9+ MPG Class 8 5 Axel Trucks with Trailers

Anyway getting back to topic, american manufacturers have the technology for our fuel economy due to collaborations with euro manufacturers or are euro manufacturers too and when the time comes I'm guessing they will have no problems meeting obamas 23% increase in fuel economy, I only hope they introduce the technology instead of putting speed limiters on trucks like us which in my opinion are dangerous!

Dice has already proved it's possible to substantially improve fuel economy with some common sense, forward thinking and a little ingenuity so why are the manufacturers holding back? It was the same here but mpg's became a big selling point of trucks literally overnight.

 

More OT but forgot you guys only have 40t. , Not really that often I'm that light, more 48-54t.

But you really notice a big difference at least in the trucks we have if you drive 87 or 93. The wind resistance over 85 increase buy a lot for every km/h, don't remember the % now. You will start to push a air ball in front of you all the time.

 

Well, assuming that the average fuel economy of class 8 trucks nationwide is around 6 mpg as put out in the truck publications, there are a LOT of owners now that are blowing that kind of mpg out the window. I would just take out my .45 and shoot my truck if it averaged that low. 23% better average fuel economy, the number the feds are putting out that they want, would up the average to 7.38 mpg. hardly an unachievable goal. Especially since there are a substantial number of drivers getting over that now. One I know of, Henry Albert, which doing the Freighliner Slice of Life program and his data can be seen by anyone, is an independent O/O hauling for his own customers, has a 2010 Cascadia with DD15, usually runs around 65 mph / 105 kph, and has a documented ECM fuel mileage over 8.5 mpg on almost 200,000 miles. My glider kit truck which I just ordered is spec'd so as to get into high 7, low 8 territory frequently without having to run 55 or some such crap. It just requires putting the right specs together and then driving the truck right. Henry has gotten into 9 mpg territory when someone challenged him recently to run for a while at 60 instead of 65 mph.

 

I've heard of Albert and seen many articles about his operation. It is very interesting to say the least and many could learn from his and others efforts. What I take issue with is so many people post ECM fuel numbers like it is the absolute writen in stone evidence. The ECM fuel useage data is just a guess by the computer based off of operating parameters since there is no fuel flow meter on the trucks. The CAT ECM has been known to be off by as much as 15% (or more) and I am sure the others are off by at least that much too. So many guys and gals are clueless on how to figure fuel mileage the right way...but even that has loopholes in the process if the tank isn't filled the same each time. I laugh everytime I see somebody posting a pic of their dashboard display with a high MPG.

 

howdy, i have had a few trucks get close to that magic 9 mark, most recent was a 2008 volvo 630 with d13 dpf motor 13 speed 3.70 22.5 rubber, bought it new, for 4 months in the summer of 09 ran calgary to rogers pass switch return then a cal red deer return in the am. i fueled up at the same pump, parked with the front tire at the same crack and ran on cruise most of the time when i could, xza3 steer goodyear drives, 97 kmph averaged a calculated 9.3 imperial, and one trip ran at 92 kmph and pulled at 10.2 imperial. best laugh i get is when talking to someone about mpg, and they are talkng 10.5 imperial while running 115 kmph because it takes them 260L to run 590 km, or the faster i drive the better economy i get, so you have a truck that defies the laws of physics, it should be in the smythsonium museum then.

 

+1. Until recently my computer was showing me a constant average of 2 mpg more then what I was actually getting in a Volvo, until I recalibrated it at the stealer. There are so many variables in between the fillups that even the trip average can vary from point A to point B. Some don't consider the head winds, road conditions, thicker/dense air etc... The only way to calculate properly is gallons pumped vs miles driven that way one will get exact consumption between fillups.

 

That is around 7.5 US mpg.

 

wow , i never bothered to calculat in us gallon. funny thing is i was 1-2 mpig better then the rest of our lease ops. and i was running in the mountais 9 mpg works out to 26.1 L/100 km, 10.8 mpig, no body i know has pulled that off.

 

Just like reading the fuel consumption off the ECM.
Calculating off your odometer can be way off as most are celebrated 5 to10% out.

 

A few years a go I had a 1996 Ford L8000 tri axle dump empty weight was just under 21,000lbs, gross was 70,000, it had an 8.3 Cummins 250 hp, it wasn't hard for me to get over 9mpg, by the pump till the last drop of diesel will run off the tank, that's how I fill my trucks, every time I hear about a hi mpg trcuk I ask them to let me fill it up and as soon as they se the fuel reaching the top they wanted to stop pumping, and I always manage to squeeze another 5 gallons in the tank.
around that time there was a guy with a Volvo dump truck caliming over 11 mpg with an M11 and 330 hp, I bet him my truck against his, he wouldn't even reach 9 mpg, quickly he jumped on the bet and ask me to check his in cab mpg meter, my response was, we will run toguether you will fill up my truck and I will fill yours, it will be documented with witneses a lawyer and all, when he saw how serious I was he declined the offer, no more 11mpg Volvo.