FUEL SAVING
SOLUTIONS
By Writers and Owner Operators Rod & Kim Grimm

With the price of a big truck’s drink of choice skyrocketing, we all have to do everything we can to save both gallons and dollars. Prices have seemed to level off lately, but they are still way above the normal range. Some ways to use less fuel include slowing down in the high speed limit states, idling less, keeping our engines in peak condition and purchasing fuel more wisely.

Long before high fuel prices and idling laws became the norm, our friend Tod Job installed a Truck Gen generator and a Frigette heating and cooling system. He wanted to cut his idle time down and accomplished that by lowering it to 5% from the 37% he was averaging before installing the generator. That is amazing. Tod also wanted to be able to use 110V appliances, which are cheaper and last longer. He has everything wired for shore power. Being able to plug the engine block heater in as well as the reefer block heater, he’s eliminated cold starts. A good plan then and an even better plan now, when you consider the fuel savings.

With the anti-idling laws popping up everywhere and the ridiculous fines, I think we’ll all be forced to get a generator of some sort - which in my opinion is not a bad thing. Having Lizzie (our dog) means our truck has idled a lot more than it would have otherwise over the years. A generator has been on our list of things to do since we ordered the truck - we even left a space on the right side of the frame, just for a generator to be added later. Now, it seems the time has finally come.

Rich and Eileen Klink have just installed a Rig Master generator on their truck (see photo) and couldn’t be happier. Two weeks of hot days in California and $2.25 a gallon fuel convinced them it was generator time. Rich did a lot of checking before deciding on the Rig Master. He liked the fact that it works independent of the truck engine, so if say a radiator hose broke and it was hot out, they could start the generator and stay cool until it could be fixed. They have a W-900L Studio Sleeper, so the high BTU’s put out by the unit’s A/C was a beneficial feature with two people and two dogs in the big bunk. They say it burns 1/10th of a gallon an hour instead of the 1 to 1-1/2 gph of their truck engine. With fuel at $2.25, 10 hours of running the Rig Master would cost $2.25, compared to $33.75 if they idled the truck. At that rate, the unit will pay for itself quickly and then start saving them a lot of money.

Wendell and Lynda Foss installed a Pro Heat last December. They made their decision based on the weight, the fuel prices, and the decreased wear and tear on the engine. The condenser is mounted on the back of the cab, and the A/C and heating unit is mounted under the bunk. They have a flat top Pete and this system works really well for them. When looking at generators, take into consideration your truck and idling habits - do your homework to find the one that will work best for you.

Five years ago when Linwood Hunt ordered his new Pete with a 312-inch wheelbase to accommodate (4) 150 gallon fuel tanks, some people laughed (see photo). The last time fuel spiked, they stopped laughing. With fuel prices today, he seems pretty smart. Linwood pulls a 48-foot spread-axle reefer. With careful planning, he tries to load light in the nose, putting more weight on the trailer where he can legally axle 40,000 lbs. This allows him to take advantage of that 600 gallon fuel capacity. Buying 500 gallons in Nebraska at $1.65, he can make it to California and almost all the way back before filling up again. Not needing to buy the $2.25 per gallon fuel out West saves him 60 cents a gallon. That adds up pretty fast when you start doing the math.

These days we have to protect our fuel too. We recently got locking fuel caps, as did Rich and Eileen and Linwood. It may not mean we’ll never lose fuel to a thief, but at least we can make it harder for them to get it. Do whatever it takes, but do something. Hopefully, prices will drop back down to normal soon and we can all get back to focusing on what’s really important - driving!