Hyper-Miler

When it's Earth Week and it cost $94 to fill up the gas tank in my truck, something snaps inside: frustration with our dependence on foreign oil, concern for our ecology, and concern for my economy (read cheap)! Something has to be done! But short of taking the bus to work, or even riding my bike, what can I do? I decided to try the hyper-miler approach. I have normally averaged between 16-18 mpg. But what if I adopted the techniques of the hyper-milers? You know, the raw egg under the gas pedal approach? Easy starts, easy stops, no more than 55 mph, no idling, etc. I figured if during my commute to work I could save 10% on my gas consumption, it would save me $.78/day, $160 per year! And driving 55 vs. 65 would only extend my commute by three minutes, each way.

So, driving like the old man expectant grandfather that I am, looking like a dork as every vehicle on the interstate passes me, I patiently plodded along in my 4-wheel drive, 8-cylinder pickup truck, as if I were on a quest for the holy grail of fuel consumption.

The result? 20.6 mpg! In the future though, I think I'll pick it up a bit on the interstate. I'm not that cheap!