JUDGE THE TRAFFIC AND SAVE ON FUEL
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si Klaus Diemert has been with Mercedes Benz for 20 years and has been a HGV driving instructor for the past three.
He takes the driver out with his new Merc to illustrate how to get the best results. "The main problems are driving with too many revs, and not judging the road situations 100m or 200m ahead," he says.
A 40-tonne lorry can use 0.3 litres of fuel to get up to EiGkm/h. Keeping the truck rolling, using law revs, accelerating through the green zone and judging the traffic ahead can save time and improve fuel consumption.
This, says Mercedes, will save wear and tear on the tyres and clutch as well. But Diemert says the driver Is ultimately the one in control, and sometimes he has to stop.
Mercedes has tested how much time it takes for an articulated truck to stop and then pull out around a stationary car. if the truck stops too close, it takes up to 2E/ seconds to get out, pass the car and get up to speed. Slowing down with plenty of distance between you and the stationary object will reduce the chances of stopping. The truck will only have to move across into the centre of the road rather than swing round parked vehicles.