The 10 golden rules for efficient drivers

  1. Keep a constant speed of around 85km/h on highways or motorways and use your cruise control. At above 90km/h, a 2km/h increase in vehicle speed results in a 2% increase in fuel consumption.
  2. Avoid driving in a low gear unless it is necessary. Change down for gradients and climb smoothly, making the best use of your vehicle’s momentum.
  3. Keep idling to a minimum when waiting to unload goods. One hour of idling** can result in a 1% increase in fuel consumption.
  4. Don’t brake unnecessarily. Use the engine brake first where possible.
  5. Avoid heavy traffic as it may increase fuel consumption by 2 -10%.
  6. Plan your journey by choosing alternative routes where the road surfaces are good.
  7. Use air conditioning and heating only when necessary as these both increase fuel consumption.
  8. Avoid carrying unnecessary weight and ensure curtains are fully closed when carrying open loads.
  9. Regularly check tyre pressures and fill tyres with nitrogen – every 10psi of under-inflation increases fuel consumption by 1%.
  10. Choose Shell diesel fuels with fuel economy formula (saving up to 3% fuel consumption***) and low viscosity, fully synthetic Shell driveline lubricant (saving up to 5% fuel consumption****).

*Source for rules 1-9: http://www.everytime.cummins.com/assets/pdf/MPG_Secrets_Whitepaper.pdf

**In a typical daily schedule

***Compared to regular diesel without a fuel economy formula. May vary by truck/vehicle

****Compared to conventional grades, when used together Shell’s range of fuel economy driveline lubricants has shown savings of up to 5%

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