With gasoline prices now hovering around $3 a gallon and the cost of filling the tank of an average sized vehicle cresting $50, many businesses and consumers here are seeking ways to squeeze additional miles out of each gallon of fuel they burn.


Auto-care specialists here recommend paying close attention to routine maintenance tasks, such as changing oil, oil filters, air filters, and fuel filters, to combat higher gas prices, but fleet operators say theyre using other methods as well, some of them high-tech in nature.


Pathology Associates Medical Laboratories Inc., of Spokane, says it uses a computerized process called algorithmic routing to determine the most efficient routes for its 20 cars and vans to take as they pick up lab samples for testing and deliver supplies. Sky Soom, PAMLs enterprise logistics manager, says the software calculates mileage, figures estimated time between stops, and tries to reduce the number of required left-hand turns.


The program cuts down the number of left-hand turns so our drivers dont have to cross traffic, which reduces the idling time of the vehicles, he says. He adds that the software generates mathematical scores, with the higher scores connoting greater fuel efficiency.


Soom says the companys drivers also use cell phones with global positioning systems (GPS) technology so that PAML dispatchers know where they are and what pick ups and drops theyve made. He says the dispatcher watches the progress of PAML vehicles on a computer screen and electronically informs the driver of the most cost-efficient vehicle to use when customers request new jobs or deliveries. He says also that PAMLs fleet is comprised mostly of smaller, four-cylinder vehicles that consume less gas.


In addition to focusing on proper maintenance of its 1,062 vehicles, Avista Corp., of Spokane, encourages its employees to cut fuel costs by shutting off the engines of company vehicles instead of leaving them running, by carpooling, and by taking shorter routes whenever possible, says Hugh Imhof, company spokesman. In addition, he says, Avista asks its workers to remove unnecessary excess weight from any company vehicles when using them, and to use regular gasoline instead of premium gasoline.


Molly Myers, communications manager for the Spokane Transit Authority, says STA drivers save fuel by shutting off company vehicles during scheduled stops, maintaining proper tire pressure, and being current on preventive maintenance practices for its fleet of 135 buses, 68 pool vans, and 48 paratransit vans.


We just try to keep the equipment in very good condition so the vehicles will operate at optimum capacity, she says.


Myers says those who use the public transportation system are saving fuel costs, adding that STA ridership was up 12.6 percent in July from July of last year.


Another large consumer of fuel locally is Laidlaw Inc., of Spokane, which provides transportation for Spokane public school students and a handful of other clients. Laidlaw has a fleet of 198 buses and 35 paratransit vans, says Verna Landy, Laidlaws Spokane branch manager. She says that company uses computers to map the most efficient routes for its vehicles to take, and is so conscious about maintenance that each driver is required to perform a maintenance check daily before taking on any riders. That check includes tests of lights, tires, fluids, and all safety apparatus, Landy says.


One of our biggest things, she adds, is no idling. Drivers turn the engines off for stops of any length, thus promoting fuel conservation and giving off less pollution.


Ken Toon, service manager for Wendle Motors Inc.s dealership near NorthTown Mall, says drivers can increase mileage by two to three miles per gallon by reducing their freeway speeds to between 60 and 65 miles an hour. He also claims that some brand-name fuels are of a higher quality than alternative brands, and that the use of those fuels can increase mileage.


In the case of vehicles powered by diesel engines, Toon says some types of oil can help clean injectors and increase the mileage of those vehicles.


Marc Kiehn, owner of Northgate Import Specialists Inc., of Spokane, who has been repairing automobiles for more than 25 years, quips, The best way to cut fuel costs is to sell your Hummer and buy a Honda Civic.


He downplays the practical value of what he calls advertised wonder treatments to enhance fuel mileage, such as taping magnets to fuel lines, asserting that they just dont work.


Kiehn does, however, stress the importance of keeping tires inflated properly to get optimum mileage, and also adds, If youve got 300 pounds of miscellaneous junk in your trunk, take it out. Other fuel-saving tips he shares include driving as if you have an egg between your foot and the gas pedal, thus underlining the fuel efficiency of not generating sudden bursts of speed, and, for longer trips, removing unused sport racks from the tops of vehicles to reduce air friction.


Tim Wetterhus, district operations manager for NAPA Auto Parts Spokane office, urges vehicle owners to become familiar with their vehicles operating manual, and to adhere to recommendations made in those manuals for maintenance and upkeep. He also suggests that one pint of fuel additive be added to a nearly empty gas tank once every 10,000 miles to clean fuel injectors and improve mileage. He says by pouring the additive into a nearly empty gas tank, the additive will mix better with the gasoline when the tank is filled. He also stresses the importance of maintaining oxygen sensors and other emission devices, primarily on vehicles with 70,000 miles or more on their odometers. He says faulty emission systems not only reduce a vehicles gas mileage, but harm the environment.


Contact Rocky Wilson at (509) 344-1264 or via e-mail at [email protected].