Each year, Caterpillar sponsors Snow Business magazine’s State of the Industry report. What this year’s
report confirms is that snow and ice contractors are experiencing the same major pain point as their counterparts in other industries — high fuel costs. As a result, contractors from all disciplines are trying to figure out how to get the most fuel efficiency from their machines and vehicles to drive more profit to the bottom line.Here are 10 tips designed to help:
1. Keep Engines Tuned – Tuning your engines according to the operator’s manual can result in fuel savings up to 4 percent.
2. Avoid Unnecessary Idling – Turn off your engine if you anticipate a wait.
3. Combine Errands – Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice the fuel as one trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm.
4. Keep Tires Properly Inflated – Doing so can provide up to 3 percent fuel savings.
5. Slow Down – Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. Don’t run the engine in your machine any faster than is required to get the job done. Running at high idle makes pumps work harder even if the extra hydraulic flow they produce isn’t needed.
6. Replace Air Filters Regularly – Clean air filters can result in up to 10 percent fuel savings.
7. Remove Excess Weight – An extra 100 pounds in a truck bed reduces fuel economy up to 2 percent.
8. Eliminate Aggressive Driving – You can improve fuel mileage up to 5 percent by avoiding jackrabbit starts and sudden stops.
9. Check Cutting Edges and Teeth – Worn ground-engaging tools reduce productivity and increase fuel usage by requiring machines to work harder and longer.
10. Keep Equipment Lubricated – Components that move easier lower fuel consumption.
Do you have a tip that can help others with fuel efficiency? Please share your comments below.
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