Fuel Management in an Emergency
Fuel Management in an Emergency
Posted on November 22, 2021
In an ideal world, you'd always have plenty of fuel in the tank to reach your next destination. But life isn't perfect, and there are many reasons you could run up against an emergency where your fuel is running low. A filling station on your route could be unexpectedly closed, you could be stuck in heavy traffic burning up diesel without going anywhere, or you could simply miscalculate you much you need for a trip.
If you find your truck's fuel level is becoming uncomfortably low, it's possible to lower your usage temporarily to conserve as much as possible until you reach your next refilling opportunity. Here are five steps to take.
1) Drive Steadily
Every time you press down on the gas pedal you'll be lowering the level in the tank. And if you accelerate only to quickly follow by braking, you're wasting fuel without delivering any increase in range or saving in time. Try to keep to as constant a speed as you can, and you'll eke out a few more kilometres from your remaining fuel.
2) Accelerate Gently
Your truck will accelerate more efficiently when it changes speed slow and easy. Avoid stomping down on the pedal as this will put the engine under more strain, and increase the amount of fuel it draws from the tank. And even better, switching to a gentler driving style is also kinder on your truck's tires and engineering.
3) Check for Traffic Ahead
You can keep your accelerating and braking to a minimum by keeping a close eye on the traffic ahead, looking further than you need to for immediate safety. If you can anticipate your speed changes long before they're needed, you can use your brakes and gas pedal more smoothly and efficiently.
4) Coast When You Can
If you're on a long stretch of level or slightly downhill highway, you can probably lay off the acceleration and brakes for a while and coast to conserve energy. Likewise, if you can see traffic up ahead, lay off the gas early and let your truck slow down naturally rather than waiting and needing to press harder on the brakes. However, when coasting always keep an eye on your speed: even on slight downward inclines a freewheeling, heavily laden truck can pick up speed surprisingly quickly.
5) Reduce Your Speed
Time is money when driving a truck, but most vehicles have a speed where their fuel consumption is optimized. Sticking to this speed whenever you can will reduce your overall bills and increase your range, even if it takes you a few minutes longer to reach your destination. But luckily, most trucks are designed to be most efficient only a little the highway speed limit, so you don't need to slow to a crawl.
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