Save 25% on Fuel Costs — No GPS Tracking Needed

OK, many people probably breeze through here once or twice, notice the fact that I’m always “selling” the use of GPS tracking and leave, not interested in my sales pitch.

Well I’m surely not going to stop selling the technology, but in today’s world of insane gas prices folks ought to know there are some great ways to save that don’t cost a penny (and don’t require any GPS tracking units, so no one will know about that girl friend you’re not supposed to have).

 Here’s a nice story about some driving courses in Australia (expecting the Federal government to run the courses, of yeah, great idea not) … but you don’t need a driving course … Dave will be happy to save you as much as 25% in five easy lessons here.  Start saving today.

•  SLOW DOWN:  This is the single most simplistic advice you can get, and the easiest to comply with.  The difference between 85 and 65 on the freeway can easily be more than 10%.  Here in Colorado I travel the freeways at or near the normal 75 mph limit (I know my speed because of my GeoTab GPS, down to the tenth of a mile per hour) and I am passed by others approximately 10 times more often than I pass anyone else.  I don’t know where in the heck you are all hurrying to, but I know you are spending a lot more than I am to get there.  Road fact:  Time, Speed, Distance … did you learn that in high school or were you playing football or farding instead?  It’s 68 miles from my house to a location I travel to frequently in Denver.  The difference (best case) in traveling at 65 or at 75 is less than 8 minutes travel time.  Is (possibly) 8 minutes worth at least 10% less gas mileage?  Not to mention tire war and other general stress wear on my automobile?
• Maintain the Vehicle: The simplest things such as airing the tires will save several percentage points and reduce eventual maintenance expenses as well.  Do you have a simple tire pressure gauge in your car?  Have you used it within the past 30 days?
• Don’t Idle:  If there’s one thing that is the silliest way to waste fuel, it’s idling.  Picking someone up?  They aren’t out at the curb waiting for you?  Well turn off the ignition, dang it!  I see this day in and day out, and it’s dumb.  You can argue with me about driving 75 versus 65 or any number of another points, but you can’t argue that sitting still with the engine spewing fuel out the tailpipe is dumb.  You know one of the chief reasons that expensive hybrid gas-electric cars get such good mileage?  The gas engine shuts off every time the car stops.  You can build your own hybrid with nothing more than your ignition key.
• Reduce Weight:  Are there hundreds of pounds of dead weight in the truck or in your pickup bed?  Still got those sacks of sand you carry around in the winter?  Again. there’s absolutely no argument here .. you don’t need the extra weight and it has no benefit at all … can’t even use the argument of getting there =faster at a little more cost.
• Drive Smooth:  The last and potentially best tip I can offer.  Ever drive down a busy road with traffic lights every mile or two, blasting away from each green light, standing on the brakes every red light, and then at the end of several miles seen the same bald guy in the non-descript little Toyota is still sitting alongside you where he was minutes ago?  It was me, and yes, I am laughing at you.  Gentler throttle movements and most importantly, avoiding you brakes as much as possible will net a surprising amount of savings.  And your passengers and those driving around you will have a much more pleasant day as well.

OK, so have I put my money where my mouth is?  Well drive a few tanks my way and see if you don’t save big … and if you don’t, you lost nothing.