New truck... but what truck?

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by onedayaway, Sep 16, 2012.

  1. onedayaway

    onedayaway Light Load Member

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    Jun 28, 2011
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    Getting closer to finally taking the plunge to become an owner operator. Shooting for late winter early spring.

    Have a few questions though as to what some of the more experience here think.
    Really not sure how much aero would benefit me, that's probably what I'm looking for the most advice on.

    Details
    LTL line haul
    GVWR 140, 000lbs
    LCV everything from 48ft with 30ft to two 53ft... On the rare occasion a single trailer or even bobtail
    600 mile round trip. Loaded going out, empty coming back.
    Constant grades and rolling hills
    62mph

    Currently running a 2010 kenworth t800 daycab egr/dpf
    ISX 475/1850... JUST enough to get the job done
    200wb 3.91 18sp on 11r22.5
    dual exhaust and air cleaners no fairings

    Average fuel consumption 4.5 MPG

    Trucks I'm considering
    Peterbilt 389
    Peterbilt 386
    Kenworth W900L
    Kenworth T660


    Would I really be much better off with the aero truck given the weight, length, and hills etc? With fairings, with out fairings. On the 386 and t660 exhaust at cab or back of sleeper?
    Decided on ISX, but still unsure of what power rating.
    Also I've been thinking regardless of what I buy specing with 3.55 gears and running in 17th. Cummins power spec says in 17th id be at 1550 rpms at 62 mph. That way should I ever go else where I have the extra gear. Any reason this wouldnt work?

    Your thoughts are appreciated.
     
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  3. road runner 9630

    road runner 9630 Light Load Member

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    Aero is good no matter what. It will always help. If you are on vans of any kind, fairings will be great. Puts thw Aero flow more stream line. Exhaust on back will always be better on Aero and in turn gets better mpg. Hope this helps. I run % but have a Pete 387. Works nice as I have lots of space and good mpg.
     
  4. SHC

    SHC Spoiled Rotten Brat O/O

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    Feb 26, 2011
    Westville, IN
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    I'd stick with a T800, but go for the big-dog 600 Cummins for what you are going to be hauling and terrain you will travel.

    Aero is pointless when your grossing 149,000 lbs and pulling hills all day. It's a lot different than driving in the 48 states where we set our cruise and roll down the interstate. Your truck needs to be a workhorse.
     
  5. G/MAN

    G/MAN Road Train Member

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    Pulling the weight you mentioned, you are not going to get very good fuel mileage whether you have an aero or hood. However, a hood will usually not do as well on mpg's as an aero.
     
    Giggles the Original Thanks this.
  6. SHC

    SHC Spoiled Rotten Brat O/O

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    Westville, IN
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    Also, does it HAVE to be a new truck, or are you just wanting a new truck????

    Picking up an older 6NZ CAT and doing some upgrades and a rebuild might be abetter option plus you get a good, reliable motor with big HP capability.
     
  7. onedayaway

    onedayaway Light Load Member

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    Jun 28, 2011
    alberta
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    No it doesn't HAVE to be new. They could care-a-less as long as it's well maintained.
    It's mainly me wanting new. At least with new I put down my down payment and have warranty for 2 years plus whatever extra I purchase at time of sale.
    The used stuff here is beat to nothing. Older stuff doesn't even exist for the most part everything is 2005 or newer, beat to snot, frames rusted to nothing with a lot on the cabs also. Snow, sand, and rock that they throw on the ground all winter puts a hurtin on the equipment. There's also a severe lack of selection, there's very few even available. The other problem I find it's they're either 12/40 trucks with no HP or they're 14.6/46 or more which is far too heavy. We need 12/40 with big power and there's just not many around.

    Most times we're only around 100, 000lbs, but can still be 120ft or so long and when you're that long at 140,000lbs you need the power.

    I've notice with the t800 even with a single empty long box the best it manages is 5.6 MPG, hell it can only get 6.1MPG bobtail. Could I expect to see an improvement with even a 389/w900l high rise sleeper and the fiberglass flip up spoiler on the roof bringing it closer to trailer height and given our 244" WB restriction and sleeper fairiing it puts the trailer right behind the sleeper?
     
  8. SHC

    SHC Spoiled Rotten Brat O/O

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    Westville, IN
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    You need to read the manufacturers warranty, because some state if you haul over 80,000# it voids the warranty. But that might just be a rumor I heard, but I'd check into it....
     
    DrtyDiesel Thanks this.
  9. onedayaway

    onedayaway Light Load Member

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    Here the Pete dealer said mx is rated to 80,000lbs for warranty however ISX was not an issue.
    He was pushing the MX 485 hard which seems ridiculous for the work I'm doing... He said not to worry about the 80k rated max, they'd push it all trough warranty when/if possible.
     
  10. freightrunner

    freightrunner Heavy Load Member

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    Mar 25, 2012
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    You don't really look at the type of truck but the transmission and motor...
     
  11. onedayaway

    onedayaway Light Load Member

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    I really like the looks of the 386 once I force myself to stop looking at the hoods in the quest for mileage... However I think the 386 looks 10x better with cab mounted stacks, but would that completely defeat the purpose of buying an aero truck? Regardless of what I buy it'll have one of the big moose bumpers put on the front of it before leaving the dealer, it's not even an option for the roads we run.

    Sometimes I feel I should just buy the big 389/w900l and not look back. If I could muster 6MPG average running loaded 50% and empty 50% I would without a doubt. However is that even a realistic figure?
     
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