Action Items To Reduce Fuel Usage By Up To 25%

1. Eliminate vehicle idling if possible. An average vehicle will idle away the same amount of fuel in an hour as driving 33 miles.
2. Stop excessive speeding. A vehicle uses 20-25% more fuel driving at 70 MPH than 55 MPH.
3. Maintain tire pressure at the manufacturer’s recommended pressure (data found in the vehicle’s driver side door jam).
4. Remove all unnecessary cargo from vehicle beds and trunks. The extra weight increases fuel use. Every 100 pounds of excess weight reduces gas mileage by approximately two percent.
5. Reduce the number of assigned personal vehicles. Promote the use of local vehicle motor pools.
6. Use telephone/video conferencing to the maximum extent possible.
7. Eliminate non-mission essential out-of-state and in-state travel.
8. Use the most efficient vehicle practical to meet job requirements.
9. Combine travel with other ADOT employees, carpool whenever possible. Ride share when attending training sessions or large meetings.
10. Limit engine cool-down times to the manufacturer’s minimum time.
11. Avoid rapid acceleration. Smooth, gradual acceleration is better for fuel economy and vehicle wear and tear.
12. Avoid rapid stops. Drive as though you have a four-tiered wedding cake in the back seat. Coast to known stops.
13. Hold throttle speeds steady avoiding unnecessary speed changes. Use cruise control to improve gas mileage by maintaining a constant speed.
14. Time stop lights whenever possible.
15. Plan work to minimize return or multiple trips. Example: if a job takes 16 hours; send a larger crew to minimize return trips to job site. Plan material requirements to avoid multiple trips. Perform multiple tasks and combine activities on trips to the field. Prioritize and bundle work assignments.
16. Consider extended work hours to avoid return trips to job sites.
17. Schedule meetings in areas where most of the participants originate.
18. Reduce frequency of meetings.
19. Use public transportation.
20. Defer non-essential low priority work.
21. Foreman/supervisors ride with crews.
22. Decrease the number of field inspections where appropriate.
23. Avoid prolonged warming up of engine, even on cold mornings - 30 to 45 seconds is plenty of time.
24. Avoid "revving" the engine, especially just before you switch the engine off; this wastes fuel needlessly and washes oil down from the inside cylinder walls, owing to loss of oil pressure.
25. Keep windows closed when traveling at highway speeds. Open windows cause air drag, reducing your mileage by 10%.
26. Think ahead when approaching hills. If you accelerate, do it before you reach the hill, not while you're on it.
27. Park car so that you can later begin to travel in forward gear; avoid reverse gear maneuvers to save gas.
28. During cold weather watch for snow pack frozen to car frame. Up to 100 lbs. can quickly accumulate! Snow and ice cause tremendous wind resistance. Warm water thrown on (or hosed on) will eliminate it fast.
29. If possible, avoid driving during rush-hour and other peak traffic periods.
30. Report maintenance problems to Equipment Services as soon as possible.
31. Don't overfill your fuel tank. It could leak or spill in heat or on a hill.