SmartWay Transport | EPA420F09-034 | www.epa.gov/smartway | 734-214-4767 | smartway_transport@epa.gov

Driver Training

A Glance at Clean Freight Strategies

Energy

and 

Fuel Savings

1 Trucking firms can 

consider implementing 

driver training programs 

to reduce fuel costs and 

teach drivers fuel saving techniques through 

employers, vocational 

schools, and for-profit 

training organizations.

2 Electronic engine 

monitors can be 

installed to review 

drivers’ operating patterns and benchmark 

individual performance 

over time. Create 

successful incentive 

programs that are 

simple to administer 

by paying bonuses and 

setting realistic goals. 

To provide additional 

motivation, training 

can be combined with 

an incentive program 

to reward drivers for 

enhanced performance.

3 Fleets can contact 

their national or local 

trucking organizations for more details 

on improving driver 

performance and establishing a driver incentive program. Also 

contact truck dealers 

or equipment vendors 

for information on 

engine monitors and 

other fuel-saving 

devices.

Next Steps

.

Driver training programs can help trucking companies save fuel and reduce 

greenhouse gas emissions by increasing drivers’ skills, knowledge, and 

performance. A driver training program that improves fuel economy by 5 percent 

could save over $3,000 in fuel costs and eliminate 8 metric tons of greenhouse 

gas emissions per truck each year.

What is the challenge?

Even highly experienced truck drivers can boost their skills and enhance driving performance 

through driver training programs. Training that targets fuel efficiency can help drivers recognize and change driving habits that waste fuel. For example, driving 65 mph instead of 55 

mph can use up to 20 percent more fuel, idling a typical heavy-duty engine burns about 0.8 

gallons of fuel per hour, and driving with the engine rpm too high can waste several gallons 

of fuel each hour. Other common habits that reduce fuel economy are frequent or improper 

shifting, too-rapid acceleration, too-frequent stops and starts from failing to anticipate traffic 

flow, and taking circuitous routes.

A few simple changes in driving techniques can produce sizable fuel savings of 5 percent or 

more. A Canadian study estimates that many fleets could achieve a 10 percent fuel economy 

improvement through driver training and monitoring. A study for the European Commission 

estimates that an annual one-day driver-training course will improve truck fuel efficiency by 5 

percent. 

What is the solution?

Well-trained drivers can reduce fuel consumption by applying a number of simple techniques. 

• Use cruise control where appropriate

• Coast whenever possible

• Brake and accelerate smoothly and gradually

Gallons Saved 

= 

794 gallons

Increase in Fuel 

Economy 

= 

5%

New MPG

(original of 6.0 mpg)

= 

6.3 mpg

Fuel Cost Savings

= 

$3,015 

CO2 Savings 

= 

8.06 Metric tons

Reduction in Fuel 

Consumption

= 

5%
Driver Training

SmartWay Transport | EPA420F09-034 | www.epa.gov/smartway | 734-214-4767 | smartway_transport@epa.gov

• Progressive shifting (upshift at the lowest rpm possible) 

• Limit unnecessary truck idling

• Start out in a gear that doesn’t require using the throttle when releasing the clutch 

• Limit unnecessary shifting; block-shift (go from, for example, 2nd gear to 5th gear)

• Drive at the lowest engine speed possible

• Reduce parasitic energy losses by limiting the use of accessories.

Savings and Benefits 

Fleets that improve fuel economy by at least 5 percent through driver training and monitoring programs can save 

more than $3,000 per truck each year in fuel costs and eliminate 8 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per truck 

each year. Driver training can generate larger efficiency gains for vehicles in urban service, where shifting practices 

have more influence on fuel economy. For a typical long-haul truck, the initial cost of training and the purchase of 

related equipment such as an electronic engine monitor and recorder could be recouped within 2 years from fuel cost 

savings. Trucking companies can realize even greater fuel and maintenance savings by using technologies that limit 

truck idling and highway speed.

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