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Truck Driver Retention
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Driving for Good MPG

Author: Megan Younkin, Consultant

Bad driving habits can have up to a 30% impact on miles per gallon (MPG). So, optimizing MPG can result in a huge cost savings.

Encourage your Professional Drivers to follow these 6 tips on MPG best practices:

 

Driver Status:
If a Driver is upset, there will not be any focus on optimizing MPG. Resolve issues promptly to make sure Drivers are happy, safe, and efficient on the road.

Speed:
Speed is the number one factor that affects MPG. While being timely is important, managing time to allow a reasonable speed is worth it. Encourage Drivers to use cruise control to monitor speed.

Minimize Idle Time:
One hour of idling uses roughly one gallon of gas that is not reimbursed. If idling is unavoidable, encourage Drivers to use the lowest idle speed possible.

Braking and Accelerating:
Drivers should avoid sudden stops by keeping a reasonable distance from other vehicles and anticipating traffic. When possible, it’s best to allow friction and rolling resistance to slow the truck down, rather than downshifting or breaking. Also, Drivers should never put a foot all the way to the floor or accelerate from a stop faster than necessary.

Progressive Shifting/RPMs:
Generally, using the highest gear possible and progressive shifting (skipping gears) is best to keep RPMs low.

Out-of-Route Miles:
Even small detours to the grocery store, or going through a town just outside of a route to see a friend, add up quickly. Let Drivers know that out-of-route miles can greatly affect fuel and maintenance costs. Even going 5 miles out of the way (and then 5 miles back) will cost fuel that won’t be reimbursed. Emphasize that Drivers should always stay as close to their route as possible.

About the Author:

Megan Younkin, Consultant
Megan Younkin, People Element's Director of Consultant, has over 10 years experience analyzing client-specific surveys and interpreting the results for clients in several industries. Her trucking clients range in size from 200 to more than 15,000 trucks, including dry van, refrigerated, flat bed, and tankers. She works with leadership to improve the effectiveness of company drivers, lease purchase operators, owner operators, and independent contractors. Megan has been asked to speak at transportation conventions across the country on topics such as driver retention and taking driver satisfaction data to action. With her clients, she implements various People Element assessments and surveys, analyzes the results to find data trends, make recommendations for improvement, and provide tools that help to reduce driver turnover.

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