Drive Like a Trucker for Great Fuel Economy

[SVOboy]

If you haven’t noticed by now, truckers drive their rigs in a fundamentally different way from your average commuter. The main reason for this is the size and weight of their loads, which make it driving a truck more difficult, but a secondary benefit of driving like a trucker is better fuel economy. How do you [...] Related posts:

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[tasdrouille]

Could you have picked a truck with an higher Cd? Good article!

[Bicycle Bob]

Truckers don't choose to drive slower on hills, they just have limited power. Car drivers using DWL don't back off on hills, they avoid or minimize increasing throttle openings. A constant speed uses the least energy for the same average speed, but hills can work as an energy storage device, letting you choose more efficient engine loadings. Diesels are at their best at full load, if well adjusted.

[SVOboy]

I never said they choose to drive slower on hills. And by back off, I meant back off on speed or the throttle required to maintain the same speed you would go on the flats.

[Bicycle Bob]

Sorry - I was responding to the article. We's still tight, bro.

[SVOboy]

I wrote the article!

[Bicycle Bob]

Maybe I got my threads mixed. It's not worth a fuss, I hope.

[SVOboy]

O no, I'm not upset, I just want to make sure I can restate it if I said it confusingly the first time/made errors

[bgd73]

great blog, the trucker one. Alot of other good points come from the attempt to drive like one, like longevity.

[MetroMPG]

Another point: do trucks not drive slower, on average (than cars)?

They do in Ontario now - they're limited (governed) to 105 km/h (about 65 mph). This was a regulation the trucking companies pursued themselves.