^
Most fleets can
improve fuel
economy by at
least four
percent
through driver
training and
monitoring
alone, saving
more than
$900 per truck
each year in
fuel costs.
 Green Transport  Partnership
 A Glance  at Clean Freight Strategies:
 Driver  Training
 and  Monitoring
           What is the challenge?

           Driving practices can have a large impact on truck fuel economy. Trained drivers can
           save fuel by limiting such practices as:

            • excessive highway speed

            • long periods of idling

            • rapid acceleration

            • improper shifting

            • following circuitous routes

           By changing driving habits like these, the American Trucking Associations estimates
           that well-trained truckers can improve fuel efficiency by up to 35 percent. Most fleets
           are likely to realize more modest improvements. Fleet managers have estimated that
           driver training and incentive programs typically result in 15 percent fuel savings. Two
           trucking fleets in Canada documented the impact of driver training and found fuel
           efficiency improvements of 18 percent and 20 percent, while a Canadian study
           estimates that many fleets could achieve a 10 percent fuel economy improvement
           through driver training and monitoring. A study for the European Commission
           estimates that an annual one-day driver training course will improve truck fuel
           efficiency by 5 percent.
           What is the solution?

           Well-trained drivers can reduce fuel consumption by applying simple techniques such as:

            •  use of cruise control

            •  coasting whenever possible

            •  limiting use of cab accessories

            •  smooth and gradual acceleration

            •  progressive shifting (upshifting at the lowest rpm possible)

            •  reducing maximum freeway speeds

            •  limiting truck idling and stops
Office of Transportation and Air Quality Mailcode? • October 2002 • EPA 420-F-02-022

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Employers, vocational schools, or outside consultants affiliated with training
organizations can easily teach drivers these fuel-saving techniques. Many trucking
companies also monitor driver performance and provide incentives to drivers who
reduce fuel consumption. Electronic engine monitors can be used to review drivers'
operating patterns and benchmark individual performance over time.

  The  results  are  in.
Most fleets can improve fuel economy by at least four percent through driver training
and monitoring alone, saving more than $900 per truck each year in fuel costs. For a
typical long-haul truck, the annual savings in fuel would recover within two years the
initial cost of training and the purchase of related equipment such as an electronic
engine monitor and recorder. Much greater additional fuel and maintenance savings
are possible by using technologies that limit truck idling and highway speed.

Driver training will likely generate larger efficiency gains for vehicles in urban
operations where shifting practices have more influence on fuel economy. Good
driving practices are also part of courteous and safe truck operation that reflects well
on the trucking company.
Next steps
Trucking firms should examine the benefits of driver training and implement
appropriate solutions for their operations. Many firms have found driver training an
effective way to reduce fuel costs. The American Trucking Associations (ATA)
recommends that driver training programs to increase fuel efficiency should be
implemented in conjunction with an incentive program that rewards drivers for
performance. Successful programs usually have the following elements:

  • management support

  • regular payment of bonuses

  • simplified administration

  • payouts and  progress posting performed at monthly or shorter intervals

  • realistic goals


The following documents provided by ATA discuss these issues in more detail:

Fleet Managers Guide to Fuel Economy, ATA Publication number T0013

An Equipment Operating Costs Comparison. ATA Publication number T0006
   Printed on Recycled Paper

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