Rpm!

[Thellra]

Hey, its been awhile since my last post which was more about idling then anything (Worst MPG possible), I've since become a truck driver and I lease my truck which means fuel economy means everything to me as its my biggest expense (22 Cents per mile for last weeks settlement), and I was taught in school and have since learned this for myself, that RPM's are *everything* when it comes to fuel economy (at least with a diesel), if I shift progressively I.E. Low Gear to 1000rpm's 1st to just over a thousand, 2nd to 1100 3rd at 1100 or so, pretty much shifting at as low an RPM as possible without lugging the engine and keeping your oil pressure up, fuel economy goes up during the most fuel intensive part of driving (2 gallons when@80,000lbs) to get up to freeway speeds, as well as keeping your RPM's low when you drive, I avoid going above 1300 rpms while driving on a regular basis, if you pull a hill at 1800 rpms you might get up it faster, but if you keep it lower, you save *tons* of fuel.

Also its something alot of people might not consider is wind resistance, I average 5.8-6.1 or so at 65mph and 7.3-7.8 at 58 mph, may not seem like a huge difference in the world of hypermiling, but at driving 600+ miles a day, it is an insane difference in fuel cost.