Gas-saving tips from UPS

By Melissa Shriver
Posted: Monday, November 12, 2007 at 5:20 p.m.

With gasoline prices going up every day…we’re always looking for ways to save money at the pump.

You might remember a few weeks ago, KHQA’s Melissa Shriver investigated an e-mail claiming to save you money at the pump.

She proved those e-mail rumors false.

So when we heard that the United Parcel Service, or U-P-S, wants its drivers to make mostly Right-hand turns to save money, we sent Melissa to check it out for this KHQA Factfinder Report.

I hitched a ride with Bruce Harvey, who’s been driving for U-P-S for 22 years.

It didn’t take long to notice, just as I had heard, that he wasn’t making very many left turns. U-P-S believes the less time trucks spend sitting in left turn lanes, the less fuel they burn.

Jennifer McCartney is the On Route supervisor. She works with computers and GPS to make it all work right.

McCartney said, “We go through and we try to reduce left hand turns and we try to set up routes where we make more right hand turns to reduce miles and reduce exposure to protect guys on route.”

Using the right turn program, the Quincy UPS fleet saves 300 miles a day…that adds up to a savings of a couple thousand dollars every week.

Right hand turns also are safer for the drivers.

McCartney said, “Putting them at a right hand turn allows them to get out on the right side and reduces the walk distance to houses, too, so they don’t have to cross traffic to go across the street.”

Do you think right hand turns are something the average person can use?

McCartney said, “Yes, it minimizes exposure to oncoming traffic and minimizes idle time waiting.”

And that can mean more money in your pocket!