It's amazing how driving behaviour can have such a big impact on fuel consumption

Fuel-efficient driving is a key issue for every truck driver competing for a place in the fierce transport industry.

The problem of high fuel consumption caused by improper driving behaviour in actual vehicle operation is very common.

Some data shows that with the same configuration of vehicles and under the same driving conditions, the difference in fuel consumption due to different driving styles can reach 30% to 50%.

These factors can affect fuel consumption while driving

1. speed control: different types of transport fleet, because of the different requirements of transport time, the choice of commonly used speed will be different.

With the introduction of Telematics management tools in fleet management, it is possible to compare the speed range commonly used by the target vehicle with the economic speed range of the engine and make recommendations to the driver such as reducing idle speed or increasing speed, thus reducing fuel consumption.

2. Throttle control: The electronic throttle pedal is very sensitive and relatively small fluctuations can cause changes in the engine's fuel injection, so keeping the throttle signal stable is a key factor in fuel saving for electronically controlled engines. When the vehicle speed is in the economic speed range, the throttle opening is basically at 30%~50%.

3. gear selection: the same vehicle speed driving, the higher the gear the more fuel-efficient; the same ratio speed driving, the lower the gear the more fuel-efficient.

4. run-in cycle: the newly purchased vehicles with the increase in mileage, between the various mechanical structures in the continuous run-in adaptation, the driver and the vehicle also adapt to each other, therefore, vehicle fuel consumption will gradually increase with the mileage and reduce, and after a certain mileage tend to be stable.

Top 5 recognised fuel saving tips

1. Preheat before driving: After the vehicle ignition, drive forward after the speed is stable, keep the small throttle open and maintain a low gear and low speed. This warming up with load not only allows the engine to warm up quickly, but also allows other transmission parts to warm up simultaneously, and when the water temperature reaches 80 degrees, you can drive at normal speed.

2. fast start: in the premise of ensuring safety moderate big throttle start is conducive to fuel saving, because the vehicle from a standstill to uniform speed requires a relatively large kinetic energy, moderate big throttle can increase the vehicle power output, reduce the speed of the vehicle to reach uniform driving time.

3. Use the fuel-saving switch wisely: under the same throttle opening, dial to the idle position, the maximum engine power and torque will become smaller to save fuel; while dial to the heavy-duty position, the engine will have full power output to meet the demand for dynamics.

4. Drive at a constant speed: When the vehicle is brought up to the required speed, the throttle opening should be reduced appropriately, the vehicle's demand for engine torque is low when driving at a constant speed, and the engine speed should be kept at an economic speed.

5. Reducing the number of times you apply the brakes is a good way to save fuel.