Austrian Shows That Skilled Lorry Driving Can Save Fuel

We talk a lot about driver safety in our daily blog posts, and rightly so. Highway safety is an important topic that needs to be constantly discussed in order to keep it at the forefront. However, today we want to change directions. We want to talk about an Austrian driver who has demonstrated, through an organised competition, that skilled lorry-driving can save impressive amounts of fuel.

Driver Christian Scheiflinger was the winner of the Volvo Trucks’ Global Driver’ Fuel Challenge held last week in Sweden. By using the weight and size of his vehicle to his advantage, Scheiflinger was able to beat 23 other finalists vying for the title of World’s Most Fuel-Efficient Driver.

According to Volvo Trucks, the average haulage company spends as much as 60% of its annual budget on fuel purchases. It says that a skilled driver who knows how to take advantage of how a truck handles can achieve fuel savings of as much as 10%. That translates into big financial savings over the course of a year.

According to Scheiflinger, skilled lorry driving is all about understanding how a vehicle works and how it responds to driver actions. It probably helps significantly when a driver is able to use the same lorry day in and day out. The two become almost a single unit at the hands of a skilled driver. Scheiflinger says that learning to drive for fuel efficiency also improves one’s overall driving abilities as well. We will not argue that point.

Training and Experience Combined

There is a lot to be said about a driver who can do what is necessary to maintain highway safety while at the same time driving in a way that reduces fuel consumption. It is not something that happens overnight. It requires a combination of excellent training and experience, things we assume Mr Scheiflinger has plenty of. The HGV training Centre congratulates him on his impressive performance in Sweden.

As for our readers, we invite you to consider lorry driving as a career if you do not yet have your licence. We can train you to be a professional at one of more than 60 facilities that we operate throughout the UK. Training consists of preparing you for the 100-question theory test, followed by classroom and behind-the-wheel training to get you ready for your practical skills test.

Training with us is affordable, convenient, and probably faster than you think. Our fast-paced and intense approach will prepare you for your tests in a matter of weeks, not months. If you begin your training immediately, you could be ready to look for work before the busy Christmas period descends on us. Would it not be nice to have a new job before the year is out?

We cannot promise you immediate employment – that’s up to you and the companies looking to hire. However, we can promise you the best training in the business. Call us if you are ready to earn your lorry licence.

Sources:

HGV UK – http://www.hgvuk.com/09/22/skilled-drivers-can-reduce-fuel-consumption-by-up-to-10-per-cent/