Truckers Slowing Down to Save Fuel - Truckers' Trucking Forum

Cybergal · **^ Top** #1 03.23.2008

Truckers Slowing Down to Save Fuel

3/23/08

Quote:

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Coast-to-coast trucker Lorraine Dawson says fellow drivers used to call her "Lead Foot Lorraine." But with diesel fuel around $4 a gallon, she and other big-rig drivers have backed off their accelerators to conserve fuel.

"I used to be a speed demon, but no more," said Dawson, based at Tacoma, Wash. "Most drivers have cut their speed considerably."
Dawson said she's cut her speed by five to 10 miles per hour to save money for her company. Many independent owner-operators have slowed even more, she said.

"My fiance is an owner-operator and he's been crying a lot about the price of fuel," Dawson said. "He's been slowing way down."
Truckers and industry officials say slowing a tractor-trailer rig from 75 mph to 65 mph increases fuel mileage by more than a mile a gallon, a significant bump for machines that get less than 10 miles per gallon hauling thousands of pounds of freight. Even sitting still with the engine idling, a rig gulps about a gallon of diesel every hour.
"We just can't afford it," Dawson said of diesel as she was topping off her fuel tanks at a Bismarck truck stop.
more here............... http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h...OJpAgD8VIJCM80

Brickman · **^ Top** #2 03.23.2008

From the article

Quote:

When she started driving trucks in 1997, diesel was about $1.97 a gallon,

I'm the first one to admit that my memory is a little faulty at times but I seem to remember fuel was $1.30 to $1.80 in 02 and 03, and under a buck in 97.

Any body else's memory working like mine?

Roadmedic · **^ Top** #3 03.23.2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brickman

From the article

I'm the first one to admit that my memory is a little faulty at times but I seem to remember fuel was $1.30 to $1.80 in 02 and 03, and under a buck in 97.

Any body else's memory working like mine?

Considering that in 1999 I paid around 1.00 a gallon. When I get back home, I can check the older computer and find the data on it for costs back that far.

Brickman · **^ Top** #4 03.23.2008

Also from the article.

Quote:

State troopers have noticed the decline in truckers' speeds

Now that that source of revenue is drying up I would expect them to start jacking more drivers at the scales to make up the loss in speeding ticket revenue.

Brickman · **^ Top** #5 03.23.2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roadmedic

Considering that in 1999 I paid around 1.00 a gallon. When I get back home, I can check the older computer and find the data on it for costs back that far.

Thank you..

Roadmedic · **^ Top** #6 03.23.2008

In 2004, it was 1.39. That is the oldest available on this computer.

Roadmedic · **^ Top** #7 03.23.2008

Quick check on google:
Link [LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link.

PRICE HISTORY
Table and Chart 1 display the January and July average monthly gasoline and diesel prices from 1994 to the present. In most years, the price differential between gasoline and diesel was greater in summer than winter. Only in 2005 and 2006 were the January diesel prices higher than the gasoline prices. Price data were extracted from the Weekly Gasoline and Diesel Prices worksheet produced by the EIA.

Table and Chart 1: US Average Monthly Gasoline and Diesel Prices

Date
Gasoline, Reformulated All Grades: Retail Prices
Diesel: Retail Prices
January 1995

$ 1. 23
$ 1. 10

July 1995

$ 1. 26
$ 1. 10

January 1996

$ 1. 18
$ 1. 15

July 1996

$ 1. 36
$ 1. 18

January 1997

$ 1. 31
$ 1. 29

July 1997

$ 1. 26
$ 1. 15

January 1998

$ 1. 21
$ 1. 12

July 1998

$ 1. 15
$ 1. 03

January 1999

$ 1. 07
$ 0. 97

July 1999

$ 1. 28
$ 1. 12

January 2000

$ 1. 37
$ 1. 36

July 2000

$ 1. 68
$ 1. 43

January 2001

$ 1. 56
$ 1. 52

July 2001

$ 1. 63
$ 1. 38

January 2002

$ 1. 18
$ 1. 15

July 2002

$ 1. 51
$ 1. 30

January 2003

$ 1. 57
$ 1. 49

July 2003

$ 1. 63
$ 1. 44

January 2004

$ 1. 65
$ 1. 55

July 2004

$ 2. 06
$ 1. 74

January 2005

$ 1. 92
$ 1. 96

July 2005

$ 2. 43
$ 2. 37

January 2006

$ 2. 40
$ 2. 47

July 2006

$ 3. 15
$ 2. 93

footz · **^ Top** #8 03.23.2008

What the bears lose in speeding ticket revenue they could EASILY
make up in tailgating tickets, in all kinds of vehicles, and it
is totally beyond me why that hasn't started happening yet.
Cop car dash-cams would make evidence gathering easy and automatic.

-f

animal control · **^ Top** #9 03.23.2008

Yes,Reporter made HUGE Error., $1.97 price in'97. I burned stacks of 98cent Oklahoma diesel fuel reciepts from the late nitiees.Prices as I remember rose to about $1.25 in 2000.Then in 2004 ($1.57) incresed aggressively and $1.97 fuel became reality in 2005.NOT 1997 as reported in error by AP in all the major newspapers,ect.

Ducks · **^ Top** #10 03.23.2008

I saw this article yesterday and I wasn't happy with it. You folks have found fault with the woman's fuel prices, but what bothered me is that it said nothing about what happens to a trucker's income when his/her speed is reduced by 5 to 10 mph. And honestly? I think the public needs to be made aware of THAT as well.

Those 11 hours driving simply won't net as many miles anymore...

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