For One Company
Saving Fuel Leads to Safety Improvements and More

Even though high fuel prices are creating daunting challenges for trucking companies and owner-operators, some are finding ways to cope. One longtime Northland customer has found that fuel saving efforts are paying off, and they are leading to other benefits too. For Kerns Trucking of Kings Mountain, N.C., no stone is left unturned to find ways to save fuel. As a bonus, steps to improve efficiency have also led to a noticeable decrease in accident costs and other expenses.

Doug Prestwood, Vice President of Kerns Trucking, characterizes the problem this way: “It’s not a matter of whether you want to make changes or not. If you don’t take steps to become more efficient, you’re not going to be in business very long.” 

His company began making changes when diesel fuel prices jumped following Hurricane Katrina.  One important change was to reduce the governed speed of its company-owned trucks from 74 mph to an average of 65 mph. Doug Prestwood calculates that this change allowed his company to improve fuel economy by almost 10 percent.

Daily tire pressure checks also became standard procedure. This, combined with the use of a tire sealant to help seal small leaks, helped save fuel and lowered tire repair and replacement costs by 15 percent. A tire that is under-inflated by just 10 psi can begin to reduce fuel mileage, Prestwood claims. Operating tires at optimal pressure also helped reduce roadside service call costs.

Kerns also invested in a satellite tracking and navigation system for all company-owned trucks. The benefits of tracking vehicle idle time, speed, location, and the ability for drivers to get reliable directions has been well worth the $42/month payment, Prestwood says. One of the greatest safety benefits to come out of this system, Prestwood claims, is that drivers are able to focus on driving instead of being distracted when they are lost. This also reduces out-of-route miles drivers might otherwise travel when they are lost or looking for a place to turn around, another fuel-saving opportunity.

The company also made a significant investment in battery-powered auxiliary power units (APU) for its over-the-road trucks. A few years ago, when the price of fuel was lower, it might have been hard to justify purchasing an APU. With the cost of diesel now over $4.00 per gallon, it’s clearly worth it, says Prestwood.

The company’s quest to improve fuel mileage also included using synthetic engine oil and installing flat panels on the sides of its ribbed dump trailers. The use of synthetic engine oil helped improve fuel economy and lower preventive maintenance costs by stretching out service intervals. Streamlining dump trailers has helped reduce aerodynamic drag. When the company buys trucks in the future, aerodynamic design will be an important consideration, said Prestwood.

Coaching and training drivers has been an integral part of the company’s efforts to become more efficient. As Doug Prestwood acknowledges, “old habits die hard.” He has focused on encouraging drivers to replace bad habits with good ones, like checking tire pressure daily with a tire pressure gauge, slowing down, shifting and accelerating efficiently, limiting idle time, and using cruise control.  By monitoring engine data, the company has reduced idle time, another big fuel waster. In one case, idle time for one truck was reduced from 41 to just 2.5 hours/week after this information was shared with the driver.

Although the company’s objective was to reduce fuel costs, it has also seen a noticeable improvement in accident costs. Doug Prestwood attributes this improvement to the company’s focus on encouraging drivers to drive smart, slowing down, monitoring truck and driver performance, and giving drivers the information they need to do their jobs better.

There’s nothing magical about becoming more efficient. “It’s just what trucking companies need to do to survive these days”, says Prestwood. The most important thing, he says, is not to let old habits keep you from moving ahead and doing what’s right.