Trucks are big and eat a lot of fuel by nature, whether it’s gas or diesel. It’s a good idea to improve your fuel efficiency as much as you can to cut down on this large cost. Where should you start?

Air Filters

Your engine needs to breathe properly in order to work efficiently. If the air filter is clogged up with debris, or just substandard, the engine will need to work harder, which requires more fuel. Going a step further than just replacing your air filter often, you can modify it to help your engine breathe better. Some examples of modifications you can make are cold air intakes or specialized airdog filters.

Tires

Your tires are one of the most direct influences on your fuel economy. Tires that aren’t fully inflated, or inflated too much, can eat up your gas while you drive on them. It’s best practice to keep your tire pressure at the appropriate PSI at all times. It’s recommended to check once a week, and more often in the wintertime. You should keep a handheld tire gauge in your car at all times, but modern trucks can give you readouts of your tire pressure on your dash.

Onboard Computer

These days, many settings of your vehicle are controlled by an onboard computer. These settings adjust a lot of factors that determine gas mileage, such as the air-to-fuel ratio, timing, knock sensitivity and boost. However, the factory standard for these settings is made to be applicable for the widest range of drivers and worst possible fuel, so it may not be optimized for your vehicle or lifestyle. You can buy a truck programmer to alter these settings to boost your fuel efficiency, torque and horsepower.

In addition to saving you fuel, improving your fuel economy can have a positive effect on other aspects of your vehicle, like horsepower and emissions. It’s worth it to look into modifications and changes you can make to your factory settings.