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How to Be an Eco-Friendly Truck Driver

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“O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain” –America The Beautiful, Katharine Lee Bates.

 

Arguably one of the best parts of being a truck driver is getting to see beautiful scenery while you’re hauling on our nation’s highways. To help keep these views scenic and picturesque, practicing some eco-friendly behaviors can help minimize the carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons in truck emissions. Try these tips to help keep America beautiful!

Drive Smart: When you maintain a consistent speed and avoid frequent braking and acceleration, you’ll use less fuel and reduce the amount of harmful emissions that go into the air.

Reduce Idling: Not only does idling use a lot of fuel, it also contributes to air pollution. Try decreasing or quit idling all together and you’ll save big on fuel costs and reduce the amount of diesel pollution your truck is producing. Some states, like California, even have laws against idling to protect the environment, so check the rules in your state before you let your truck idle. Click here for more information on additional idling laws.

Use the A/C Less: To decrease your truck’s emissions, use the A/C less or use idle-free technology. Thankfully, many truck stops have idle-free technology stations where you can heat or cool your truck. This saves you big on fuel and prevents air pollution. To keep your truck cool, try to park in the shade when you’re stopped.

Pack Your Snacks: Use reusable boxes and bags to pack your own healthy snacks before you hit the road. Not only will you save money by avoiding snacking at the truck stop, you’ll prevent snack packaging from ending up at a landfill. You can also recycle foods by freezing the leftovers and eating them later.

Stay in a ‘Green’ Hotel: Need a place to stay for the night? Look for hotels with LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Green initiatives like “sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, material selection, indoor environmental quality and innovation in design” decide a hotel’s sustainability, according to GreenGlobalTravel.com.

Maintain Your Truck: Keeping up with truck maintenance, like oil changes and tire rotations, can help keep your truck running as efficiently as possible. This saves you big on fuel costs and helps the environment. Be sure to change your truck’s oil, oil filters, and air filters to prevent air pollution.

Want to save some ‘green?’ Call 855-369-APEX (2739) or get started here to see how our Startup Program, freight factoring and Apex Fuel Card Program can help you keep more money in your trucking company where it belongs.