Fuel Savings on Heavy Construction Equipment

Fuel Savings on Heavy Construction Equipment - Heavy construction equipment uses a lot of gas, and this takes up a large majority of your operations budget. If you are careless, though, those fuel expenses can get even higher and dig into your profit margins very quickly. Thankfully, there are some practical strategies you can heed to save on fuel. Here’s how you can reduce fuel consumption in your heavy construction equipment.

1. Hire Skilled Operators

Your operators should have advanced skills and a detailed knowledge of every machine they work with, whether you own your own equipment or you rent it. Mistakes can be made that can boost fuel consumption when operators are not well trained on the equipment.

One big mistake is for operators to gear up at high RPMs. Seasoned operators, though, will start the machinery at a low RPM, while gradually increasing it. This saves fuel.

2. Maintain Your Equipment

It’s critical to maintain your equipment with regular cleaning, oil checks, and lubrication of all moving parts, as well as proper tire inflation. That’s because poorly maintained equipment has to work harder to achieve the same result, which takes more gas. Be sure to service your equipment regularly to boost fuel efficiency.

Advise your drivers and operators to regularly check the tires and inflate them. Underinflated tires have high rolling resistance, which makes your engine work harder and use more fuel.

3. Select Shorter, More Efficient Transport Routes

You likely have to move the equipment around every day if you don’t have storage areas on site, which actually consumes a lot of fuel. Consider transportation costs and the advantages of utilizing shorter and more efficient routes to reach your storage location. If you can, keep your machinery near the project site to reduce transportation fuel costs.

4. Encourage More Efficient Driving

Tell your equipment operators to drive more efficiently, not just during transportation but all over the site as well. They should not accelerate quickly, speed, or sharply apply the brakes, as all of these careless practices can contribute to higher fuel consumption.

5. Reduce Idling Time

When your machines are running, even when not moving, they are consuming fuel. Period. Tell your operators to switch off the engines during these idle times.

6. Use the Correct Fuel

Your engines produce less power when you add the wrong fuel or fuel mixture. In turn, this leads to increased fuel consumption in order to achieve top performance. This is why you should only use fuel recommended by the manufacturer.

7. Use the Right Equipment

While it’s true that some machines can handle many different operations, most are designed to perform a particular task. If you ask more of them, they will consume more fuel. Always use the right equipment for the right types of tasks.

8. Monitor Your Equipment

Monitor equipment on your smart phone or tablet with your telematics system. Now, you can easily keep track of factors like speed, fuel consumption, sharp braking and idling time. You’ll be able to act fast, even when not physically on site, when there’s an alert like a fuel consumption spike.

We hope you use these tips to control fuel usage in your heavy construction equipment. Did you know that Taylor Oil offers mobile and onsite fueling? This is a great way to keep your fuel budget in check. Contact us today for a free quote.