Want to wring an extra 2 miles or more from every gallon of diesel? Here’s how smart operators mix strategies to meet that goal.

Many owner-operators spend years chasing the holy grail of better fuel economy, but never find it. It’s not for lack of trying. They say they’ve tried one thing or another, only to find limited success.

Many of those who succeed discover the key to achieving better mileage usually isn’t found in changing one driving practice, buying a single additive or spec’ing one component.

“There isn’t a silver bullet that will get you a mile per gallon,” says Henry Albert, Overdrive’s 2007 Trucker of the Year and an operator who consistently gets 7.5 mpg or more. “You have to look around for a tenth here and a tenth there.”

The first place to look is in the mirror. Your driving habits, such as speed and handling of grades, as well as the choices you make, such as buying a truck or spec’ing the engine, ultimately determine how much fuel you burn.

Here are profiles of owner-operators who have successfully improved mileage by at least 2 mpg. Their approaches are different, but they all end up keeping more money in their pockets.

Fuel mileage disciple