Energy Management

If a driver doesn't care about fuel economy, they're likely not going to pick this up on their own. When I started, I would power up the hills to the top, and then manage overspeed to the bottom with jakes and brakes. I think I started out of boredom, making it a challenge to stay above 8 mpg. You've also got to sort out the misinformation from other truck drivers. Ask 10 drivers how the jakes work and you'll likely get 10 different answers.

After purchasing my own truck, it became more than just a game, especially with the larger engine. The hardest thing to teach my partner was identifying the slope of the road ahead of us. There are still parts of the road that look like they level off or start downhill, but in reality it's still uphill.

The other factors were not quite as bad, it's just a matter of remembering which gear to be in for how heavy the load is compared to the downgrade. I used to be the guy who would barrel down Cabbage at 65mph, braking to the recommended speed before each curve. Now I lock it into 9th, set my downhill assist to 40mph, and don't have to use the brake pads at all. Going into the final curves I'll gradually upshift so that I hit 65 at the bottom. It's easier on the cargo, the co-driver, and the equipment as well.

The next stage is learning to manage how much boost we use with the right foot. We used to be set it and forget it, cruise control drivers.