Most long-distance trucks have two tanks that can hold between 100 and 150 gallons of fuel. The average fuel efficiency of these trucks is 6 to 8 miles per gallon. In Canada, truckers are allowed to be active for up to 16 hours a day, but can only drive for 13 hours. An empty truck is about one-third of the total weight of the truck, so every 10% decrease in weight can reduce fuel consumption by 5 to 10%.
If the tires are inflated 10 psi below the recommended air pressure levels, it can reduce fuel economy by 0.5 to 1%. Fuel is the second biggest expense for road transport companies, just behind labor costs. Therefore, it is important for truck fleet operators to increase fuel efficiency and minimize fuel consumption. By allowing truck combinations to be more productive, road transport companies can reduce downtime, minimize time spent loading and unloading, and use their hours and equipment to transport more cargo and generate revenue.
This will help reduce the number of trucks needed on the road and decrease fuel consumption. Research shows that larger volumes of cargo can be moved with less fuel and lower emissions if fewer large trucks are used instead of more small trucks. A truck traveling at 75 miles per hour consumes 27% more fuel than one that goes 65 miles per hour; thus, limiting the speed of the truck to 65 mph would save 2.8 billion gallons. A study for the European Commission estimates that incorporating an annual one-day driver training course in a road transport operation will improve the fuel efficiency of trucks by 5%.
