Being a trucker is not an easy job, and as any experienced trucker would agree, neither is it always the most cost-efficient one, especially if you are not careful. If you think that you could shave off a good few pounds from your annual trucking expenses, we have five tips for you that might just help you achieve that target. Just in case you do not think that you need to take any additional steps to save money, read what we have anyway and maybe you can pick up on a few new tricks.

Do Not Overpay for Truck Insurance

HGV insurance can be quite expensive, given that these vehicles spend a large portion of their time on the road, increasing their chances of getting into an accident. On top of that, trucks loaded with heavy goods are far more likely to meet with minor or major accidents than the average car. Therefore, it might feel justified when you are asked to pay a high premium for your truck insurance policy. While it is true that commercial truck insurance policies are expensive, there is a high chance that you could save money by significantly lowering the amount you are paying right now for maintaining truck insurance.

The idea is to get quotes from multiple truck insurance providers and compare them against each other to find which one offers you the best coverage, at the best price. Quotezone provides a neutral platform to truckers, so that they can do exactly that, but from a single platform. Get truck insurance quotes from multiple insurance companies in one place, without having to place a single call to any of them. Just take a few quick glances through the offers they have made and select the policy that makes the most economic sense to you.

Recognize “Trucker Traps”

Sometimes, service stations act quite similar to tourist traps, albeit with the modifications necessary to “trap” truckers, instead of tourists. These are the places that know truck drivers spend a majority of their time on the roads, away from friends and family. They also know how important essential supplies are for them, as truckers must often stay on the road for days. Just like tourist traps, some of them will hike the price of everything they have, including the price of bare essentials such as accommodation, food, drinks, etc.

If you notice this to be the situation with any service station on your route, just leave if you have the option to. However, truck drivers do not always have the option to leave; because they are tired, hungry and have no idea whether there will be another place on the route anytime soon. Even if they do find a service station later in their route, there are no guarantees that it would be any better than the stop which they just left behind. The price hike might even be worse than the one you just passed by, but at that point, you would have no other option than to accept defeat and pay a lot more than you should ever have to!

Prepare in Advance and Individually for Every Trip

It is possible to avoid these trucker traps completely, as long as you plan and organize every trip with the due diligence that it deserves. Go through the following pointers to get an idea of what we are suggesting:

  • Make a list of essential and non-essential supplies that you are the most likely to need while on the trip.
  • Ensure that the amount assigned to each supply is slightly more than what you are currently estimating to be an appropriate amount.
  • Make adjustments to the truck’s seating and sleeping arrangements for making yourself comfortable while sleeping in the truck at night.
  • Install reliable locks and unbreakable window glass, so that no one can get in while you sleep at night.
  • Invest in a proper A-GPS system that can mark all points of interest on the route -this could be exceptionally handy while traversing through unfamiliar routes.

Some of the installations can admittedly seem expensive right now, but in the long haul, they are more than worth it. It is simply better to not find out about the need for such investments while on the road.

Garages are Cheaper than Service Stations

Most truckers agree that garages are a fine place to eat cheap food, refill water bottles and take a quick, hot shower if you are lucky. They’re usually a lot cheaper than motorway services too. Do be careful with what you order if you eat at a remote petrol station though!

In case you have not noticed, we omitted generic tips such as making a budget, since you can never really set an airtight budget while on the road. Nevertheless, you should most definitely have a maximum expense limit per trip.