Current Conditions and Looming Equipment Price Hikes Should Spur Search for Additional MPG Improvements

    DOWNERS GROVE, IL, December 19, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Private fleets and carriers can take many incremental steps to effectively reduce fuel consumption and improve miles-per-gallon (MPG) in anticipation of the higher cost of the more fuel-efficient heavy duty trucks to be manufactured between 2014 and 2018, said Andy Stopka, Vice President of Maintenance for NationaLease, the North American full service truck leasing organization in a blog posting.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, working jointly with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is requiring new trucks produced during that time period to reduce fuel consumption by 7 to 20 percent, which will surely drive up the costs of the new equipment, Stopka said. His blog lists six actions fleets can take to save on fuel now and in the future.

Among the changes fleets can make include:

- Increasing efficiency of truck utilization by identifying the optimal fleet competition and standardizing fleet specification to increase fuel economy.

- Making maintenance facilities more efficient - by implementing a robust parts management program, for example - with the the intention of getting trucks repaired and back on the road as quickly as possible.

- Taking advantage of extended warranties following new equipment purchases, with the end result of optimizing equipment performance.

Stopka also points out the advantages of partnering with transportation services companies that can apply their collective knowledge in areas such as group purchasing, financing and processing efficiencies, while letting fleet managers concentrate on core functions. For more ways fleets can save on fuel consumption and boost profitability, view the entire blog found at http://blog.ameriquestcorp.com/?p=573.

Founded in 1944, NationaLease is the largest full service truck leasing organization in North America, with over 600 service locations throughout the U.S. and Canada and a combined customer fleet of over 125,000 tractors, trucks, and trailers. The company provides comprehensive fleet management services for private fleets and transportation service providers. More information can be found at www.nationalease.com.

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