Some drivers slowing down to save on gas
By Bret Hayworth Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, June 06, 2008
Con-Way Freight driver Larry Anderson climbs into his truck Thursday at the company's business off Harbor Drive. The company is instructing its drivers to slow down on the highways to cut fuel costs. (Photo by Jerry Mennenga)
There's an immutable connection between mph and mpg.
Recognizing that driving slower leaves more gas in the tank and drains money more slowly from their pocketbooks, some Siouxland drivers are easing off the pedal in order to boost their miles per gallon. It's increasingly in vogue to drive slower, as people wrestle with soaring gas prices.
Mary Ann Sargent, field manager for the AAA office in Sioux City, periodically explains to member motorists the fuel savings that come with slowing down. Sargent has lived out that advice in recent months, as she drives Interstate 29 to the AAA Council Bluffs office twice a week.
She'll drive between 62 mph and 65 mph on I-29, where the speed limit increased from 65 mph to 70 mph in July 2006.
"People really do drive slower" now, Sargent said. "You're not passed terribly often."
Sargent said she's observed that more women than men seem to be slowing down, and she admitted wrestling with the notion that it's not cool to drive slower. A scene from the 1984 "Revenge of the Nerds" movie has a less-than-hip dad announcing he's "got the ol' cruise control set on 35."
Similarly, Sargent takes some grief when her two teen children note the speed she's driving.
"My kids are asking me, 'Are you even driving the speed limit?'"
The answer -- nope.
Just before Memorial Day, unleaded gas set the new record high for Sioux City when it hit $3.80 a gallon, an amount that has dropped only a few cents in the two weeks since. That compares with $2.95 a gallon here in June 2007, $2.75 in July 2006 and $2.25 per gallon in August 2005.
Kim Steffen of Moville said she's pondering a slowdown for her Ford Taurus. She makes the commute to and from Sioux City daily for work on U.S. Highway 20, where the speed limit is 65 mph. Steffen said the "dramatic" price spike for gas would be her reason to dial it back a few miles per hour.
"We are almost paying $4 a gallon for gas. You have to do everything you possibly can to conserve," Steffen said.
Sargent said gas consumption takes off when speed goes up from 60 mph. In a statistic confirmed by the www.fueleconomy.gov Web site, she said each five miles per hour over 60 is like paying an additional 20 cents per gallon for gas. Further, Sargent said, "at 70 (mph) and up, you're burning gas like crazy."
Woodbury County Sheriff Glenn Parrett said the speeding ticket statistics he's seen in the county don't indicate drivers are easing back. Parrett said drivers are doing what they've been doing in recent years -- on the 65 mph highways, "they fudge anywhere from three to five miles per hour," driving 67 to 70 mph, and on I-29, with a posted 70 mph limit, they typically drive 77 to 80 mph.
Drivers may personally be making the decision to slow down, but some companies are requiring their employees to do so to cut costs. In January, Con-Way Freight, which has a site in Sioux City, began turning back the electronic speed limiters from 65 mph to 62 mph on the entire national fleet of 8,600 trucks.
Con-Way spokesman Gary Frantz said in the five months since, the miles per gallon for the fleet has improved by two-tenths of a gallon. The rigs get just under 6 miles per gallon, and while two-tenths might not sound like a lot, that projects to an annual savings of 3.2 million gallons of diesel fuel or nearly $13 million, Frantz said.
The drivers accept the slow-down rule, he said, because they understand the cost-cutting rationale as it applies to filling up their own gas tanks.
Not only will Con-Way save money, Frantz said, but the move was also motivated by "how we can reduce our carbon footprint." He noted Con-Way is reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by 72 million pounds a year, which equates to taking 7,300 cars off the highway.
Frantz, who drives in the San Mateo, Calif., area, said he has no doubt people are slowing down to boost fuel economy. He mentioned a stretch where drivers used to move along at 70 to 75 mph, but during the past few months they've been keeping it down to the low to mid-60s, Frantz said.
"With gas running about four bucks a gallon now, it's starting to turn into real money for people," he said. "People just see it in their pocketbook, and they've decided to take measures into their own hands."
Bret Hayworth may be reached at (712) 293.4203 or brethayworth@siouxcityjournal.com
Recognizing that driving slower leaves more gas in the tank and drains money more slowly from their pocketbooks, some Siouxland drivers are easing off the pedal in order to boost their miles per gallon. It's increasingly in vogue to drive slower, as people wrestle with soaring gas prices.
Mary Ann Sargent, field manager for the AAA office in Sioux City, periodically explains to member motorists the fuel savings that come with slowing down. Sargent has lived out that advice in recent months, as she drives Interstate 29 to the AAA Council Bluffs office twice a week.
She'll drive between 62 mph and 65 mph on I-29, where the speed limit increased from 65 mph to 70 mph in July 2006.
"People really do drive slower" now, Sargent said. "You're not passed terribly often."
Sargent said she's observed that more women than men seem to be slowing down, and she admitted wrestling with the notion that it's not cool to drive slower. A scene from the 1984 "Revenge of the Nerds" movie has a less-than-hip dad announcing he's "got the ol' cruise control set on 35."
Similarly, Sargent takes some grief when her two teen children note the speed she's driving.
"My kids are asking me, 'Are you even driving the speed limit?'"
The answer -- nope.
Just before Memorial Day, unleaded gas set the new record high for Sioux City when it hit $3.80 a gallon, an amount that has dropped only a few cents in the two weeks since. That compares with $2.95 a gallon here in June 2007, $2.75 in July 2006 and $2.25 per gallon in August 2005.
Kim Steffen of Moville said she's pondering a slowdown for her Ford Taurus. She makes the commute to and from Sioux City daily for work on U.S. Highway 20, where the speed limit is 65 mph. Steffen said the "dramatic" price spike for gas would be her reason to dial it back a few miles per hour.
"We are almost paying $4 a gallon for gas. You have to do everything you possibly can to conserve," Steffen said.
Sargent said gas consumption takes off when speed goes up from 60 mph. In a statistic confirmed by the www.fueleconomy.gov Web site, she said each five miles per hour over 60 is like paying an additional 20 cents per gallon for gas. Further, Sargent said, "at 70 (mph) and up, you're burning gas like crazy."
Woodbury County Sheriff Glenn Parrett said the speeding ticket statistics he's seen in the county don't indicate drivers are easing back. Parrett said drivers are doing what they've been doing in recent years -- on the 65 mph highways, "they fudge anywhere from three to five miles per hour," driving 67 to 70 mph, and on I-29, with a posted 70 mph limit, they typically drive 77 to 80 mph.
Drivers may personally be making the decision to slow down, but some companies are requiring their employees to do so to cut costs. In January, Con-Way Freight, which has a site in Sioux City, began turning back the electronic speed limiters from 65 mph to 62 mph on the entire national fleet of 8,600 trucks.
Con-Way spokesman Gary Frantz said in the five months since, the miles per gallon for the fleet has improved by two-tenths of a gallon. The rigs get just under 6 miles per gallon, and while two-tenths might not sound like a lot, that projects to an annual savings of 3.2 million gallons of diesel fuel or nearly $13 million, Frantz said.
The drivers accept the slow-down rule, he said, because they understand the cost-cutting rationale as it applies to filling up their own gas tanks.
Not only will Con-Way save money, Frantz said, but the move was also motivated by "how we can reduce our carbon footprint." He noted Con-Way is reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by 72 million pounds a year, which equates to taking 7,300 cars off the highway.
Frantz, who drives in the San Mateo, Calif., area, said he has no doubt people are slowing down to boost fuel economy. He mentioned a stretch where drivers used to move along at 70 to 75 mph, but during the past few months they've been keeping it down to the low to mid-60s, Frantz said.
"With gas running about four bucks a gallon now, it's starting to turn into real money for people," he said. "People just see it in their pocketbook, and they've decided to take measures into their own hands."
Bret Hayworth may be reached at (712) 293.4203 or brethayworth@siouxcityjournal.com
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Mileage Master wrote on Jun 8, 2008 9:13 AM:
2003 Chevy Cavalier.. Rated 24cty/33hwy.
Running 55-60PSI tire pressures.
50-55MPH on interstate. Slow accelleration. Being in 5th Gear by 30MPH and coasting as much as possible I can achieve between 52-60 miles per gallon on the interstate on average. Add city driving in to the mix my average drops to about 44-46 miles per gallon.. This stuff works.
Someone in a Fuel Sucking SUV blasting at 80MPH is spending 3.80 a gallon to drive 10 miles, with my techniques 3.80 gives me 50 miles plus. And I'm not using a hybrid, if i had a hybrid 70-100 miles per gallon would be very possible. "
WC wrote on Jun 7, 2008 12:28 AM:
OutOfWhack wrote on Jun 6, 2008 11:32 PM:
ScoobyDoo wrote on Jun 6, 2008 11:08 PM:
Someone wrote on Jun 6, 2008 11:03 PM: