10 Ways Owner Operators Can Cut Their Fuel Bills

If you read any lorry-centric news sites at the moment, you'll be aware that times are not exactly good. Fuel prices are higher than ever, there are taxes to enter major city centres and to top it all off the whole world is suffering from an economic downturn. The big companies will manage to get through this, no doubt, but what about the independent lorry drivers - the owner operators? It's going to be a struggle for some of them undoubtedly, but cutting down on unnecessary expenses can allow them to fight another day.

As mentioned before, fuel is the biggest expensive problem for lorry drivers. So here's 10 tips for owner operators that should ensure they can save fuel, save money, help save the environment, and ensure a bright future once the economic downturn lifts.

1. Start Off Slowly

It's understandable you want to make a quick start to your daily deliveries, but you could be costing yourself a packet for only a small gain in time! Going too fast from the start of your journey will save less than 3 minutes over an hour of driving, but consume 40% more fuel and create 400% more carbon emissions!

2. More Haste, Less Speed

In fact, it makes sense to not just start off slowly, but to reduce your speed a little for the entire journey. It may seem the opposite of what you'd think (if you travel fast you should be able to take more owner operator jobs and make more money) but a lorry going flat out will consume significantly more fuel than a lorry going just 10mph less, which really adds up if you're prone to speeding! It's not just dangerous and bad for your pocket though - the same truck will increase its carbon monoxide output and emit more hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. Not good for the environment at all!

3. Save Time with Groupage

If you're like many owner operators, you will have a number of jobs to do in one day. If you can 'group' your loads together allowing you to put more in a single trip, then you will save hugely on petrol with a lot less dead mileage. You may even save enough time to fit some more owner operator jobs in!

4. ...But Don't Overload It!

Even though groupage can be a massive time and cost saver, you need to make sure that you don't overdo it. Overfilling your vehicle can cause a lot of strain on the engine, and ensure that your fuel efficiency suffers.

5. Use a Freight Exchange

A freight exchange is one of the easiest ways to get more owner operator jobs, boost profits and potentially cut costs. It's essentially an environment where lorry drivers can swap their cargo with each other, buying and selling loads. This not only means you never run empty (you can get a back load for the return journey meaning that every gallon of fuel counts) but that you can also move your owner operator jobs that would involve high fuel costs to someone else.

6. Watch Out For Fuel Thieves

With the price of fuel at a premium, and lorries having both large tanks and predictable routines, diesel rustling is a very real problem. While there's no way of guaranteeing protection, you can reduce the likelihood of having your gas stolen by locking your fuel tank, fitting fuel siphon gadgets or alarm systems and parking 'tank to tank' with other lorries, making access more difficult.

7. Cut Down on the Idling

Allowing the lorry's engine to 'idle' more than 3 minutes at a time can cause damage which harms the vehicle's efficiency and shortens the engine life. On top of this it also consumes fuel - in fact, statistics state that excessive idling can add a massive 50% onto fuel costs. Cut down on your idling time and engine costs should follow.

8. Upgrade Your Lorry

Obviously upgrading a lorry's fuel tank is an initially heavy outlay, but it may be worth it if you're using a particularly old rig. Modern diesel engines are significantly more efficient and offer a far better performance with current diesel fuels like biodiesel and ultra low sulphur diesel. The initial outlay is hefty, but you could make big savings in the long run...

9. Keep Your Lorry In Good Nick

Get your vehicle tuned up regularly. Frequent servicing ensures top performance, reduced maintenance costs and improves fuel efficiency.

10. Keep Those Tires in Check

Make sure your tyres are properly inflated before each journey. It may sound minor, but it improves vehicle handling and break performance as well as allowing you a greater fuel mileage - one statistic states that properly inflated tyres can save owner operators as much as two weeks worth of fuel per year!