the engine will very quickly deteriorate leading to reduced performance and eventually breakdowns.

Biodiesel has the fundamental characteristic of providing more lubricity than even standard Diesel fuel can provide. This is due to fuel regulations that gradually led to lower levels of lubricity in crude oil based diesel.

3 – Fuel Economy

Another one of the biodiesel fuel advantages is that you will see an increase in fuel economy. This means that you can save up to 30% on fuel intake, which means less stops for refilling and you can reduce one of the major operating costs of running a commercial truck.

The Disadvantages

1 – Low Temperature Environments

If you drive your truck in very cold temperatures then Biodiesel may not be the best solution. Dependent on the renewable raw material used in the refining process the fuel will gel at low temperatures which can cause significant engine problems. You can opt for a blend of biodiesel and winterized standard diesel fuel, but for the coldest months of the year it is probably best to avoid it.

2 – Clogging Of Filters

While biodiesel is a great lubricant and cleans harmful particles from the inner parts of the engine, this does result in diesel particle filters becoming clogged more often than they otherwise would. These filters will require more regular replacement and this can add to down time and maintenance costs.

3 – Quality Variation

Because the input material is sourced from different biofuel crops and locations there can be a significant variance in the quality. This can result in different levels of engine performance and therefore different levels of fuel economy. Buying from a reputable and large refining company can ensure a more stable level of quality over time.

The Jury’s Out on Biodiesel

What commercial drivers have to do is weigh the biodiesel fuel advantages against the disadvantages to see whether it makes economic and commercial sense to switch fuel types. The more fuel you use the more savings are available on your fuel bill. However, the increase in maintenance costs and potential added downtime has to be offset against those fuel economy gains.