this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2024
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Trick is to not give a fuck about how fast other people are going, and cruise at 65mph (105km/h) at a safe distance behind a combination tractor trailer.
You can drive without much stress, because impatient drivers don't like to be in that spot behind a truck so you are less likely to be cut off. You'll have plenty of time to react to anything in front, and also be safe in knowing that if there is a pileup ahead, a clear path will be smashed through for you.
Fuel efficiency will even be better in the slip stream.
Unfortunately, to get the benefit of the slip steam, you gotta be pretty close to the back of the truck. If you have space for good reaction time, you're probably too far back
This is correct, especially at lower speeds. Greater fuel efficiency would come from lower wind and drivetrain resistance and use of a more efficient range of the motor’s powerband.
Most vehicles are geared for optimal speed to fuel consumption around 55-65 mph (90-100 kph) not 70+ mph (110+ kph). So just going a bit under the speed limit can have a significant impact on fuel consumption.
Also, truckers drive efficiently, so just following what they do will save gas.
But yeah, I don't go over 65mph and I end up with 7-10mpg over my highway rating.
I have no idea what mpg are exactly, but my car uses 5 liters for 100km when I drive it.
The official rating is 7, and most car magazines at the time it was new claimed that it's unrealistic cause it actually "needs" 8.
When I went to the shop because my brake discs were rusty, the mechanic told me "yeah well you're supposed to use them once in a while".
Edit:
8 liters/100km = 29 mpg
7 liters/100km = 34 mpg
5 liters/100km = 47 mpg
Yeah, I got my last vehicle new, and went 165k miles (~265k Km) on the front brake pads. At every tire rotation I asked if I needed new ones, and for like 6 years they told me they were at 50% wear.
I use throttle control to adjust my speed while driving, and coast as much as I can at redlights.
This has been tested. You still get a reasonable benefit 3 seconds behind; you get practically nothing 6 seconds behind