Bernie Long
Bernie Long, 51, has a reputation for squeezing a dollar until the eagle screams. The Dart contractor studied accounting at Indiana University and was assigned to financial administration during a stint in the Army. He started trucking in 1981 and has been at Dart since 1990.

His 1993 Kenworth T600 is paid for. Although it has more than 800,000 miles on it, he has no plans to replace it as long as it passes Dart's inspections. Having an older truck has allowed him to drop comprehensive insurance coverage to lower his premium.

"One of the major ways I save is I don't leave the truck running all the time. I have a Pro-Heat cab heater that operates on diesel fuel and can run 12 to 16 hours on a gallon or two at most. It heats the cab and the coolant so it keeps the engine block warm." Much of the time, he uses only a 12-volt bunk warmer.

To help stay cool, Long installed a vent fan in the roof of the sleeper; with screens in the front windows, the fan pulls cooler air through the unit. "The drawback," he admits, "is fumes and noise from other trucks."

On the move, he employs fuel-stingy driving techniques - he doesn't speed, he uses cruise control as much as possible, he moves out slowly and easily from stops and shifts progressively, and he tries to anticipate stops to avoid braking hard. "Braking and shifting and gassing on it wastes fuel and also a lot of effort. The less you put your foot on the gas pedal and the less you brake, the less fuel you use." He also plans fuel stops to get the best prices and minimize taxes.

He maintains a strict preventive maintenance plan, changing oil every 10,000 or so miles. He says his vigilance keeps the Caterpillar 3406C running perfectly. A couple of times a day, he checks his tires for nails, glass and stones to prevent damage or undue wear.

Long removed the passenger seat of his T600 and built a small table with drawers to hold a one-burner cooker, hot pot and microwave, as well as some dishes. A couple of coolers hold enough food so he can fix most of his meals in the truck. "I guess I saved maybe $4,000 to $5,000 last year on food," he says.

Long carries a lot of clothes with him so he doesn't have to do laundry on the road. He also records movies off his satellite dish at home and takes a stack of tapes when he leaves. So instead of playing video games or renting tapes, he makes a meal, pops in a flick and relaxes.

"Saving money is not an option. But you have to make some money first to have that opportunity. From what I see, though, the oil companies have made sure truckers don't have much left to save."

Lee Goldthorp
Lee Goldthorp, Belleville, Ont., Canada, leased to Dallas Mavis Specialty Carriers, Louisville, Ky., says, "As a single driver, I don't try to save money on food too much. I save by not using motels. That's why I recently opted to buy a nice rig.

"I watch my speed to save fuel, that is for sure, and drive as safely as possible to keep from shelling out money on tickets or, God forbid, an accident. And I spec'd my rig to save money in the long run by having something that would have a good trade in value in the future.

"I also made sure the rig could meet the demands in Canada to pull a 'B (train)' if that became necessary." Goldthorp has a 2000 Kenworth W900 powered by a 475-hp Cat, featuring an Eaton 18-speed and 4:10 rears.

David Pringle
David Pringle, leased to Southern Pride, San Diego, Calif., says, "My wife, Kim, and I shop at Wal-Mart about every 10 to 14 days. We carry a lot of food and only rarely eat in restaurants.

"We invested in our truck and especially our sleeper to save money in the long run while on the road. And we don't plan to lose money ever again trading it in. We'll just keep rebuilding it forever. We have our own shower, bathroom, large sleeping setup, and we don't even spend much time in truckstops.

"Driving wise, I keep off the throttle and manage to get about 6.2 to 6.5 mpg, which is pretty good for a rig without much aerodynamics hauling a flatbed. But when it comes to the fuel itself, we think we save in the long run by shopping for quality, not for price."

The Pringles' ride is a beautiful 1998 Peterbilt 379 with a 475-hp Caterpillar and custom-made Double Eagle sleeper.

The Hogelands
Roger and Heather Hogeland are leased to Southern Star Transport, Bloomington, California.

Heather: "We price-shop for fuel, for quality fuel that is, and we take advantage of any available driver reward programs. They add up. We carry a lot of our own food and make a lot of sandwiches, but that doesn't always work out as planned. Sometimes when we are running hard, we don't have time to shop. We also try to keep our idling to a minimum whenever possible."

Roger: "We always shower where we fuel, which may seem like a small thing, but at $6 a shower, it can save you a lot of money over a year. "Watch where you fuel; cheap price doesn't mean much if you end up paying IFTA a hefty sum on the quarterly return. The real price of fuel, after all the refundable taxes are deducted - and not all taxes are refundable - is what you have to keep an eye on.

"I try and get good mileage by watching my tire pressure and my speed. I use the tried-and-true 'gear fast and drive slow' method of spec'ing my rig. We are getting around 6.5 (mpg) with our Cummins Signature 600 18-speed combination and 3:55 rears."

Darrell Caldwell
Darrell Caldwell is a driver for Dallas-based FFE and keeps his rig in super sharp shape all the time. "Having a clean and neat rig is important to me. I take a lot pride in my work and my equipment.

"I save on cleaning supplies for the truck by shopping at big discount stores like Wal-Mart. I buy my polishing supplies at places that feature a good selection, but have the right prices too.

"I also do a lot of my cooking at home, freeze the stuff and take it with me on the road in the refrigerator. I had a cell phone for a while, but I didn't think it was a good value for me, so now I just use phone cards for long-distance calls."

Lloyd Bunce
Lloyd Bunce is leased to Winnipeg Motor Express, Regina, Canada. "I watch where I fuel to save money when I am in the States.

"In Canada, we all use fuel cards so we pay the same price everywhere, depending on what rate our card is set up for.

"I used to use a cooler and take my own food along, but that didn't work for me. I am by myself all day long and use mealtime to get with other drivers and talk about what is going on. I need to get away from the truck for a while every day.

"And unless my wife is along, I don't spend money on motels. I just stay in the truck."