Every winter, the truck industry encounters new problems.  This year we have to be extra careful as weather forecasts have predicted the 2009-10 winter to one of the snowiest and coldest.

It’s time to face the cold, hard truth – Winter conditions do cause a drop in fuel economy.  So, why does cold weather affects most vehicles’ fuel economy?  Well, there are many reasons, but increased friction is a one of the main reasons.  In the cold weather friction increases on almost every front, and in snowy weather, trucks have to work harder to push through slush and snow.  All these conditions contribute to greater resistance and more fuel spending.

Also, diesel or gasoline does not atomize and burn completely at low temperatures; traces of unburned fuel are left in the cylinder and evacuated with the exhaust.  All vehicles have an optimum operating temperature, and the colder it is, the longer to reach that full operating temperature, and it’s in that warm-up period that efficiency is lost.

Here are some tips for truck drivers to improve fuel efficiency and overcome other problems in winter:

1. Check for air pressure of your truck’s tire regularly and maintain it as per the required range. You may also invest in a tire-pressure checking gauge.  If you don’t have an air compressor, then most gas stations will have them. Just five minutes of care can help you save more than five dollars per month.
2. Its better to plan your trips well in advance so that you can carry out all tasks in one area at one time.  You will not only save your precious time but also minimize the amount of time your vehicle spends in warm-up mode by reducing the start and stop up rounds, irregular on-and-off operation of your vehicle in sub-zero temperatures.
3. Go easy on the accelerator as it’s easily worth 1-2 mpg and the results will show up on your next fuel bill, also it might help to prevent a wipe-out on black ice.
4. A far as possible try to park your truck in garage area to keep it warm, and this helps to shorten the time needed to reach full operating temperature.
5. Avoid idling of the trucks.  It is useless to start a cold truck and idle it.  If you wish to warm up your truck, it is better to drive around in your yard for it to reach the optimum temperature and oil pressure.  This will warm truck engine, suspension, differential, and transmission, and prevent any damage.
6. The function of Block heaters is not to warm an engine. They are specially designed to maintain the temperature of engine and not to heat up the engine. So it is important to plug in the block heater while truck engine is warm.
7. Before starting the Truck, drivers should always unplug it. If the block heaters are plugged in, even two or three seconds of the engine running can cause the block heaters to burn out.
8. It is necessary to drain fuel-water separators and air-tanks. As the ambient temperature falls down, water can get condensed in fuel tanks and it can also reach the heater/filter unit.  An engine is protected against the fuel contaminants only through fuel filters.  So, avoid using a fuel filter with larger micron just to increase fuel flow; it can cause damage to the pump, injectors and also make the warranty void.
9. Make sure that glad-hands have a nice and snug fit.  If they are not tight, they may come off in and may cause the air compressor to cycle unnecessarily.
10. To avoid the freezing up of air brakes, air hoses should be properly ‘hooked up’ with one another or to the dummy glad-hands.  If you find moisture present in the air hose, pour recommended brake line anti-freeze ONLY in the red (EMERGENCY) side. Never put the anti-freeze in the blue side as it may result into locking up of the brakes.
11. Get a radio with weather band so that you can listen to weather forecasts and get an advance warning about bad weather conditions.  Drive slowly and safely. It is better to reach late than never.

We hope these winter tips for truck drivers would be useful for our customers in cold countries.

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