With gas prices sky high and no sign of them falling any time soon, fuel efficiency is probably at the forefront of your mind. If you're a business owner who uses trucks extensively and intricately as part of your business, you may even be wondering how the price of fuel will cut into your bottom line.
Wagner Used Equipment is a top-rated Caterpillar dealer in Colorado, New Mexico, and far west Texas. Our team is passionate about helping you find the best used and rental heavy equipment for all of your tasks at hand. We understand value, which is why we've engineered the best heavy equipment that will last for decades with the proper care and maintenance. Our service technicians are factory-trained and can troubleshoot any problem you may have. Below, we'll take a look at some fuel-efficient tips for your Caterpillar trucks. Shop one of our Cat dealers today!
Lower Your Speed
It can be extremely hard to drive a bit slower than you are used to, but when faced with rising gas prices, lowering your speed is one of the best ways to decrease fuel consumption because you are using less horsepower. For every mile-per-hour you slow down, you can save almost 1/10 of a mile per gallon in fuel. This means if you slow down just by five miles, your highway miles per gallon fuel usage will go up half a mile. When you multiply this fuel savings over the course of a year, it adds up big time.
Lay Off the Brakes
Another great fuel-saving tip is to use gravity and Newton's first law of motion that says a moving object wants to stay in motion until acted upon. Thus, when you take your foot off the gas, instead of immediately applying the brakes to slow down, you can use the motion of your truck to coast, essentially using no gas at all until you brake. This means avoid slamming on your brakes, too. Instead, just let off the gas pedal earlier when coming to a stop light, and see the difference in fuel you'll save.
Don't Idle Unless It's For Short Periods of Time
Idling your Caterpillar truck uses up to half a gallon of fuel per hour. This means if you leave your truck running while you "run" inside some place and your run has now turned into a walk, you'll be burning a lot of fuel needlessly. Turn off your truck while waiting for any activity. In addition, refrain from warming up your truck in the winter as much as possible. Move slowly for the first few miles to let your truck's engine warm, so it will use less energy and fuel.
Accelerate Slowly
When driving your Caterpillar truck, you'll save gas by not upshifting too quickly and skipping gears almost altogether. Instead, take your time and accelerate slowly, tempering your speed gain so you don't use a lot of fuel on the throttle. You can apply this same effect when slowing down. Ultimately, you want to use as little gas as possible but still get to where you need to go and do the work you need to do.
Use Cat Genuine Parts, Including Fuel Filters
Genuine Cat parts are manufactured to the exact specifications of Caterpillar machinery. Cheaper parts are not, and they may cost you money down the road. By using Genuine Cat parts and particularly fuel filters, you'll notice that they last longer, do a better job, and promote the health and well-being of your trucks and machinery. In the long run, you could save a bundle on fuel costs, as well as on maintenance and parts replacement costs.
Consider a Truck Upgrade
For the most part, the newer the truck, the more fuel efficient it will be simply due to the fact that fuel-efficient vehicles have jumped year over year in technology for decades now. From trucks that can shut down cylinders to a more efficient fuel-burning process, new model-year Caterpillar trucks continue to perform better and be more energy-efficient than their predecessors. To learn more, reach out to one of Wagner Used Equipment dealers today!