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With fuel prices rising on a weekly basis, most of us now seek to get the best from every drop of fuel we buy. There are a few simple methods you can use for this.

To begin, look at what you carry. A load of assorted stuff in the back of your truck increases weight and therefore worsens your fuel economy. While you should obviously keep emergency items such as a wheelbrace and a tow rope on board, you probably don't need that farm jack for daily driving on tarmac.

Check your tire pressures. Incorrect pressures will lead to increased wear, lower MPG, and quite possibly a vehicle that handles badly. It doesn't cost much to buy a decent tyre pressure gauge and could save you considerable sums in both fuel and tires.

Look at your driving style. Many people seem to stamp heavily on the brake pedal for no apparent reason, doing this wastes fuel and brake pads. Try to drive without using the brakes if at all possible, although this is much easier with manual transmission. Try not to accelerate too hard either, although you will have to find a good middle ground between saving fuel and not holding up traffic. While driving more slowly will save fuel, it will also provoke annoyance in those stuck behind you. Driving at the posted speed limit and trying to keep a steady speed wherever possible will have good results.

You may be able to convert your truck to run on LPG, depending on whether this is available in your locale. MPG is roughly the same, but in many countries LPG is taxed at a lower rate as it is considered more environmentally friendly. Certainly this option is worth exploring.

One obvious way to reduce your fuel bills would be to swap to a smaller truck if you can. Obviously if you need to carry large loads on a daily basis this is not feasible, but a smaller truck with a trailer will handle the same loads and you'll enjoy superior fuel economy when not using the trailer. Towing is not a difficult skill to learn and the savings from this approach may well pay for the trailer.

If you do decide to change your truck, there are a number of things to look out for. If at all possible, choose one with a manual transmission. Shifting your own gears can produce an improvement in the region of 8-10mpg compared to an otherwise identical truck with an automatic transmission. Look at diesels, as they will return better economy due to diesel fuel having a higher energy content.

Lastly, there are a number of alleged miracle cures around that claim to do wonders for your MPG figures. The vast majority of them are pure old fashioned snake oil and will not do anything. In most cases you would be better off saving the money and putting it towards your fuel bills. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is!

Learn more about this author, Matt Gadfield.
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