It was 8:15 AM. I was sitting in a queue behind a school bus.

I looked at the fuel gauge. Then I looked at the traffic. Then I did the math.

I was burning money I hadn’t even made yet.

With gas prices where they are, fuel has officially become our #1 overhead. It’s frustrating. It’s a gut punch. But at the end of the day, we still have lawns to mow and bills to pay.

Here is the reality: Since we can’t control the price at the pump, we have to control the path of the truck.

It’s your business. You own the schedule. So why are so many of us still sitting in peak-hour traffic?

I learned the hard way that "following the map" isn't enough. You have to outsmart the commute. If the rest of the world is heading into the city, you should be heading out.

A few things we’ve found that actually move the needle:

• The "Reverse Commute" Rule: Plan your route to go the opposite way of school and work traffic.
• Cluster Your Suburbs: Don’t cross the bridge twice. If you have four lawns in one area, do them all on Tuesday—even if one customer "prefers" Friday.
• The 6:30 AM Strategy: Use a tool like RouteXL to visualize your day before you turn the key. Sometimes moving just one job can save you 20 minutes of idling.

We’re all feeling the pinch right now. The best way to get through it is to share what’s actually working on the ground.

I’ve started a discussion thread inside our Lawn Care Business Builders group about this. I want to know: Aside from just "raising prices," what’s one practical thing you’re doing to save on fuel this week?

Hop in and share your best tip with us.

​[Join the discussion in the Skool group here]​

Stuart Clifford
Lawnmowing101