How To Make A Pickup More Efficient

There are many benefits to owning a pickup truck. However, fuel economy is not one of them. While pickup trucks have come a long way from the heavy gas guzzlers that they used to be, they are still not as fuel efficient as most other domestic road vehicles. However, you can make them more fuel efficient through a mix of good driving habits and modifications. For those pickup owners that want to pay less at the pump, here are a few tips on how to spend less on fuel.

Gear up

If you own a manual pickup, one of the easiest and most effective ways to save money on fuel is to consider how you use your gears. Trying to drive too fast in too low a gear results in more revs and more fuel being consumed. It’s much better to drive in the highest gear that you can get away with (just don’t drive so slow that the car starts juddering, as you could end up damaging the motor). 

Of course, if you’re going uphill, you’re going to want to select a lower gear to give you the power you need. However, otherwise you should make it your mission to reduce those revs. 

Feel the pressure

Under inflated tires can create more drag on your vehicle and can have a significant impact on your truck’s fuel economy. They don’t have to be flat either – even driving on tires 5 PSI below the recommended gauge is enough to reduce your tire spin. 

Get into a habit of regularly checking your tire pressure to make sure that your tires are well inflated. This is particularly important before long journeys.

Change your oil

Regular oil changes will also improve your truck’s fuel economy. Fresh oil can help to keep engine parts better lubricated so that they move with less resistance and require less fuel to get moving. 

It’s worth getting an oil change every 3000 to 5000 miles. Learn more on how to do an oil change yourself could save you a lot of money spent having to visit a mechanic each time.

Lose some weight

If you often carry around equipment in your pickup that you don’t need, it’s possible that you could be consuming more fuel than necessary. Every extra 100 pounds taken out of your truck could increase the fuel economy by 1 to 2 per cent. This is because the heavier the vehicle, the more rolling resistance, resulting in more fuel needed to turn those wheels.

Think about what you actually need to keep in your pickup. It could be necessary to carry your work tools around when attending jobs, but do you really need to carry them around when going grocery shopping or visiting a friend? Pickup can make useful extra storage spaces, but treating them as a permanent moving shed could have its disadvantages.