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MENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY »
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Driver Training
A Glance at Clean Freight Strategies
ENERGY &
FUEL SAVINGS
Gallons Saved:
794 gallons
CO2 Savings:
8.06 metric tons
Fuel Economy
Increase:
5%
MPG
(original 6 mpg):
6.3 mpg
Reduction in Fuel
Consumption:
5%
Fuel Cost Savings:
$3,015
Driver training programs can help trucking companies save fuel and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by increasing drivers' skills, knowledge, and perfor-
mance. A driver training program that improves fuel economy by 5 percent could
save over $3,OOO in fuel costs and eliminate 8 metric tons of greenhouse gas
emissions per truck each year.
What is the Challenge?
Even highly experienced truck drivers can boost their skills and enhance driving performance
through driver training programs. Training that targets fuel efficiency can help drivers recognize
and change driving habits that waste fuel. For example, driving 65 mph instead of 55 mph can
use up to 20 percent more fuel, idling a typical heavy-duty engine burns about 0.8 gallons of
fuel per hour, and driving with the engine rpm too high can waste several gallons of fuel each
hour. Other common habits that reduce fuel economy are frequent or improper shifting, too-
rapid acceleration, too-frequent stops and starts from failing to anticipate traffic flow, and taking
circuitous routes.
A few simple changes in driving techniques can produce sizable fuel savings of 5 percent or
more. A Canadian study estimates that many fleets could achieve a 1 0 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 a number of simple techniques.
• Use cruise control where appropriate
• Coast whenever possible
• Brake and accelerate smoothly and gradually
• Progressive shifting (upshift at the lowest rpm possible)
• Limit unnecessary truck idling
• Start out in a gear that doesn't require using the throttle when releasing the clutch
• Limit unnecessary shifting; block-shift (go from, for example, 2nd gear to
5th gear)
• Drive at the lowest engine speed possible
• Reduce parasitic energy losses by limiting the use of accessories.
Savings and Benefits
Fleets that improve fuel economy by at least 5 percent through driver
training and monitoring programs can save more than $3,000 per truck
each year in fuel costs and eliminate 8 metric tons of carbon dioxide
emissions per truck each year. Driver training can generate larger
efficiency gains for vehicles in urban service, where shifting practices
have more influence on fuel economy. For a typical long-haul truck,
the initial cost of training and the purchase of related equipment such
as an electronic engine monitor and recorder could be recouped
within 2 years from fuel cost savings. Trucking companies can
realize even greater fuel and maintenance savings by using
technologies that limit truck idling and highway speed.
Continued
U.S. EPA SmartWay | EPA-420-F-16-030 | June 2016 | www.epa.gov/smartway
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SmartWay
MENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY »
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Driver Training
A Glance at Clean Freight Strategies
Continued
NEXT STEPS
1 Trucking firms
can consider
implementing driver
training programs to
reduce fuel costs and
teach drivers fuel
saving techniques
through employers,
vocational schools,
and for-profit train-
ing organizations.
2Electronic engine
monitors can be
installed to review
drivers' operating
patterns and bench-
mark individual per-
formance over time.
Create successful
incentive programs
that are simple to
administer by paying
bonuses and setting
realistic goals. To
provide additional
motivation, train-
ing can be combined
with an incentive
program to reward
drivers for enhanced
performance.
3Fleets can contact
their national or
local trucking orga-
nizations for more
details on improving
driver performance
and establishing
a driver incentive
program. Also con-
tact truck dealers or
equipment vendors
for information on
engine monitors and
other fuel-saving
devices.
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