Saving Money on Gas (originally printed July 2005)
Effective strategies that will save cabbies money.
By: Dan Van Hecke, Master Chauffeur
Saving $25 or more in gasoline expense is possible by adjusting driving habits and using some reasonable discipline. No, it does not involve “tip-toeing around” or just looking for the cheapest gas.
First: Establish what your cab does now.
A. Top off your tank at the beginning of your day or shift. Most gas gauges do not start to drop until 30 or 40 miles.
B. Unless your vehicle specifications say otherwise, inflate all tires to 32 pounds pressure.
C. Reset the trip odometer to zero - this is usually done by pushing or turning a pin or button on the speedometer.
D. With normal driving, take the mileage used the first day and divide by the gallons of gas used (to a decimal point). At top off, this will be your baseline mileage on which to improve.
Second: Try these tips.
A. Make sure the car is tuned up. The most common gas-waster is a dirty air filter. Replace it if it looks dirty. It doesn't cost much and is not hard to do yourself. Some cabs are beyond hope because of rings, valves, etc., so try to get a different cab.
B. Within reason, try to get in the highest gear as quickly as possible.
C. Smooth your driving to get better timing of lights. It takes a lot more gas to take off from a standstill than to adjust speed before.
1. Most lights are 30 seconds long.
2. Michigan Avenue's light is 60 seconds, Lake Shore Drive is 90 to 120 seconds and some odd diagonal merges with offset lights are 17 to 25 seconds.
3. Most five and six-way intersections turn green from left to right, i.e. counter-clockwise, when you approach it.
4. Once you get in the hang of this, you will also burn out less.
D. Air-conditioning burns a lot more gas, so:
1. Use the fan without the A/C until you really need it.
2. Ask every customer when they get in exactly as follows: “Would you like the ride with or without air conditioning?” Unless it is very hot outside, most will say 'no' because it is a very short trip and all will appreciate your asking. By the way, the Rules state customers can request A/C over 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Don't run your cab in cab stands. Just get out and stretch. It's usually while sitting in cabstands anyway.
4. Despite what I have said, I had a 1 _ x 12 inch sign (white paper folded over) with “air conditioned” neatly written printed with a marker and placed in the upper corer of the windshield. The one extra customer I got per day (remember - they can choose you even if you aren't first in the cab stand) paid for the extra gas.
E. Airports - Returning Empty
Write down (and eventually memorize) your affiliations, zones that are within one mile or so from the expressway as you are going back to the Loop. Take a call 1-2 miles going into the next exit so you are in position and 5-10 minutes away. Would you rather do 20 miles empty and still have to look fro a fare, or have a possible pick-up 10-12 miles on your journey? You might lose a few, but no matter where they go, yo0u are still better off, overall (5 to 10 miles of gas saved).
Conclusion
Keep track daily of your miles per gallon, keeping in mind highway trips will usually bring this up, but see what you do weekly, from that first day test. Besides the driving, it is also about how long you stay empty, so start focusing on that. It is worth it.
