As fuel prices increase, these tips will save you money on gas and improve fuel efficiency in your pickup truck.
We know you love your truck, but when its fuel economy inexplicably starts to get worse, the pain felt in your wallet can put a strain on even the strongest four-wheel relationship. The good news here is that simple advice can go a long way toward keeping your truck at prime efficiency. This isn’t rocket science — in fact, three of the tips are fairly obvious and take only minutes to complete! Stick around, though, because the other two might surprise you, and they’ll all help you get what you need: more miles out of every tank of gas.
Keep it Clean
One of the easiest pieces of economy-improvement maintenance is to make sure your truck’s spark plugs are in prime condition and the air filter is clean. Worn plugs and dirty filters could be a primary culprit if your vehicle’s performance and economy aren’t at their peak. This is especially true for truck owners who either routinely take their vehicle off-roading, or who live in areas where blowing sand and dirt can quickly gum up a filter, even in the absence of any recent all-terrain adventures.
Pump it Up
Being certain your tires have the correct air pressure is about more than fuel savings; it also happens to be one of the simplest ways to make sure your vehicle is safe to drive. Underinflated tires not only put a dent in fuel efficiency, they can impact how your truck behaves in all types of driving conditions. Rolling around on soggy tires won’t just hurt when paying at the pump, it could blunt suspension and steering performance in an emergency situation.
To find out your truck’s ideal tire pressure, check the owner’s manual or look in the door jam for a sticker that lists correct pressure ratings. A handy investment is a tire pressure monitor gauge. This is convenient and perfect for older trucks that might not have onboard tire pressure sensors.
Dump it Out
Take a look behind you. Now, what do you see? We’re talking about cargo beds here and, if the answer to our question is a whole lot of nothing, then you can skip this section and jump directly to the next piece of advice. If you see a lot of trash, maybe a few leftover building supplies, and some loose firewood… read on, this one is for you.
Carrying around an unnecessary load of bulky cargo can put a serious drain on your fuel economy. Granted, many truck owners need to carry a serious amount of gear for everyday work needs, or for those hard-earned weekend getaways. But if your cargo bed is laden with bulky things you don’t really need on a day-to-day basis, then it’s time to clean house (or in this case, your truck’s cargo bed). Your fuel gauge needle will thank you.
Set the Mode
This bit of advice applies to newer trucks, many of which have driver selectable modes for tackling snowy, muddy, rocky, or sandy driving conditions. More often than not, there is also an “Eco” mode. This recalibrates the behavior of the throttle and transmission to help maximize fuel mileage. Keep in mind, the benefits aren’t going to be noticed in every driving situation. If you’re cruising gently down the highway for a long stretch, your truck’s fuel economy will be pretty much the same no matter which drive mode you’re in. But in stop-and-go traffic, rolling in Eco mode will prove much more beneficial. By tweaking the throttle input and gearbox shift points, fuel economy will make a notable tick upwards.
You’re Not Gunning for Pole at Monaco
Having a lot of horsepower is never a bad thing. Even so, if you’re gunning it like you’re trying to outdrive Max Verstappen, then your fuel economy is going to seriously suffer. Eco mode or not, having an unnecessarily heavy right foot is a surefire way to make certain you get on a first name basis with your local gas-station attendant. If you need to lay into the throttle to execute a quick and safe passing maneuver, fair enough. But on your meandering Sunday drive, or dull daily commute, try to relax and don’t act like you’ve just spotted a cockroach on your gas pedal whenever a traffic light turns green.
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