There is a lot of mental horse power on this site. Decades of experience and know how. I think that if we, together, made a list of ways for an operator to be sure that he is getting the biggest bang for each gallon of fuel that we could help everyone save some $$$. Just little things that may seem like a no-brainer to you might be a new concept for some one else. We need both driving and pumping tips; but most of all we need your input.

Set the computer in your truck for a max speed of 60mph.

Like that thought.

Having much road experience I will say the term "softpeddling".

I can remember coming out of Monte Vista with potatoes for St.Loius (cheap fuel then) burning up the road in 9 hours getting maybe 4.5 mpg.Or the same trip with same load legal getting almost 6 mpg.All this with a 1693 cat with 00 buttons in pump.

Driving technique plays a major roll in fuel economy.

  Today driving I got between 5.2 and 5.4 mpg.While pumping I was getting between 11.4 and 11.5 mpg.Now I was not slamming  concrete by any means but this is probably the average job for a sch----,32 XL,350 HP engine.I guess a good way to save fuel would be to pump a close to the shop as possible.

Keep ypur RPM down while setting up

How about turn off your air-conditioning while pumping and lower your RPMs while waiting on your next load.

 long freeway drives be sure to draft the semi in front of you ( just kidding)

Watch out for them gators,hehehe

Art,

If you do not have a lap top with the programing you may take it to your Mack, or whateveer , dealer and they will set it where you tell them to. The settings are separate for "PTO and DRIVE" modes.

lower rpm's while pumping, idle while waiting on trucks, when you stop in the morning for coffee kill the truck,when you stop for something to drink on the ride back,kill the truck,whenever theres no concrete in the pump kill it whenever possible.slow your drivers-operators down to 60 mph and theres some fuel additives you can add to help a little and last but not least go up on your prices we cant pump for what we used to go up or you may be going down permanently. 

 But one must remember when you stop for coffee in the morning to wait 3-5 minutes for engine to even out,and in the evening when you stop for a slurpy wait 3-5 minutes for the engine to even out,all this on-off can't be good for an engine.How 'bout this,when you arrive at the yard in the evening,don't let your truck idle for 30 minutes whilst talking to your little buddies.And maybe cut a few of the deadheads laying on your payroll......

How about the most obvious solution of mounting your next pump on an engine with the minimum amount of HP necessary to do day to day work?

Why go 500HP when you can easily accomplish the job with 300HP?

Are you sure that a 300 hp burn less fuel than a 500 hp motor ?

My old pump a -91 Schwing 23-4 BPL 900 pump on a SCANIA 93 250 hp 6X2 (22 000 kg) (11.36 hp/Ton)

Burn even more diesel than My "new" -01 Schwing S42SX 2525 Longrock on a Volvo 420 hp 8X4 (36 000 kg) (11.66 hp/Ton)....

Burn more on the road (less torqe)

Burn more when pumping (probably the same , pumping with lower rpm on the "new" one)

" I can remember coming out of Monte Vista with potatoes for St.Loius (cheap fuel then) burning up the road in 9 hours getting maybe 4.5 mpg.Or the same trip with same load legal getting almost 6 mpg.All this with a 1693 cat with 00 buttons in pump."

Many, not too many people remember that family engine. However, perhaps you're mixing your hot rodding details as the compact style fuel pumps on the 1693 Cat had the traditional flyweight governor with fuel screws for rack travel. Some guys would boast that their screw (or later on screws) were stored in the glove box - hence full rack travel. On the other hand, a "zero button" in a Cummins meant pretty high fuel pressure and power.

how about we have a day where we all just dont pump,no money at all,huh,maybe stop pumping for p-nuts,there are a few ways to conserve but we already should've been doing that,if Bob doesn't have the answers were all in trouble cause Bob knows everything.just joking Bob,its a serious issue with no simple answers,I thought by now you would've come up with an engine that runs on air I was gonna say water but being your in hotlanta dont think that was an option.

 pudg,

If you can't or won't raise the prices; you need to control the cost. This fuel issue is an area of the 'payables' that you, as operators, have some control over. If you are a good employee (and 99% of you probably are) then you need to do whatever you can to help the company. No company = no job.

Another area that you can help in is insurance cost!!! It is pretty much up to you, as operators, to keep the accidents from happening. If you are each doing your part then those costs will come down. ;~) 

Well I have got to the point where if Im not pumping or having the need for the motor running it is off. Wether it be washing servicing. Also changing the driveline fluids to synthetic because, it no only saves fuel but, reduces wear. While initially expensive it is cheaper in the long run.

LW,almost missed your thoughts.Yeah,had the overhead run and pump adj. done in Salina on a 400 cummins Rail pressure at just over 400lbs,burnt that puppy up.Man did that thing pull before the explossion.

I guess my intention was for drivers to simply softpeddle.Those big puffs of smoke when shifting are $$$.Even with todays electronic engines the same applies.

I can spot a hotrodder a mile away just by listening.Another hint is the ones that shift with the jake.

As a former driver instructor through "Hartford Ins" one can learn much from following a unit to spot bad driving habbit's.The agressive driver will  always burn more fuel and raise the chance of a preventable accident.

If one just thinks about it these things all figure into the bottom line.As a note I had one driver in a plow that in 6 days cost me over $5k,maybe by 2010 I might break even.

A good explanation of softpeddle.>>>>>>>

to make less emphatic, less obtrusive, less conspicuous, etc.; tone down; play down

happy trails

Many - used to be fun to make'm perform - been there/ done that on the big three (Cat, Cummins, Detroit 2 stroke) up till computers took charge.

Your points well taken, fuel is too precious to be blowing it out the stack un burnt at present and looming costs. Some owner operators however did manage to enjoy better fuel economy with their engines opened up, but that tends to happen when you drive with an attitude for common sense and kind thoughts for your machine. Likewise during pumping I'm sure!

In central Florida the have come up with a high priced solution for the pumps.  They just let them sit in the yard.  See problem solved, no fuel burned, no money going out.