Can someone explain to me HOW UPS saves gas money by only making right turns??????

Question

I cannot wrap my mind around it--(and I am "colidge edukatid" LOL)--I can understand how you accelerate less going right than you would left but then when I think about the places I would go here in my town and how you would have to go out of your way to make right turns all the time then I don't get how you would save gas by going so many miles out of your way just to make a right turn!!!

I heard this on the news that they saved TONS of money last year by only making right turns.

Answer 1

That had to be a joke

That just wouldn't be practical in most places except for cities with a well defined grid of city blocks.

Answer 2

wow. That's funny- I used to deliver parcels but it didn't matter what route I took, as long as I got them all done! Maybe they save money in gas from not having to wait for a really long time to turn left onto busy streets.

Answer 3

I don't think they do it to save gas money. The USPS does it to prevent accidents. You have more view making right turns and less time waiting to cross traffic.

Answer 4

my guess would be cause, after a stop, you can turn on a red light so no waiting. If you are going to turn left, you have to wait for a green light and that takes gas just sitting and waiting especially where I live, it takes forever to get a green light

Answer 5

That's why NASCAR only makes left turns.

Answer 6

First of all, it does save gas, because the fast you go the less work the engine have to do to propel you to your destination.

Making right turns is the best way to keep your constant flow off speed without braking, because right turns you have no restriction rather you have to stop or not. You can make a right turn as long as is safe.

It also saves time for the company, lets say the driver stopping for a red light, but he/she doesn't have time for that.

So the driver makes a right turn, pull a U Turn, and turn right.

Then he's clear from that red light. Think of it a legit way of speeding through a red light :)

Answer 7

I always avoid left turns when I can..it is much safer

Answer 8

That's easy; they set up their routes so that they don't have to go out of their way to make deliveries.  And, think about it (assuming you can turn right on red) you don't have to idle at the red light waiting to turn.  And, (assuming you cannot turn right on red) you burn more gas idling at the red light waiting to turn.  But the real advantage is whether you can turn right on red or not, when the light turns green for you to go, if you are turning left you must yield to oncoming traffic before making your left turn, and thereby burning more gas.

Answer 9

During the gas crises of the 1970's, the US government passed the law allowing to make a right turn at a red light after a stop. This saved gas because you don't have to sit at a red light and wait for it to turn green. That's what they are talking about here. Being able to turn on a red light after stopping (provided its clear) means you spend less time burning gas and get to your destination sooner. The savings is small, but over time it adds up. Factor in a large fleet of trucks and the savings is significant.  even when a vehicle idles at a light, its burning gas. Spend less time at the light, save gas and money. Every penny adds up.

Answer 10

They have to wait less in traffic and belive it or not i bet it saves thousands of miles because a right turn is shorter than a left turn.

Answer 11

You can't make ONLY right turns, you'd go in circles, if the education system in america didn't teach you that god knows what the world is coming to.

As far as I understand it they only make as many as possible.

Answer 12

i have never heard that before, maybe it has something to do with the route that they are taking. maybe they are not going out of their way. maybe they have bunches of drivers and they map out the most efficient route for each one.???  but it seems like it would be more efficient to have less drivers and allow them to make left turns. plus how to they know that they only make right turns. now i will be looking for left turning ups trucks.

edit

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=30058...