Tradio inventor and only host other than Steve Locker, Dave Campbell hosts Tradio July 12.  Dont worry..our liability insurance has been updated.

Traffic guy Brad Ehrlig hosts the show July 19.  He'll do a great job.  There'll be a lot of fun and good bargains coming down Ingersol.

Lets hope Dave and Brad pick the bumper music...otherwise if Brian plays his favorite tunes as bumps....better get set for a Mamas and The Papas Yawn festival. ...

I drive 80 miles a day..so I need to s t r e t c h my gasoline as much as possible. The following tips are some that are universally known. Others I have discovered myself.  E-mail me if you have any additional gas saving ideas to stevelocker@clearchannel.com 

+  KEEP HIGHWAY SPEED LIMITED TO 60MPH.  Charts show that you can increase your  mileage 10% by dropping your speed 10mph  from 70 to 60.  It is not so much the air that your vehicle is pushing..its more about the fact your vehicle is creating a vacuum as it travels down the highway..therefore effectively making your engine less efficient by 'fighting' the drag caused by the vauum.  Lower speed...less vacuum.

+  USE AIR CONDITIONING AND KEEP WINDOWS SHUT.  I like to use a compromise of this idea..because using the air conditioner usually takes away 1 mile per gal. Rolling your windows all the way down reduces your MPG.  So when it is not too hot..I drive down the road with the air off...windows on the passenger side of the vehicle cracked open by 2-3 inches..therefore creating a nice circular 'breeze' in the car.  When its 98 degrees..this of course will not work. But when humidity levels arent that high and temps arent above the mid 80's it is comfortable and doesnt diminish your mpg. 

+DO NOT USE CRUISE CONTROL.  The only exception to this would be if you travel over perfectly flat terrain with no hills to maneuver.  But under normal conditions (some hills and some flat land)  I find that using the Cruise lowers the mpg by 3-4 mpg.  This occurs because when you travel up hill..your cruise struggles to keep your vehicle going the same speed..therefore sucking more fuel just to maintain speed.  Use your foot..and keep it steady. Let the vehicle slow down slightly. That way you are negotiating the hill while not wasting gas to maintain speed.  The speed will usually drop no more thatn 3-5 mph.  And inversely..when going down hill...let the vehicle gain speed...usually 3-5 mph.   Hold your foot steady on the gas peddle. This will help  you 'make a run'  for the next hill. 
When pulling away from a stop..avoid putting  your foot into it. This is one of the most common and worst ways to waste fuel.  What you want to try to do is get your vehilce up to 55-60 mph...slowly.  If there is no other traffic behind (like when it is 4am)..it might take a mile or so to get up to 60. Thats okay.  There is no hurry if you are not blocking traffic.   When coming up to a stop...let the vehicle 'coast' earlier than what you are used to.  Let up on the gas a little and let is roll in without burning fuel. It will increase your mpg and reduce the amount of wear on your brakes. 

+ Keep your vehicle streamlined as possible.  Elininate luggage containers, racks..etc from the top of the vehicle.  

+  Find someone to 'plow the road' for you.  While it is not advisable to 'draft' semis...under certain wind conditions...a nice vacuum is created by semis traveling down the road and can affect the air for several hundred feet behind the trailer.  What I am saying is..under some conditions...you can in effect draft without being close. In fact..that is the best way to do it. If you have to 'tailgate' the truck to get the vacuum..then dont do it.  I can typically gain 3-4 miles per hour when using this technique..which translates to 1.5-2 miles per gallon..if done contninually. Of course it is practically impossible to get 'in the draft' all the time..but it does feel good to slip into the vacuum and feel your vehicle surge ahead while not burning extra fuel.

+  Make sure tires are fully inflated.

+ Surf the stoplights.  If you notice a stoplight ahead of you is red...ease off on the gas pedal.  It may turn green before you get there..thus not having to stop and thereby burn extra fuel in getting up to speed once again. The idea is to minimize having to stop and then accelerate your vehicle. If you 'race' up to the light..you waste fuel when you could be coasting...and waste brake lining by having to stop.  

I drive a 2005 Ford Five Hundred which is advertised to get 29MPG city and country. In the past month I have gotten 30 MPG Town and Country on a tank..and typically get 29 MPG town and country.

On a recent trip to Okoboji I  attained 32 miles per gallon round trip.  That on a car that is advertised at 29 MPG town and country.