Bridgestone Medium and Light Truck Tire Data Book - Sullivan Tire ...

General Technical Information
2010 Bridgestone Medium and Light Truck Tire Data Book
Technical Bulletins Load/Inflation General Technical Light Truck Medium Truck
What affects “real world”
fuel economy
Just as trucking is “a business
of pennies,” so is truck fuel
economy. Tires are just one of
many components affecting fuel
economy, but one of the easiest to
change and test.
Remember though, because of the
difficulty of controlling variables in
the real world, test results can vary
considerably from what you find in
day-to-day operations.
How much benefit can we get
A fleet with average fuel economy of 5.0 miles per
gallon that achieves a given percentage of fuel
savings will save more fuel than a fleet with an
average fuel economy of 7.0 miles per gallon.
Fleet size and annual miles also have an effect. The
more fuel you use, the more you have to gain from
any improvement.
Sample Fuel Economy Calculations
MILES PER
YEAR
100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000
MILES PER
5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 8.0
GALLON
GALLONS
PER YEAR
1% Fuel
Savings
2% Fuel
Savings
5% Fuel
Savings
7% Fuel
Savings
10% Fuel
Savings
20,000 18,182 16,667 15,385 14,286 13,333 12,500
200 182 167 154 143
TIRES
Pattern
Compounding
Type/Size
Percent Wear
Inflation Pressure
Tread Depth
Retreading
DOCUMENTATION
133 125
400 364 333 308 286 267 250
1,000 909 833 769 714 667 625
1,400 1,273 1,167 1,077 1,000 933 875
2,000 1,818 1,667 1,538 1,429 1,333 1,250
DRIVERS
VEHICLE
Attitude
Compensation
Alignment
Education
Transmission
Consistency
Configuration
Idle Time
Parasitic Loads
Engine Brake Use
Aerodynamics
Habits
Maintenance
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>FUEL ECONOMY
On-board Computers
Odometer
Test Method
Measurement
Fuel Receipts
Analyzing Results
Traffic
Terrain
Road Surfaces
Weather
Temperature
Maneuvering
ENVIRONMENT
Long Haul • P&D
Regional • Load
Speed
Fuel Quality
Percent Loaded Miles
Route
OPERATIONS
Factors Affecting Fuel Economy in the Real World
How do we know how much we’re saving
First, you have to know what your fuel economy
is right now. Because it changes constantly, with
weather, loads, roads, equipment and drivers, that
may not be as simple as it sounds.
Scientific testing controls variables, but you may not
have that kind of control in the real world.
And, in-truck on-board computers may not be your
best guide. According to TMC, these displays can be
in error plus or minus five percent.
According to TMC,
on-board computer displays of fuel
economy can be off by ±5%
One method that’s real world is to take your fuel
receipts and corresponding odometer readings, then
divide miles by gallons. The more data you have, the
more representative your “average” is going to be.
And remember, consider the cost of any fuel
economy tactic. If it costs more than it saves, it’s a
bad investment.
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