Guide

How to improve your truck's fuel mileage

Fuel is the biggest single expense for most owner-operators, so even a small bump in MPG drops straight to your bottom line. A truck that gains half a mile per gallon can save thousands a year. Here's where the gains actually come from.

Slow down

Wind resistance climbs fast above 60 mph. Backing off your cruise speed by 5 mph is one of the simplest, biggest MPG wins there is — and it's free.

Kill the idling

Hours of unnecessary idling burns fuel and adds engine wear. A bunk heater or APU usually pays for itself in saved fuel over a season.

Mind your tires and maintenance

• •Keep tires at the right pressure — low tires drag down MPG
• •Stay on top of air filters and clean injectors
• •Use low-rolling-resistance tires when it's time to replace

Smooth driving

Gentle acceleration, anticipating traffic, and using cruise on flat ground all cut fuel burn. Aggressive starts and hard braking quietly waste diesel all day.

Track it so you know what works

You can't improve what you don't measure. Log your fuel and miles so you can watch your MPG trend and see which habits actually move it — the same numbers that feed your cost per mile.