DRIVER'S ED: Don't make left turns

UPS has an interesting way of saving gas that may come in quite handy. UPS plans its delivery service routes with only right turns.

That's right.

UPS delivery drivers have saved over 3.3 million gallons of gasoline in 2007 alone. Using this technique takes practice but once mastered, it can save you miles and dollars.

It turns out after testing this right-turn only route UPS can save gas and deliver packages faster than before. "It's a huge amount, and we also shaved off a total of over 30 million travel miles for our drivers," says Laura James, UPS' industrial engineering manager.

Why does left turn avoidance save so much gas and money? By avoiding left turns, you don't have to idle in traffic lights for minutes. You still have to stop, but there's no waiting for traffic coming against you from both sides. This technique keeps drivers moving and delivering without unnecessary stops.