Fuel Effeciency Pays off for Truck Drivers

If you're a PAM Transport driver, fuel effeciency pays off big time.  In fact, for the second straight year PAM Transport is going to award more than $600,000 in cash and prizes to its drivers.  PAM drivers work hard for the company and the company rewards them in appreciation.  It's a simple philosophy and one that has made the Mission MPG program so successful. 

Watch: PAM Transport Mission MPG Teaser

What Is Mission MPG?

So, what is the Mission MPG thing all about?  It’s a program the company started to reward drivers for their fuel efficiency with cash prizes and incentives. Drivers compete against other company drivers and those that perform in the top 40%, 25%, and 10% of their peer group are eligible to receive great incentives. 

Mission MPG isn't just a cool name for the rewards program. To help drivers stay on track, each letter in the name stands for a different tip for maximizing fuel efficiency. Here's a full breakdown on what it all means...

7 Fuel Saving Tips for Truckers

Minimizing RPMs:  Minimizing RPMs is an easy way to conserve fuel. To do this, use cruise control whenever possible and use the lowest possible RPM in the highest possible gear.

Idle Off:   Whenever possible, turn the engine off instead of idling. Idling uses one gallon of fuel for every hour spent idling, which can rack up to about $7,200 a year. Not only can it hurt the pocketbook, it can cause problems with engine wear and pollution.

Speed:  Reducing speed is a straight-forward way to reduce your fuel consumption. For every mile per hour reduction in speed in a top gear, an additional 0.1 mpg can be achieved.

Shifting Techniques:  Progressive Shifting minimizes RPM fluctuation and keeps the engine near peak torque. Progressive shifting is the act of bringing RPMs up just high enough to shift into the next gear.

Inflation and Inspection:  Tire pressure is crucial for fuel efficiency. Maintain the steering tires at 110 pounds and the drive tires at 100 pounds. Every 10 PSI below results in .05 mpg loss.

On Time Maintenance:  Preventative maintenance is important for maintaining fuel efficiency and will ensure that the truck is running at peak efficiency.

Narrow the Gap:  Aerodynamics can influence fuel efficiency as well. Minimize the gap between the tractor and trailer to less than 30 inches for a mpg increase of .25. A gap in excess of 30 inches can increase drag by over 2%.

The Benefits of MISSION MPG

So what are some of the perks of the MISSION MPG program?

The Grand Prize winner gets a Harley Davidson at the annual event shown in the video, and four additional drivers received Honda 4-wheelers. These prizes are on top of the cash incentives the top 40, 25, and 10% of drivers earned for their fuel efficiency!  If that’s not an perk, I don’t know what is!

Find out how YOU can join the mission - Go to JoinMissionMPG.com for details!