I drove home from Blacksburg, VA to Arlington, VA this past Monday and averaged 40.75 miles per gallon. I was pleasantly surprised, as I drive a 1990 Toyota Camry that is rated around 32 mpg highway.
I think the reason for this was drafting off a truck the entire way. Although drafting off of passenger vehicles is generally not recommended, because if they slam on the brakes, you’re in trouble; drafting behind a truck is significantly safer because trucks take a long time to slow to a stop, so if you see brake lights you’re not necessarily doomed. In addition, trucks are huge and block a lot of wind.
Anywho, there was a truck driving 75 mph for 200 miles of my journey, so I just sat behind him. When I filled up upon arriving home, I calculated that I had averaged 40.75 mpg. My recommendation is if you happen to have a truck driving near you on a highway, it might not be a bad idea to draft off of the truck to save some fuel.
