Solar Panels, Aluminum tool boxes and Maintenance: 3 Tips to Save Fuel

Trucking overhead costs can quickly add up, and one of the easiest ways to cut them down is to save on fuel by using solar energy, aluminum tool boxes, and maintaining your truck properly.

1. How can an aluminum tool box save me money?

   Everyone has heard that it is important to ensure your truck is aerodynamic. If your truck does not glide easily through the air, it can expend up to 50% of its precious fuel just pushing against the air, a phenomenon known as “aerodynamic drag.”  So how to reduce this drag? Making your truck lighter is one perfect way, so that less weight is being pushed and less fuel used up. Amongst the many semi-truck accessories available at Trebor Manufacturing, aluminum tool boxes are perfect because while not compromising on quality or durability, they weigh much less than steel, thus minimizing your aerodynamic drag. In addition, their sleek custom design ensures air glides smoothly over the surface instead of catching it like a parachute. Still not convinced that aluminum tool boxes are that useful? Discover the 3 arguments that will convince you to buy aluminum tool boxes for your semi-trucks.

2. Solar Panels? Aren’t those for houses?

   Now that you’ve outfitted your whole fleet of trucks with aluminum tool boxes, there’s another modification that will not only save you fuel costs, but will also place you front and center as a leader in the industry: solar panels. What for, you may ask? Each panel is plugged into the truck battery, giving you up to 12 hours of battery life. Say goodbye to idling and hello to switching on the battery! This allows truckers to stay warm in cold weather and to keep fridges and other appliances switched on, even after 24 hours. These batteries can also power things like trailer tracking, liftgates, and pallet jack chargers.

3. Proper truck maintenance is key!
   

   For optimum fuel savings, your truck needs to be working at its optimum level. First, make sure your tires are properly inflated. It may sound silly, but the drag caused by underinflated tires can seriously impact how much fuel the truck needs to propel itself forward. One more step would be to invest in some low rolling resistance tires as well.
   Make sure everything is aligned! If you are constantly fighting the truck’s urge to turn one way or another, this “fight”, so to speak, will be costing you fuel, as will misaligned trailers. Since you have your aerodynamic and lightweight aluminum tool box at the ready, it will be easy to hitch up your loads with maximum accuracy.
   In addition, using the proper grade of motor oil can increase fuel efficiency by up to 2%! You can also get into the habit of filling your truck up at a low fuel pump setting to minimize how much gas is evaporating as you pump.

In the end, all the little habits that incur 1% savings here, 2% there, really do make a difference. But it is also important to pay attention to the big things, like solar panels and aluminum truck tool boxes, that may seem like a big expense up front, but pay for themselves in a few years as you continue to reap the rewards for decades to come.

Happy trucking!

About Trebor

Trebor Manufacturing is proud to be serving dealers, retailers, manufacturers and distributors in the trucking business, including truck parts dealers, across North America. Please feel free to call us, contact us or request a quote in regards to any of our semi-truck accessories, custom truck equipment and other products.

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Check out Trebor’s most popular semi truck accessories: aluminum tool boxes or semi headache racks.