Be Fuel Smart - Here's How

Published in Western Canada Highway News, Fall 2008:
Adam Smith’s invisible hand of the market reached out and slapped truckers in the face this spring as escalating world market prices for crude oil drove up the price of fuel at the pumps.

For truckers in Western Canada, it meant mid-May diesel prices well above $1.25 per litre, and above $1.40 in Whitehorse. Truckers were paying $1.32 in Winnipeg, $1.30 in Saskatoon and $1.27 in Edmonton. A year earlier, the retail price range in those Prairie cities was 92 to 98 cents, according to M.J. Ervin & Associates.

Add concerns over the environmental impact of carbon and nitrogen oxide emissions, and the reality that our planet has only a finite supply of petroleum, and operators and fleet owners alike have compelling reasons to improve fuel economy.

Luckily, experts have some easily implemented ideas on how you might achieve that objective by changing what you put in the tank, the equipment you use, and what drivers do when they’re on the road.

New fuel additives have been put on the market in recent years with their makers and marketers saying they improve fuel economy. Among those products is the NEUTRO line of additives from PEXT International, which claims NEUTRO products are a “green” way to add as much as 10 per cent to your diesel mileage.

“With America using 375 million gallons of gas a day, the introduction of NEUTRO could not be more timely,” the Deer Park, Wash.-headquartered company declared in a news release this spring. PEXT claims its diesel additive will boost fuel efficiency, improve engine health and reduce emissions.

Similarly, Connecticut-based Stanadyne Corporation and Saskatchewan-based DSG Canada claim their diesel additives reduce fuel consumption for substantial gains in miles per gallon.

Such claims are met with skepticism in some quarters. “We don’t believe in it, that’s for sure,” Imperial Oil senior account executive Jim Noel says from Vancouver. “We’ve looked at all different types of additives over the years and we haven’t found anything that significantly improves fuel economy.”

Stanadyne’s website says the company’s Performance Formula diesel additive has been proven in tests and is approved by Ford, Navistar, General Motors and other leading vehicle manufacturers. Similarly, PEXT International and DSG Canada say their products’ safety and quality have been established through testing and numerous testimonials from satisfied users.

DSG’s additive for heavy-duty diesel trucks sells for about $35 per two-litre bottle. How much you put in varies depending on the product, says DSG president Percy Hoff in Saskatoon. The most common treatment rate is one ounce per 18 gallons (about 82 litres) of fuel.

When considering an additive, “check the label to see what verified claims the manufacturer makes,” Hoff advises. “You should be asking a lot of questions before you go ahead and dump things into your fuel – it could be a costly mistake, or just a waste of money.” He adds that there are a handful of good fuel additives on the market, including the DSG brands.

Biodiesel has been touted and hyped as a way for the transport industry to “go green.” Blends of petroleum diesel with fuel made from vegetable oils certainly do produce less air pollution than conventional diesel, but they don’t improve fuel economy. What’s more, if the motivation for using biofuels is environmental, one might wish to consider the environmental and social costs that go with producing it. Those costs include the energy that goes into producing it and the cropland that’s used for growing fuel instead of food.

Still, whether you think biodiesel is a good idea may be a moot point by the time you read this. Bill C-33, the Renewable Fuels Act, passed in the House of Commons in late May and was headed for approval in the Senate. If passed, it would require diesel sold in Canada to have an average renewable fuel content of two per cent by 2012.

Engine makers are trying to help you reduce fuel consumption with more efficient systems. International Truck and Engine, for example, says it has designed a truck that is seven per cent more fuel-efficient than their nearest competitor.

“The ProStar is the most aerodynamic and fuel-efficient Class 8 truck on the road,” Roy Wiley says from International headquarters in Illinois, adding that wind tunnel tests conducted in Canada confirmed ProStar’s superiority.

International says the high fuel efficiency, which is mainly thanks to the truck’s aerodynamic design, means well over $5,000 in savings on diesel in a 190,000-kilometre year. That ain’t chicken feed.

“Clear and decisive fuel-economy leadership is great news for our customers,” declares Daniel Ustian, president and CEO of Navistar (International’s parent company). “The ability to save thousands of dollars in fuel with one truck over the course of a year is extremely significant, especially with the financial pressures placed on truck and fleet owners.”

Idling costs fuel, so it’s fortunate that engine makers have developed idle reduction systems. Kenworth’s patented Clean Power no-idle system was put in T660 trucks a while back, and this spring’s Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville the company announced that Clean Power will become a factory-installed option for W900s and T800s as well. Kenworth states that Clean Power can boost fuel economy by as much as eight per cent in trucks with high idling times. That can mean saving thousands of dollars per truck every year. Clean Power adds $8,000 to $10,000 to a truck’s purchase price.

You might want to consider an engine performance module – or a “fuel-economy enhancing module,” as Hoff prefers to call it - like the ones made by DSG Canada. The Saskatchewan firm makes them for Cummins ISX and some Caterpillar engines, and prices them at $1,800 to $2,300. “With a 10 per cent fuel economy gain,” adds Hoff, “you pay for that in no time.” Hoff assures us DSG’s modules don’t interfere with manufacturers’ engine control modules.

Digital technology can also come in handy for improving fuel economy. Innovative companies like Langley, B.C.-based 4Refuel Canada have software to help you track fuel costs and increase fleet productivity. Its core program, Fuel Management Online, allows clients to access daily fuel-spending reports. A step up from that is an attachment that collects data from a truck’s engine on idling time, excessive acceleration, excessive speed and other things that jack up diesel consumption.

The 4Refuel approach recognizes that on-the-road practices have a big impact on whether your fleet is getting the best bang for the fuel buck. “A truck driven using poor driving habits can use up to 35 per cent more fuel than a truck driven using fuel-efficient driving techniques,” states a 4Refuel fact sheet. Companies have seen dramatic fuel savings after implementing “smart driver” programs.

Maintaining reasonable speeds and not accelerating too quickly are two simple tactics for conserving fuel on the road. According to Natural Resources Canada, reducing your cruising speed from 100 klicks to 90 can result in 10 per cent better fuel economy. An increase from 100 to 110 can worsen fuel economy by a similar magnitude.

Another simple measure is to reduce idling. It’s stating the obvious to say that the worst gas mileage a vehicle can get is zero distance per litre, so prolonged idling is obviously a waste of fuel. A commercial truck driver can save thousands of dollars on fuel annually just by eliminating unnecessary idling, according to Natural Resources Canada. As well, letting an engine idle for too long can cause damage that shortens engine life and harms fuel economy.

Low tire pressure also adversely affects fuel economy. Tires under-inflated by 15 per cent can reduce fuel economy by one per cent or more. Proper inflation also improves braking performance and tire life, by the way.

Make sure your fleet goes out on the road with proper lubrication. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for optimal fuel economy. According to International Truck and Engine, using a 10W-30 instead of a 5W-30 can reduce fuel economy by two per cent. An extra two per cent in diesel expenses adds up to a lot of money for a busy fleet.

Lastly, drivers can improve the distance they get from every tankful by removing unnecessary weight. By that we don’t mean dieting and exercising to lose body fat (though it might not be a bad idea). Losing as little as 100 pounds (45 kilograms) from what a rig is carrying can mean a significantly smaller diesel bill for an 800-km haul.

The federal government has a program called SmartDriver for Highway Trucking. Free information on that and fuel-smart practices generally can be obtained online at fleetsmart.nrcan.gc.ca.