With the rising cost of diesel fuel, truckers across the country are trying to cut down on the money they have to spend on each road trip. If you’re new to driving a large truck, you might be wondering what are some ways to save on diesel fuel. These ideas can help you save more of your hard-earned money.

Check your tire pressure. This may seem like a simple solution, but it can help reduce fuel use by up to 2% if your tires are properly inflated. Tire pressure is affected by temperature, driving speed, and road conditions. If your tires are improperly inflated, it puts undue pressure on the sidewall that makes the tire explode more easily. Check your air pressure weekly, if not as often, at least once a month, and don’t over inflate.

Drive at night. Since tire pressure is affected by outside temperatures, driving at night should help your tires stay properly inflated. Another thing about driving at night is that traffic is typically lighter, which means there would be less need to slow down and fewer reasons to stop in congested traffic.

Decelerate. Install a governor, if you have your own platform, or start using your cruise control. For every mile per hour over the speed limit you travel, you reduce your miles per gallon by 2%. By installing a governor, truckers won’t be able to let their lead foot take over. They can only drive as fast as the governor allows. Having a governor, according to some reports, could save fuel for every hour the truck is in use.

Get your equipment ready. If you haven’t regularly serviced your truck, now would be a good time to start. Some mechanics recommend scheduling a tune-up every 10,000 miles. What would you do during that set-up? Replace the oil and fuel filters, check each belt to see if it needs to be adjusted, check all the lights, spin the steer tires, check the suspension at both ends and that all the gears are properly lubricated.

Don’t carry unnecessary weight. Every truck driver has things in his cab or berth that are not necessary. By removing extra items from your truck, you can increase the amount of fuel left in your tanks. If you remove 1,000 pounds from your truck, your fuel economy will increase by 0.4%.

Reduce the spaces between the tractor and trailer. Motorists know that truck aerodynamics can help them save gas if they drive very closely. By reducing the gap between the tractor and trailer, you increase the aerodynamics of your truck by reducing the drag the truck feels. This will help you save fuel.

These ideas are just five ways to save on diesel fuel. If you think about it, you can probably think of others like not leaving the truck running. Use these ideas to start saving money, then incorporate others as you find them.