Next to labor expenses, the cost of fuel to operate big rigs is the most daunting challenge to the bottom line of any trucking company. A typical 18-wheel truck gets just under 6 gallons-per-mile and most average over 110,000 miles every year. It’s not hard to see that improvements in that MPG figure, no matter how modest, can exert a meaningful impact on profits when extrapolated over typical annual mileage. A truck maintained and operated for maximum fuel efficiency is also often a vehicle with a longer expected service life and fewer repair issues during that lifespan.
