Top Fuel Saving Tips For Heavy Equipment – The engines that most construction equipment and machines run on are massive and thus require a lot of fuel. If you have a big project you’re working on, this means a large part of your budget is going to fuel. But, as you know, if you raise your fuel expenses too high, you can slash your profit margins.
Here are some practical strategies to help you reduce fuel consumption as you run your heavy equipment.
Maintain Your Equipment
Poorly-maintained machinery has to work twice as hard as equipment that has been well maintained over the months and years, and thus uses less fuel to operate. Be sure to service your equipment regularly to get the highest fuel efficiency.
Also, follow the recommended routine maintenance schedule, such as oil checks, lubrication of all moving parts, regular cleaning, and proper tire inflation. Underinflated tires have a high rolling resistance, making the engine work harder than it should as well as use more gas.
Hire Skilled Operators
You need operators behind the wheels of your machines who have the skills and understanding to safely perform the job. Poorly-trained operators tend to make mistakes that may increase fuel consumption. One common mistake is to gear up at high RPMs. But well-trained operators know to start the machinery at a low RPM and gradually increase it in an effort to save on fuel. To minimize fuel waste, hire experienced operators.
Choose Shorter, More Efficient Routes
If you do not have a designated area on site where you can store your equipment overnight or in between projects, you have to move your equipment every day to a secure place, which eats up a lot of fuel. Think about your transportation costs and use shorter and more efficient routes to get to the storage location, which should be located as close as possible to the site.
Encourage Efficient Operation
Tell your equipment operators to drive as efficiently as they can, such as refraining from speeding, accelerating quickly, or applying sharp brakes – all of which can spike your fuel consumption.
Use the Proper Equipment
Some machines perform multiple operations, but if you’re using a machine that wasn’t designed for a particular purpose, it may be consuming more fuel. Make sure you’re only using machinery that’s built for the task at hand.
Reduce Idle Times
When a machine is running, even when idle, it’s burning fuel. Operators should switch off the engines when they have completed a task.
Use the Right Fuel
Using the wrong fuel or a mixture of fuels produces less power in the engine, so the machine is using more fuel to achieve top performance. Always use the fuel that the OEM recommends.
We hope you found the above tips helpful in reducing your fuel consumption and costs.
Contact Taylor Oil
We can help you save on fuel by coming to your site for fill-ups. Get in touch today to sign up for our 24/7 on-site fueling services.