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Your survival depends on minimizing fuel consumption and getting a fair surcharge
Diesel fuel is still king in the trucking industry, but electric trucks are expected to emerge as legitimate options over the next decade. Some have predicted sales of e-trucks could make up about 5 percent of all truck sales in 2026. But until then, controlling the cost of diesel is paramount to being a successful owner-operator.
You can make the wisest business decisions about fuel when you know your fuel economy, expressed in miles per gallon, and your fuel cost per mile (CPM).
Calculate your mpg simply by tracking your mileage between fill-ups and dividing the total by the number of gallons you burned. Do this for all trips. Fuel economy constantly changes, affected by weather, loads, routes, traffic, terrain, road surfaces and other factors. Many may be out of your control, but no problem can be remedied if it isn’t noticed.
It’s helpful to know mpg per month, per week and even per load. That occasional haul of steel across the Appalachians may be costing you more in fuel than it’s worth. If your numbers look bad, don’t give up; the worse your fuel economy, the more you have to gain by improving it.
