exercise great care when hedging. “You’ve got to look at what’s happening overseas and in the
markets. I get weekly updates from my fuel vendors on what they’re thinking. If you don’t see market volatility you don’t want to do it. And if things don’t pan out like you expect, you can really lose,” said Schultz, who has hedged fuel prices three of the past six years. Districts looking to save fuel dollars have “got to stay on top of it
and work on it a little bit every day,” Schultz insisted. “Te better information you have, the better decisions you’re
going to make, so you have to gather a lot of information. If you want to improve fuel mileage, you want to draw all the information you can out of your buses. If you’re looking to improve your pricing, you’d better be looking at what the trends are and talking to people in the industry all the time.” Armed with extensive information, he’ll decide between April
and early June about how to approach next year’s fuel purchases. “Once that tank runs empty, you’re going to fill it no matter what
the price is. You have no choice. Tat’s why you want to stay on top of things. Good decisions don’t come quickly,” he added. While manufacturers have incorporated numerous improvements
into vehicles to reduce idling consumption, Pudlewski said proper driver-training programs can help squeeze more miles per gallon from bus fleets. “It’s no secret the biggest factor in fuel economy is the driver,” he asserted. He also noted the wealth of fuel-calculating devices and software
don’t help unless transportation directors consistently gather, ana- lyze and act upon the data. “What are you doing with the information when you find this
Espar_Act_half_Dec12_Layout 1 12/18/12 1:33 PM Page 1
bus is getting two miles less per gallon? Are you finding out if it’s the bus or the driver? Unless someone is using that data and man- aging people with it, it is all for naught,” he added. He summed it up: “You can put all the (fuel-saving) devices you
want on a vehicle, but if the driver is not trained you can take away a significant portion of it. Te driver can influence fuel economy by as much as 30 percent. What device can you put on a vehicle that adds that much mileage — other than rolling downhill?”
LUBING ENGINES, TIRES … AND WALLETS Pudlewski strongly cautioned against extending oil change
cycles in hopes of saving money. He underscored that engine manufacturers conduct research in their own laboratories and set standards for a reason. “I hear people complain oil is $4 or $5 a quart, but it is still
the cheapest tool a maintenance manager can have in his hands,” he explained. “You tell me any manufacturer that allows you to extend your cycle beyond their recommendation. There isn’t one. If you do it, you void the agreement. … Regular oil changes are a lot cheaper than buying a $40,000 engine because you voided the warranty.” Still, districts considering going beyond guidelines should consult with manufacturers.
“Get the blessing of the people who designed the engine; don’t
do it on your own,” Pudlewski advised. “And, anyone who tries to extend the oil change cycle without doing their own analysis on whether that particular oil will protect that engine is making another mistake.” »
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