Fuel Efficiency Tips for Armored Vehicles

Posted on November 10, 2015, 1:24 am, by admin, under Armored Vehicles

Fuel Efficiency Tips for Armored Vehicles

Seesawing gas prices are a royal pain. They go up. Then they go down. Then they go up again.

For armored vehicle owners, rising and falling gas prices can cause upset stomachs and excessive headaches because of steep operating costs.

If you want to combat fluctuating gas prices, you’ll want to consider following the 10 tips below for armored vehicles.

Tip #1: Slow Down – A 10 mph drop in speed can improve fuel efficiency by as much as a gallon. As an example, TruckerToTrucker.com says Con-way adjusted speed governors from a max of 65 mph to 62 mph. The change helps save the company 3.2 million gallons of fuel a year.

Tip #2: Remove Excess Weight Where Possible – The lighter the vehicle, the better gas mileage you’ll get. Consider reducing payloads or removing any unnecessary weight from the armored vehicle. It will help you save on fuel costs.

Tip #3: Communicate – Keep the lines of communication open between the drivers and the garage. Drivers should feel comfortable immediately reporting any armored vehicle issues. Create a system for drivers to easily report any vehicle issues that could impact gas mileage.

Tip #4: Check Tire Pressure – Keeping your fleet of armored vehicles’ tires properly inflated improve gas mileage. It may not be a lot for a single vehicle. However, you’ll notice an overall savings with the entire fleet.

Tip #5: Reduce Unnecessary Idling – Environmental Leader says idling uses .5 to 1 gallon of fuel per hour. Watch out for unnecessary idling, especially in the garage. Try to reduce idling where you can. It will help you save on gas.

Tip #6: Decrease Gear Ratio – Going with a lower gear ratio helps to improve gas mileage. Environmental Leader reviewed an intensive study by PHH FirstFleet that showed a lower gear ratio saves on gas.

Tip #7: Watch Your Shifting – Drivers sometimes shift too quickly in the lower gears. To be more fuel efficient, properly train your drivers when to shift gears. It can really help to save on fuel costs.

Tip #8: Update Routes – When was the last time that you updated driving routes for your armored vehicle fleet? If it’s been a while, take some time to map out the most fuel efficient routes. Doing this can really help to save on gas.

Tip #9: Consider Hybrid Engines – Hybrid engines are slowly making their way into the armored vehicle market. Dunbar Armored rolled out a Freightliner Business Class M2 106 Hybrid truck in October 2011. The hybrid truck features engine-off-at-stop technology to prevent unnecessary idling.

Tip #10: Keep Vehicles in Good Shape – Keeping up with routine maintenance for your armored vehicle fleet is essential for saving on gas. Have an organized way of keeping track of vehicle oil changes and other maintenance such as replacing armored vehicle sway bars.

Following these 10 tips will help improve fuel efficiency for armored vehicles. At Hellwig Products, we know armored vehicles. We are the leading supplier of armored vehicle sway bars. To find out how we can help you, contact us at 800 367-5480 or visit www.HellwigProducts.com.