Ryder's RydeSmart product is one of many ideas the trucking industry has come up with to try to reduce fuel costs as the price of diesel flirts with $5 a gallon.
Here are some others:
• Aerodynnamics. A sleeker truck
• Speeds. Driving slower means better gas mileage.
• Software. Fleets are using increasingly complex computer programs that calculate the most efficient route possible and minimize time without paying loads
• Engine idle. Drivers often leave their trucks on while stationary so they can get air conditioning while they sleep, for example. But that can use a lot of fuel. Now more truckers are buying small diesel generators called auxiliary power units, which use less fuel, for use during down times.
• Tires. A new technology called ''super singles'' could replace pairs of side-by-side tires with a single, wider tire. Experts say this could cut fuel consumption by 3 percent.
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