34-Ton Truck Fuel Consumption: How to Improve Your Gas Mileage?

Trucks are the perfect tools for transporting goods and resources around the world. Driving one can also sound fun until you look at the fuel bills. Since these vehicles are much larger than average cars, they consume much more fuel. However, you can easily improve your mileage by changing your driving habits.

We'll discuss the following tips in this article:

• Reducing speeding
• Driving consistently
• Cutting down idling
• Planning the route in advance
• Keeping the tires inflated
• Regular maintenance
• Using low-viscosity oil
• Reducing the load
• Improving aerodynamics
• Cutting down on the A/C and heater

How to reduce the fuel consumption of your 34-ton truck - 11 tips to follow

If you're experiencing poor mileage, your truck may suffer from technical issues. However, poor fuel economy is mostly caused by poor driving habits. This can be anything from speeding up to leaving your engine running on longer stops.

Fortunately, you can boost your mileage by following these 11 tips:

1) Reduce speeding

One of the many reasons why your truck suffers from poor mileage is speeding. Logically, it consumes more fuel the faster you drive. Now, you may be thinking that driving faster means reaching your destination a lot sooner.

While this is true, the amount of time you save is negligible. If you're driving for a distance of 100 miles at the speed of 75 mph instead of 65 mph, you'll only save about 15 minutes of driving time.

Not only is this a small amount, but it also comes at a high price. Truck engines are large and thus consume much more fuel. The difference can seem deceptively small. However, it can decrease your fuel consumption by up to 25%.

You can also use the Cruise Control System if your truck has one.

2) Reduce acceleration/braking

While driving fast harms your fuel economy, acceleration and braking are even worse. All engines consume much more fuel during acceleration, which can reflect on your gas bills. The fuel consumption can be as big as when you start your truck's engine.

Braking is linked to acceleration. When you break rapidly, some of your engine's power goes to waste. But more importantly, it means you'll have to speed up again. While this is negligible if it happens once, these events quickly add up.

Now let's take a look at what this looks like in the real world. As you drive your truck, you may speed up until you're close to the vehicle in front of you. Then, you hit the brakes to slow down. The more you keep doing this, the more your fuel economy suffers.

You should instead drive at a slower, more consistent pace. Avoid futile acceleration and braking as much as you can. If you do, you should notice a huge improvement in your diesel consumption.

3) Avoid excessive idling

Idling refers to the time when your engine runs but you're not actively driving. While it is bad even for a passenger vehicle, it's much worse for trucks. Since the engine is much bigger, it burns fuel a lot faster.

But poor mileage might be the least of your worries. Frequent idling also increases your emission rate. Even worse, it causes the engine to wear down faster.

There are two ways you can cut down on idling. The first one is to actively turn your engine off while you are at a truck stop. Although idling is inevitable in traffic, there's no reason to keep your engine running for 15 minutes straight.

You can alternatively invest in a Start/Stop System if your truck doesn't come with one. As the name suggests, this system turns your engine on and off based on whether you're moving. It's not only effective but convenient as well.

Sadly, installing a Start/Stop System can be a hefty investment.

4) Plan your routes beforehand

The previous tips lead to this next one. Always plan your routes before you go get on the road. A poorly planned route promotes irregular driving, which in turn leads to increased fuel consumption.

Naturally, you'll want to take the highway whenever possible. Driving through towns means dealing with heavy traffic. This, unfortunately, forces you to stop and speed up a lot, resulting in poor mileage.

Your truck's engine also consumes a lot of fuel during idling, which is much more frequent in bad traffic.

Another thing to look out for is the terrain. Driving up a steep hill might leave a huge dent in your tank, figuratively speaking. While you can't always avoid this, it's certainly something to keep in mind when you plan your routes.

Unfortunately, many truck drivers neglect this tip. After all, planning routes way ahead is a tedious task that no one wants to deal with. Still, the results are well worth the effort.

5) Inflate your tires regularly

Tires might seem like an odd thing to mention in an article about fuel economy. However, they do play a part in your truck's mileage.

Tires determine your vehicle's traction (which refers to the surface that touches the road.) As the tires deflate over time, they sag around the wheels. As the truck's traction increases, your engine has to work harder to maintain the same speed. This leads to reduced mileage.

But saggy tires are problematic for more than just this reason. Sometimes, water may become trapped under them, which increases the risk of skidding. Not to mention they wear down much quicker.

Make sure you always keep your tires inflated according to the manufacturer's manual. If you do, your mileage should increase considerably.

What about overinflating your tires? While it may sound like a good idea, we advise against it. Overinflating your tires achieves nothing in terms of fuel consumption. Moreover, it will add extra pressure on the center of your tires, causing them to wear down faster.

6) Have your truck checked regularly

Frequent maintenance is key to avoiding technical issues with your truck. But it can also improve your mileage.

Sometimes, you may experience increased fuel consumption because of a faulty fuel system. When parts of it become dirty or clogged, your engine stops burning fuel efficiently.

Another key component is oil. If it runs low, your engine might start generating more heat and friction. Thus, some of the power will be used just to overcome the tension between the metallic components.

7) Use a low-viscosity oil

A thick oil places more strain on the pump, causing your mileage to suffer. Luckily, you can prevent this by using a low-viscosity oil instead. This is especially helpful in winter when oil naturally thickens.

However, this might not be suitable for all trucks. Make sure you follow your manufacturer's instructions when you try new products. Furthermore, heavy loads typically call for thicker oil, which means this might not always be an option.

8) Carry less weight

Excessive weight leads to poorer mileage. And while it's true that trucks are designed to carry heavy burdens, they have their limits. Never overload your truck with more than it can handle. If you do, your gas bills might go through the roof.

9) Improve your aerodynamics

An aerodynamic shape is one that lowers wind resistance. You can achieve this in several ways.

Firstly, avoid strapping any unnecessary objects to your truck, including an empty rack. This will increase both the truck's wind resistance and fuel consumption.

You can also consider installing a roof spoiler and wind deflectors. Both improve your truck's aerodynamics, which lowers the strain on your engine.

10) Cut down on the A/C

In most trucks, air-conditioning runs on engine power. Thus, your mileage will always drop when you use it.

However, the consumption is minimal compared to the other factors on our list. Cutting down on the A/C is also not an option if you're driving in hot weather, which makes this tip slightly impractical. Still, it's an option to consider.

11) Cut down on the heater

Much like the A/C, the heater also runs on engine power. However, the slightly improved mileage you get for not using it might not be worth your comfort.

Our final thoughts on improving the mileage of your 34-ton truck

Trucks have naturally higher fuel consumption than passenger cars. It only makes sense since they come with larger engines. However, your driving habits might be making it even worse.

The faster you go, the more fuel your truck consumes. But contrary to popular belief, you won't cut down on much time. A difference of 10 mph doesn't change much and is thus not worth the extra money.

Frequent acceleration and braking can also affect your truck's fuel economy. We recommend driving steadily at a consistent speed.

When you're not currently moving, make sure you leave the engine off, as idling also contributes to fuel consumption. You can also rely on the Start/Stop System if your truck has one.

Furthermore, you should have your truck checked regularly to rule out any technical issues. Clogged filters and fuel lines can both result in poorer economy, something that can easily be avoided by undergoing regular maintenance.