Whether you drive one truck or manage a fleet, you know truck operations can be expensive.
We
read in the November 2009 edition of "The Rolling Review" newsletter published by Mike's former trucking company that the EPA had mandated changes to each new tractor
totaling some $20,000.
New engines would cost $15,000 more each on top of the cost of the tractor. Ouch!
It has never been more important for truck drivers to save money while operating their commercial motor vehicles.
Owner operators may be especially concerned about saving money on the operation of their trucks.
Over time, we plan to address different aspects of operating a large truck -- both driving and non-driving aspects -- in order to help you save as much money as possible.
Our topic list is sure to grow, but for now it includes:
We did an entire 9-page section about idling as a part of truck operations:
Will driverless trucks have any impact on truck operations per se?
If you're planning to drive during holidays, you may wish to read some tips about surviving New Year's Eve, especially as it concerns signs of drunk driving.
We also address unique challenges of driving on or around Memorial Day.
We seek professional drivers' help in listing free truck parking at shippers' and receivers' locations.
We address the aspect of drivers who try to pin fault on others for their own actions.
You may also wish to view annually updated operational costs of trucking reports from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI).
Some of these resources have been provided by others.
Money saving tip: Whenever the cost of trucking goes up, the cost is passed along to the customer and eventually the consumer.
Truck drivers are also consumers, and we want to keep costs low and profits reasonable.
To accomplish this, we can employ various techniques to make truck operations frugal.
For example, take the awareness of fresh and stale red and green traffic lights that help drivers save fuel.
If a driver sees that a traffic light has been red for some time (a "stale red"), then he or she can back off on the fuel to give the light time to change to green without having to bring the truck to a complete stop before proceeding.
You may know of other tips, which we ask you to share through the form below.
Resources
For over 40 years the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has been fighting for the rights of all professional truckers.