Of all the variable costs that truckers face, fuel is all but guaranteed to be the most severe one of the batch.

It is said that at one point, fuel was “cheap”.

Well, if fuel really ever was “cheap”, it certainly hasn’t been in recent memory… which brings us to the topic of this article.

How can heavy truck/ rig drivers reduce fuel costs?

Well we have a surprising way we are going to share with you that will reduce the merciless fuel costs that wreak havoc on your pocket book.

Here it is… reduce unnecessary idling.

Sounds too simple? Too basic?

Many (most) drivers never think of the fuel costs involved in unnecessary idling.

Studies have shown that just ten seconds of idling actually burns MORE fuel than the act of ignition, and that’s even when you allow for the fact that you’re not moving your rig.

Now while this is a simple concept [...]

If you’re a trucker you are undoubtedly painfully aware that heavy rig oil changes an add up rather quickly.

Of course the alternative, which is to neglect your oil changes really isn’t a great option though because replacing heavy truck engines adds up much quicker!

So the question truckers want to know is how frequently should they actually change the oil in their rigs?

(And after we answer this, as an added bonus we are going to give you three tips that can help extend the life of your oil.)

First, we will start by saying you should always follow any OEM advice/ recommendations, but beyond that we suggest, depending upon the model year of your vehicle, having oil changes anywhere from forty thousand kilometres to eighty thousand kilometres.

This is due to the fact that many variables that come into play on how frequent your oil changes should be. [...]

For forever and a day, truckers drove rigs with manual transmissions.

Pop your head into any truck cab and you’d see the obligatory manual stick.

But as with everything, times change.

More and more often a cursory cab look will show not a manual stick, but an automatic shifter.

The question is, do automatic transmissions actually offer truckers any advantages?

And the answer to this questions is, in many cases yes. While there are staunch loyalists for both manual and automatic transmissions, the simple fact is each year more and more heavy truck drivers are opting for automatic transmissions.

First, in most cases automatic transmission equipped rigs get better fuel mileage, and when it comes to heavy trucking, fuel mileage is always a primary concern. Who doesn’t want to keep more money in their back pocket as opposed to in the coffers of the fuel companies.

But the reasons [...]

Manufactured in Hagerstown Maryland, the Volvo D13 Turbo Compound engine is truly a game changing piece of machinery and technology.

Hyperbole and exaggeration you say?

Well we make this statement with confidence for a number of reasons.

First it’s the only engine in the heavy truck industry that uses a waste heat recovery system which helps save fuel by capturing lost energy.

Sounds great right? But how does this make any difference to you?

Basically when you burn diesel fuel, typically large percentages of the BTU’s are wasted. The D13 engine actually has a system where it converts exhaust gas into mechanical energy.

The benefits to this is that it not only increases horsepower and torque, it also improves fuel mileage!

Now, if the Volvo engineers had stopped there, this would probably have been impressive enough, but they weren’t done.

They even developed new pistons and even coolant pumps that further enhance the engines capabilities [...]

It is the age old question, which is the smarter move, buying a new rig or a pre-owned one?

Naturally, if there was no price difference the odds are you’d just buy a new rig.

But as we all know, there is a price difference.

So the question now becomes, is the additional cost of a new rig worth the extra expense over a pre-owned heavy truck? Put another way, is “new” worth the additional cost.

Naturally, there is no perfect answer for this, because each situation is unique, however there are several advantages to buying new.

First when purchasing a new vehicle, there will basically be zero wear and tear on that unit. That means, you will be getting the maximum amount of life span out of each component on your rig and there should be few if any surprises. When considering something as valuable as a rig, knowing that the vehicle hasn’t been [...]

Your rig is your livelihood, it is your “home away from home”, work office and so much more.

If you take care of it, it should take care of you.

If you don’t take care of it, it will likely repay you with thousands of dollars in repair costs, costly down time and grief.

Number one, an overheating engine. An overheating engine can lead to engine failure.

If you have a hot running engine, get it in for service immediately.

Number two, starter failure. Starter failures become more common in cold weather, and are definitely something you shouldn’t ignore.

Number three, brake issues. These are a common issue for truckers year round. The causes can be numerous, ranging from brake fluid leaks right through to full on brake failure. (Fortunately modern trucks should only lose partial performance in brake failures).

Number four, U-joint failures. Your U-joints [...]