Eco Driving

[daz6215]

Just wanting some advice guys, Im putting a presentation together on eco driving for LGV's and PCV's, what sort of content do you think would be interesting to see? any ideas?

[jcochrane]

A personal view. I don't feel comfortable with talk of eco driving. I'm woried that the emphasis today is starting to shift away from promoting safe driving to eco driving. If a lower gear is safer but uses more fuel, so be it. In my book safety should dictate the driving decision rather than economy.

I quess that dosen't help, unless you want to do what I've done in the past which was to say "Forget it, lets talk about driving more safely."

Some years ago I was asked to put together a team of examiners for a national competition run by the Women's Institute. The competion was based around economy driving and was sponsored by one of the fuel companies. I did set up the team but only on the understanding that the examiners would only mark on safety aspects of the drives. The organisers agreed and the tests carried out......but that is another (hair raising) story.

[ROG]

Just wanting some advice guys, Im putting a presentation together on eco driving for LGV's and PCV's, what sort of content do you think would be interesting to see? any ideas?

Now you have the right person to answer you - ME

Truck driver for over 20 years
LGV instructor for 2 years
IAM senior obs for cars and trucks for over 10 years

Firstly, forget SAFED - it puts economy ahead of safety

Gearing down when slowing is the most common fuel wastage as many drivers have not been taught to use the brakes to slow and the gears to go - works on a fully laden 44 tonner when going from 50mph in gear 8 (top of high range) on a dual and taking a roundabout at 15mph in gear 3 or 4 (low range) - just one gear change required and dipping clutch as necessary to stop stalling.

Autos take care of themselves- don't mess with them - the designers have sorted this out.

Apart from steep uphills then change up when the rev band is just over the green bit on the counter.

Miss out unnecessary gears when changing up if possible.

Be in a flexible gear if accelerator sense or exhaust braking can be used instead of main brakes.

If on a road with the above not needed then choose a gear that puts the rev counter into the lower green band.

Good forward planning to ease off early instead of braking even if it means leaving a large area of tarmac in front.

[daz6215]

Thx Rog

[rodericksdad]

Have to agree with most of what ROG has said,although the buses we have the "green" band on the rev counter doesnt equate to the most/best revs and highest mpg,but I suppose that it could be a standardised rev counter and as it was firstly on a commercial hgv chassis and the relevant gearbox (full auto) was probably fitted with respect to the work the vehicle is been used for ie between towns and cities as a pose to running around town that may well be why,it has,nt taken long though to sus out just where the most economical part of the rev range is though,and most of the time it doesnt make a lot of difference to the journey time.

The good thing with these new scania,s we have is that there is at least some form of readout to let you know the average mpg over the distance that you have travelled so far,it is interesting to note what this is when you relieve the driver before you as they are very low mpg figures,which makes you wonder how they are driving.

"Good forward planning to ease of early instead of braking even if it means leaving a large area of tarmac in front."

I have to whole heartedly agree with that one if just for the sake of my passengers,I may know that I can stop safely in a lot shorter distance but my passengers have,nt got a clue what I am about to do and would end up with a lot of smashed heads on seats in front,so have to give myself just that bit more time to see what is unfolding ahead,but this then also gives me my better mpg,and I am not compramising safety for anything else.

best regards,Clive.

[TripleS]

Good 'eavens (hiya, Martin) this looks like being an interesting topic but I'm not sure that I dare do much more than just read it.

Best wishes all,
Dave - amateur philosopher, moderately advanced eco-driver and sex maniac.

[jcochrane]

Good 'eavens

Best wishes all,
Dave - .............. and sex maniac.

Something else we have in common...apart from our age.

[TripleS]

Good 'eavens

Best wishes all,
Dave - .............. and sex maniac.

Something else we have in common...apart from our age.

Aye, we're both still breathing - which is a start!

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[fungus]

Don't get me started on this. I had a pupil on test who picked up a driver error on eco driving. He failed, not on this as it's not at present an area that attracts a serious fault on the examiners marking sheet, but on a manoeuvre. On his second test, older examiner, IAM member, drives an M3, no problems whatsoever. I can't imagine he changed his driving style.

Eco driving is being taken to the extreme. Take the advice given on Chesterfield Councils website, 30mph in 5th ? Surely the most economical style is to accelerate smoothly and briskly, using the gear that puts the least load on the engine, along with good forward planning.

Nigel ADI
IAM observer
\

[Kieran]

Slightly OT from the OP question but agree with Nigel on this point, that ECO driving seems to have been given exceptional priority in the DSA's eyes. I dropped a grade on my recent ADI check test and the only feedback received was I was at 'fault' by failing to mention to my pupil the advantage of eco driving in her drive. I accepted that an awareness of ECO driving was important but the objective of the drive was an advanced driving lesson (the client was presented as an experienced driver taking a course of advanced driving coaching) focusing on observation and positioning. The part of the lesson that proved contentious was a section of the drive where I was asking the client to hold on to a lower gear to see if she felt it gave her more control of the vehicle and smarter exit from the hazard.

I guess it was my fault for assuming that the DSA examiner may have been there to judge my instructional ability in a real world situation and not my adherence to the latest dogma.

... feel much better getting that off my chest ... did not mean for my first post to be a moan...

[ROG]

Welcome

did not mean for my first post to be a moan

We don't care

[TripleS]

Welcome

did not mean for my first post to be a moan

We don't care

Quite so. At least it makes a change from the interminable clowning we sometimes get on here.

Oh, hang on....

Best wishes all,
The overly serious one.

[MiniClubmanEstate]

I have been using an app on my iPhone which monitors fuel consumption based on the milage between fuelling. When traveling to work I drive a 1.2 litre Mk1 Clio which is not as economical as my Mini which is significantly faster and more fun to drive. I have been experimenting with my gear timings whilst on my way to work and I can maintain 44Mpg using the gearbox conventionally using all gears to get to my cruising gear, for example I would select 1,2,3,4 then 5 to cruise at 50Mph, now I have settled with more block changes so to get to fifth at 50Mph from a standstill I will take 1,2,3, at higher rpm's and then into fifth and at the last few fuel stops my fuel economy is now 48Mpg.
My conclusion as a Clio driver is that you can forget all this driving in a high gear with no flexibility to deal with hazards and just find the power bands for your engine and use them to make maximum safe, legal progress and the economy aspect will take care of its self.
It is a different story with all the coaches I drive which includes Volvo B10M, B12, T9 and Toyota Coaster (Optimo V by Salvador Caetano). I have found that each gear has its own unique speed range for example in a B10M you can cruise at 30Mph in fourth but the engine would over-rev in third and labour in fifth but one of the mechanics tells me that you can just drive everywhere at 50 so that you can use the higher gears .

To teach economy driving, simply train drivers in the art of advanced driving using Roadcraft to make maximum safe legal progress for their vehicle type for example taking into consideration issues such as passenger comfort for us PCV drivers.

[MiniClubmanEstate]

One other thing, if you want a laugh or to be deeply disturbed, here is what my previous employer is upto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRs0-9ItnHw

Oh, their buses are not that clean in real life.

[fungus]

MiniClubmanEstate wrote,

One other thing, if you want a laugh or to be deeply disturbed, here is what my previous employer is upto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRs0-9ItnHw

Oh dear!

I had an Austin Maestro twenty odd years ago with an econometer. At first it was a novelty to try to keep the green light showing, but after a while it became tediuos. The gearing was very high which meant that the performance from the 1.3 engine was sluggish if you wanted to stay in the green sector.

Nigel ADI
IAm observer