Delivery driving MPG tips?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Dec 31, 2011
Messages
69
Location
Saint Clair, MI USA
Hi everyone,

I am looking for some tips to increase my MPG delivering daily newspapers. I have 160-220 customers depending on the day. I drive a 2008 Saturn Aura XR 3.6. My oil right now is Motorcraft 5W-30 with a motorcraft filter. Tires are set at 35 psi cold. Fram paper air filter. I was considering adding MMO to the gas. My gas mileage is around 17.6-18.6 on the route, but it was 23.5 before I started.
 
Check/replace these items if needed: PCV valve, spark plugs. Increase tire pressure to 38-40 PSI and change oil to Mobil 1 AFE 0W30.
 
Route planning seems to be the thing. EG do one side of a street then come back for the other side some time later. UPS has this figured out. Do you work at 4:30 in the morning, do you avoid traffic, and are there ways to avoid more of it? Do you drive down the "wrong" side of the street so you fling papers out the driver's window?
 
160-220 customers over how many miles?

The constant shifting, stopping, accelerating ("city driving") etc. is what is killing your mileage. Other than easy accelerations, I am not sure what else there is for you to do.
 
do not use A/C! use a full synthetic oil next oil change. you could try an additive like redline sl-1 as well. also take everything out of your car that you don't need to lose as much weight as possible. and air up the tires to 5 psi over recommended pressure. clean intake system with a product like amsoil powerfoam.

and i don't think cruise control is going to work very well for stop and go deliveries....unless you are very fast
 
Last edited:
Well, a 3.6 L V6 is not going to be the most economical vehicle for the job.

You have to better describe your route to us.
 
Originally Posted By: expat
Well, a 3.6 L V6 is not going to be the most economical vehicle for the job.

You have to better describe your route to us.


Agreed. Please get a beater 4 cylinder to do this task.
 
Avoid braking.
Try to plan your route so that you can coast down to fling speed at each delivery.
Some vehicle uses just aren't going to result in good fuel economy.
This is one of them.
 
Are some of the houses close spaced? If so, park and hoof it. Or get a small bicycle and a bike rack, and pedal it. Drive for the long stretches, use foot power on the short ones.
 
A prius would get much better mileage for this type of driving. Perhaps triple? I have never seen one for rural delivery though Often its an old minivan or something else fairly thirsty.
 
We had some obnoxious delivery vehicle with the all too common holed muffler which would spew PSF all over the road when it turned around.

It would wake me up every morning between 4:07 and 4:12.

I dreamed of meeting the car with a Sledgehammer each and every morning after it turned around.

One day either the delivery driver got a better car, or quit, or got fired, or...........
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Route planning seems to be the thing. EG do one side of a street then come back for the other side some time later. UPS has this figured out. Do you work at 4:30 in the morning, do you avoid traffic, and are there ways to avoid more of it? Do you drive down the "wrong" side of the street so you fling papers out the driver's window?


This^^ Maximize your right hand turns...
 
Originally Posted By: yvon_la
Cruise control is your friend!speed limit sign also.


Cruise control kicks in at a minimum speed of 45mph on most cars...not useful here.
 
Try different routes to find shortest one.I don't know how well is this job paid but v6 will never be economical.Maybe you should consider buying something cheap and economical like 95 Civic for the job.Of course a diesel car would be best but i don't know if they are cheap in NA and with your petrol price not really necessarly.
 
So is this something you'll be doing long term so getting a beater to save gas would make sense?

A "Malibu classic" with ecotec, 2004 vintage, might be $1000 if you catch it right.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top