6 Tips for Operating a Car Hauler Efficiently | West Coast Enterprises
Driving a car hauler can be an expensive proposition. Between maintenance, insurance, brokers’ fees, tolls and countless other costs, there can be enough red ink to fill a tanker. That can create a real challenge for an O/O trying to make it alone.
Fortunately, if you’re in that group, there are some things you can do to cut some of your unavoidable expenses. Specifically, a few simple changes to the way you drive can help you make your trips more efficiently.
GPS Tricks Not so much tricks as using it to its maximum effect. If you’ve been on the road for a while, you probably know every way your GPS, whether it’s on your phone or in your dash, can make your trips better. If you’re new to it, make sure you set it to find the shortest routes, reroute you if something happens that could prolong your trip, avoid tolls and even help you find the cheapest gas along the way.
Cut Extraneous Miles Ensure you don’t have to drive miles from the exit to find the services and facilities you need. Again, GPS can help with this, but you may also consider an analog assistant such as “the Next EXIT,” a book billed as “the most complete guide of U.S.A. interstate highway exit services ever printed.”
Set the Cruise Control Cruise control can more efficiently regulate your speed than you might be able to, keeping closer to set speeds without regular revving or slowing of the engine that can reduce efficiency. In fact, Edmunds found using cruise control can improve fuel economy from 7 to 14% for vehicles and there’s no reason to think it can’t be similarly effective for car haulers.
Keep an Eye on Your Tires Under-inflated tires can reduce fuel efficiency by 0.2% for every 1 PSI you’re below tire fill, so check your tire pressures and keep them appropriately filled.
Ensure Your Car Hauler Is Appropriately Loaded Imbalanced loads can impact handling and even damage your rig, and can make the engine work harder to keep everything moving together.
Stay Geared Up Keeping your rig in a high gear for highway driving enables you to keep the pedal off the floor to maintain speed, which reduces RPMs and cuts fuel use.
West Coast Enterprises Truck and Trailer Sales is here to support you with quality car hauler rigs and trailers, and in every mile along the way. Call us today for what you need to get and stay on the road.