Cost Savings

How may additional stops can your employees make per week if you knew how their time in the field was utilized. How much does your insurance rise because of speeding, poor driving records, accidents, stolen vehicles or equipment? How much do you waste in fuel costs because drivers unnecessarily idle the vehicle or they regularly speed.

Information released from studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratories on the effects of speed and idling is extremely important to fleet owners and operators of commercial trucks:

The Costs of Idling

EFFECT ON IDLING: Idling causes twice as much damage as driving. One hour's idling is equivalent to between 80 and 120 minutes of driving time in respect to wear and tear on the engine. The loss of fuel economy from excessive idling can add up to 800 gallons of fuel annually for the average truck.

Statistics indicate engine idling consumption for an average car is between 1 and 2.5 gallons per hour.

The Costs of Speed

Speed has a significant impact on vehicle operating and maintenance costs: EFFECT ON ENGINE: Analysis of the road experience indicates the ideal speed for the average truck is 50-55 mph. The power required to increase speed multiplies dramatically: - 73% more horsepower required to travel at 60 mph - 159% more horsepower required to travel at 70 mph

EFFECT ON FUEL COST: Research indicated that speed above 50 mph increases fuel consumption by 1 1/2 percent for each mile per hour. A truck, which averages 8 mpg at 50 mph, will average 6.8 mpg at 60 mph. EFFECT ON TIRES: Sustained high speed raises tire temperature causing strength and wear properties to deteriorate. Tire wear will almost double at road speeds of 70 mph or greater. EFFECT ON MAINTENANCE COST: Gears, bearings, clutches, suspension and drive trains wear faster at higher speeds. Increasing speed from 50 mph to 60 mph increases maintenance cost by 38%. Increasing the speed to 70 mph increases the cost by 80%. EFFECT ON ACCIDENTS: Approximate stopping distances, including reaction time for the average person (2 axle trucks) are listed below: @ 50 mph - 275 feet (.92 football fields) @ 60 mph - 375 feet (1.25 football fields) @ 70 mph - 500 feet (1.67 football fields)

At 70 mph, stopping distance is 63% greater than at 50 mph. Even in daylight, higher speeds significantly increase the risk of an accident.