Hot Loads, Higher Costs: Summer Fuel and Safety Tips for Recycling Fleets

Recycling doesn’t take a break in summer and neither does your fleet. While your trucks are busy keeping communities clean, the heat is busy working against your bottom line. From longer idle times at Material Recovery Facilities to rising fuel prices and tired drivers, hot weather creates hidden risks that recycling companies can’t afford to ignore.

Here’s how to help your team stay safe, your trucks stay efficient, and your fuel costs stay in check this season.

1. Idle Smarter on Collection Routes and at Facilities
   Recycling trucks idle a lot. Between pickups, waiting at transfer stations, and dealing with traffic, engines run longer than most fleet vehicles. In hot weather, that idle time can burn through fuel even faster, up to a gallon per hour for larger diesel units.

Train drivers to shut down engines when waiting in queues or during long offloading delays. Use shade whenever possible during staging. If your trucks are equipped with idle-reduction tech or auxiliary cooling systems, make sure they’re being used consistently. Telematics data can also flag which vehicles or drivers are idling most.

2. Reduce A/C-Related Fuel Burn Without Sacrificing Comfort
   Summer heat demands air conditioning, but there are smarter ways to use it. Make sure filters are clean and refrigerant levels are where they need to be. A poorly maintained A/C system forces the engine to work harder, especially on older trucks or when stopping frequently. Remind drivers to avoid blasting A/C at full throttle while idling and to keep windows shut while it’s running.
3. Get Ahead of Hot-Weather Inspection Fails
   DOT inspections don’t slow down in summer for waste haulers and recycling fleets. Common warm-weather violations include:

• Overheated brakes from stop-start routes
• Worn tires due to expanded pressure from hot pavement
• Cracked hoses or coolant leaks from thermal stress

Keep your maintenance teams on a tighter summer schedule and make sure daily inspections aren’t skipped. Heat magnifies small issues into major ones fast.

4. Stay Alert to Heat-Driven Fatigue
   Mental sharpness matters, especially on routes with narrow alleys, school zones, and pedestrian-heavy neighborhoods. But the combination of summer sun, repetitive driving, and long hours can wear anyone down.

Educate your drivers on the signs of heat fatigue and dehydration. Offer cooling towels or chilled water at dispatch. If possible, rotate longer routes with shorter ones or build in midday breaks to avoid the worst of the heat.

5. Address DPF Trouble Before It Hits
   Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs) are essential but often overlooked. For recycling trucks that idle in long lines or crawl through tight urban routes, high-heat and low-speed operations can clog filters quickly. That leads to frequent regens, power loss, and costly downtime.

Schedule DPF inspections more often in the summer months, especially for trucks with heavier duty cycles. If warning lights start showing up more frequently, it’s time for professional cleaning.

6. Save at the Pump with the Energie Fuel Card
   Your fuel bill doesn’t have to rise just because the temperature does. The Energie Fuel Card helps recycling companies like yours lock in fuel savings across an extensive network of retail and cardlock stations at over 60,000 locations nationwide. You’ll also get real-time control over driver gallons pumped, detailed reports for tracking costs and valuable insights, and flexible payment terms that work with your operation’s cash flow.

Summer’s tough enough on your team, but don’t let fuel costs and equipment stress make it harder. The right habits and tools go a long way toward keeping your recycling fleet running cool, safe, and cost-effective.