{"id":4651,"date":"2020-01-28T16:25:30","date_gmt":"2020-01-28T15:25:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/en.advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/?p=4231"},"modified":"2020-01-28T16:25:30","modified_gmt":"2020-01-28T15:25:30","slug":"can-you-get-stellar-mpg-without-holding-up-traffic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advancedfleetmanagementconsulting.com\/eng\/2020\/01\/28\/can-you-get-stellar-mpg-without-holding-up-traffic\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Get Stellar MPG Without Holding up Traffic?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Can You Get Stellar MPG Without Holding up Traffic?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

About a decade ago, owner-operator Henry Albert emerged as an early leader in the push to break the then-elusive 10 mpg barrier for tractor-trailers. He became one of the first drivers to routinely log double-digit mpg numbers on his dedicated long-haul run between Charlotte, North Carolina, and Pecos, Texas.<\/p>\n

At the time, he was on the cutting edge of trying new technologies such as 6×2 axles, advanced aerodynamics, automated manual transmissions, and adaptive cruise control. Today Albert finds himself working to adapt the lessons he learned during those days to a changed trucking environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe economy is hot right now, with good freight rates,\u201d Albert says. \u201cSo the interest is in a shift toward more productivity and higher vehicle speeds. Which has led to a dilemma of sorts.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the height of his double-digit fuel runs, Albert slowed his truck down to 62 to 65 mph and achieved a lifetime average for his Freightliner Cascadia of 10.1 mpg.<\/p>\n

But could he break into double-digit mpg numbers upping his cruising speeds to the legal speed limits on his runs \u2013 up to 75 mph in Texas?<\/p>\n

\u201cBy increasing to those speeds, I can cut 22 to 26 hours out of the time spent on that run,\u201d Albert says. \u201cAnd I could use that extra time to take on an additional local route near home, or just quality time with my family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boosting his speed to the legal limit along his dedicated route costs him an extra $60 a week\u00a0in fuel costs, on average\u00a0\u2013 a figure Albert says is acceptable given the boost in productivity. But he isn\u2019t happy unless he has a technical problem to occupy his mind: Can he get that increased productivity without sacrificing fuel economy? Can he have his cake and eat it, too?<\/p>\n

\u201cOn a few occasions, when conditions were right, I have logged above 10 mpg during this project,\u201d Albert says. \u201cBut getting to that number as an average is elusive.\u201d<\/p>\n

The formerly slow Albert now finds it difficult to keep his cruise control engaged at all times, because he\u2019s constantly running up on other trucks that are cruising at 65 mph. \u201cOne of the new things I\u2019m doing to deal with this is to limit the over\/under settings on my cruise control so the truck doesn\u2019t roll out too much on downgrades. I want to stay under 75\u00a0mph to keep my tires in good shape.\u201d<\/p>\n

When climbing a grade, Albert has the cruise set to drop 8 mph before the throttle engages to optimize his fuel burn without too drastic a drop in momentum. But he\u2019s pleased with the predictive cruise control in general, which he says does an excellent job of using GPS to read the terrain ahead and set the powertrain up to best deal with changes in elevation.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also working to fine-tune his aerodynamics. \u201cBut I don\u2019t think I have it dialed in yet,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, Albert shares some hard-won lessons that he still thinks can help drivers everywhere. \u201cDon\u2019t drive any faster than you need to,\u201d he says. \u201cIf you can slow down, do so. Watch your trailer gap and get it in as tight as possible. And don\u2019t pick a fight with the air you\u2019re driving through. Take on as much aerodynamic equipment as you can, and make use of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

by Jack Roberts<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/a>Source: https:\/\/www.truckinginfo.com<\/a><\/p>\n

FLEET MANAGEMENT AUDIT<\/h3>\n

Fleet management is the use of a set of vehicles in order to provide services to a third-party, or to perform a task for our organization, in the most efficient and productive manner with a determined level of service and cost.<\/p>\n

Fleet management activities are shown in the following graph 1:<\/p>\n

\"fleet<\/p>\n

Graph 1: fleet management activities<\/p>\n

The proposal audit analyses and assesses all fleet management activities shown in the graph 1, and its main goals are:<\/p>\n