In an era of fluctuating fuel prices and growing environmental consciousness, efficient route planning has become a practical approach to traveling. Whether you’re embarking on a road trip or managing a fleet, smart planning can save time, reduce costs, and lower emissions. Here’s how to optimize your route to minimize fuel stops and make your journey as smooth as possible.
Plan Your Route in Advance
Gone are the days of needing to unfold a paper map. Now, you can use a GPS app like Apple Maps or Google Maps to identify the most direct and traffic-free paths to your destination. They’ll also show you nearby gas stations, restaurants, and coffee shops for those much-needed pit stops. Be sure to check for construction zones, road closures, and high-traffic times to save fuel and frustration.
Using a maps app makes planning your routes quick and easy.
- Add a starting address and destination address.
- Choose driving as your mode of transportation.
- Add stops, if you’d like.
- Customize route preferences to avoid highways, if you’d prefer.
- Check live traffic conditions along your planned route to see if you’d like to make adjustments.
When ready, tap the button to begin turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation. You can also save routes for future trips.
Keep Your Vehicle in Top Shape
Regular maintenance is key to potentially preventing costly problems and keeping your vehicle humming happily for years. Here are some ways to improve your car’s condition before hitting the road.
Schedule Routine Oil Changes
Be sure to get the oil and oil filter changed at the mileage intervals recommended in the owner’s manual. Engine oil gives the numerous moving parts within your engine a smooth, slick surface over which to move, reducing the damaging effects of friction.
Have a Clean Air Filter
The air filter protects the vehicle’s inner workings. Neglecting to replace it leads to a drop in performance, and poor air quality may also become an issue. Replacing the air filter every 12,000 to 15,000 miles or once a year, whichever comes first, is recommended.
Maintain the Proper Tire Pressure
Keep tires inflated with just the right amount of air.
Underinflated tires are soft, creating more rolling resistance. This forces the engine to work harder and burn more fuel to move the car. Meanwhile, overinflated tires are stiff and less flexible, making them more prone to damage when encountering potholes, curbs, or debris.
Drive Efficiently
Improving your fuel economy and driving efficiently go hand in hand. As you travel, keep these tips in mind.
Adopt Sensible Driving Habits
Sensible driving is safer and conserves gas. Aggressive driving, like speeding and rapidly accelerating, can lower gas mileage by up to 30% on highways and 40% in stop-and-go traffic. Using driver feedback devices may improve fuel efficiency by up to 10%.
Avoid Excessive Idling
Idling consumes 0.25 to 0.5 gallons of fuel per hour, depending on the engine size and whether the air conditioner is running. So, instead of letting the engine run, turn it off when parked. Restarting uses only about 10 seconds worth of fuel.
Don’t Haul Excess Cargo
Placing cargo on your roof increases aerodynamic drag. A large, blunt rooftop cargo box, for example, can reduce fuel economy by 17% on the highway or 8% in city driving. So, when possible, remove external cargo containers when not in use. Removing unnecessary items from inside your vehicle also helps.
Fill Up Your Gas Tank With EZ-POUR®
Your car will not be ready for road trips until it is filled with gas. That’s where EZ-POUR® comes in. Our products attach to your old gas cans, eliminating messy spills and wasted fuel.
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