what kind of mpg do you get?

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by jlkklj777, Jan 31, 2008.

  1. Rawze

    Rawze Medium Load Member

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    someday,..in the not so near future,...as fuel price keeps getting higher and higher,...hopefully, the super-trucker crowd will still be around, still going 70+/80+ mph. This helps the people that actually drive slower for profitability keep getting good rates on fuel surcharge. Keep up the good work super-trucker! Keep those surcharge rates up,...oh,..Cheers to the mega-fleets who havent figured it out either!,...In the meantime, I am slowly getting rich off this.
     
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  3. BigJls1

    BigJls1 Medium Load Member

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    simmer down...everybody should have a plan when they go O/O, I specked this this truck to run across TX east west and UP to Salt lake and back to AZ, with 80mph legal speed limits. I choose light freight and that pays as close to 2$ mile and above. If I was getting 4.5 mpg of course I would slow down. and dont run 75 just to do it. but at 2.10 a mile and 750 miles legal a day then yes right now it does not pay to slow down. If I ran CA or northeast I would have specked a different truck and slow down to efficacy. if you get 9 mpg running 55, i get 6.5 at 75. you get 550 miles at 3.70 average cost per gallon. you'll use about 226$ in fuel, Ill use $427 in fuel. at $ 2 a mile feight pay I am still $200 a day more revenue.

    The key here is not cheap freight and the equipment specked to what I was intending to do.
     
  4. Rawze

    Rawze Medium Load Member

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    Same route(s),...same freight,...Same number of loads,...55mph less stopping, better time management...
    using your numbers...
    ===================
    132k miles/yr = 277.2k
    75 mph = 75,138 fuel
    = 202,062

    ==================
    132k miles/yr = 277.2k
    55 mph = 54,266 fuel
    = 222,934
    +22,000 more...
    $20,872 of hard earned cash not going to an already rich oil company.
    ======================

    now,...add the 0.5%/mile (industry average) in extra maintenance costs...= 10% more maintenance
    you will have to go roughly 20% more miles to break even with the 55mph...

    That's roughly 158,400 miles to break even,or 26,400 more miles, 10 weeks worth of driving to make up for my slow poke truck.

    This argument has been bled to death on the forums and elsewhere. I will say no more on this subject of more miles vs more money. Those who slow down get just as many miles a year as those who do not because those who do will narrow their margin of stop time, pickup/delivery time, etc. to meet their deadlines. Managing time will always outweigh any other equations on this subject, far beyond some simple math that any 3rd grader can do. I see this every day, when I am sitting at the same truckstop as the 'Faster Guys', who passed me 4-5 times cursing me for getting in their way. I sit quietly counting how much money I saved, while they brag about how fast they flew past me. I'll take cash any day over bragging rights.

    Pick it apart all you want to, its easier to justify the actions of ones-self than to actually change someone's way of thinking. This is why there are so many opportunities out here for O/o's to make lots of money. Most fail at it these days for the sole reason you have explained above. Are there exceptions to this?,..Absolutely,...but those who do not find those few exceptions, like yourself, read things like this and base their business model on 'Going Faster to get More Miles', failing miserably, blaming everything but the fact that they could have lowered their costs by slowing down, reducing costs, and managing time more wisely.

    I added into this thread a counter opinion just for that reason. So that others can get a higher perspective beyond the days of trucking when fuel and other costs were much cheaper, where going as fast as you can actually made sense. Those days are fewer and fewer, and long term, it is the ones who learn to overcome the changes in this industry that will benefit from it, rather than complain and/or fail.

    Just some thoughts,...Rawze


    Back to the subject at hand,...Yes I get fantastic fuel mileage,...Yes i drive 55-60 (not always 55),...but NO i did not get there without much hard work, discipline in how I drive, and several modifications to my truck and its engine. What I have learned through experimentation is that these newer engines are capable of very good fuel mileage, far beyond their stock condition. That being said, I see for about 6-7 trucks on the road, EGR itself is costing this industry easily, the burned fuel for another truck rolling down the highway. Multiply that times 2 or 3 million trucks and thats a lot of wasted fuel, AND Emissions. I wonder if CARB and EPA factored that into their equations, along with the extra toxic pollution produced by every one of the newer trucks as they goes into a 'Passive Regen' cycle every 350-450 miles, spewing sulphur dioxide, etc. What about the thousands more trucks burning coolant every day because of failing EGR systems. White smoke seems to be the new norm, watching trucks pull hills these days.
     
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  5. Dice1

    Dice1 Road Train Member

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    Those same Supertruckers also pass me 3 or 4 times a day to end up at the same truckstop. Most of the ones who defend going fast have never tried going slow because I would have argued with that going slow did not pay more when I was that same 75+ mph trucker.
     
  6. Oscar the KW

    Oscar the KW Going Tarpless

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    I've tried running slow, and still do from time to time, but I get so bored that I have a hard time staying awake, even after a good nights sleep. So for me its more of a safety issue, and self preservation. A wrecked truck or dead me doesn't do my family any good.

    But I pull an RGN, when I'm loaded it doesn't seem to matter much what speed I drive, my mileage still sucks.
     
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  7. MNdriver

    MNdriver Road Train Member

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    I'd like to know where them thar supertruckers are that are doing 80+....even running out west, not many are doing over 70.

    I guess if doing 67 at the sweetspot on the RPM for a S60 makes me a super truck cuz that's how the truck is geared.

    Oh well.
     
  8. MNdriver

    MNdriver Road Train Member

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    I'll put it blunt....

    Post your ifta reports to back it up.
     
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  9. Dice1

    Dice1 Road Train Member

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    Drop a gear that may put your overdrive (if it is OD tranny) tranny into direct that is more efficient when you slow down. Besides how do you know where the sweet spot is depending on load weight, aerodynamics, terrain and weather? I drive as low as rpm as the truck will still pull with as little to no boost used will equate to better fuel mileage.
     
  10. Dice1

    Dice1 Road Train Member

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    I agree with you Oscar on the RGN or even step decks are the worse fuel mileage due to bad aerodynamics of several items on trailer and especially with mtns and a head/cross wind. Throw in Oversize and Overweight along with a tri-axle trailer makes it even worse.

    I do power only that pulls all kinds of trailers and loads, one of the worse aerodynamic things on a flat or step that does not weigh much is a huge commercial chiller that lets air go all thru it killing fuel mileage like pulling multiple parachutes. I have even thought about taking the time to shrink wrap the unit to make it worth it. Doubles are not very good aero wise either along with the extra axle and wheels to drag.
     
  11. MNdriver

    MNdriver Road Train Member

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    8D puts me at 57-58 mph. I use this on 2-lane and rural highways for cruising
    8OD puts me at 66-67 mph My big road gear.

    I had honestly considered dropping a gear or two when the power divider went out last month. But the second gear set wasn't in the cards.

    The boost, pyro and Ammeter are really getting in my radar big time right now too. I have three spots on the left side of the dash. And those are the 3 gages I want to put there.

    ammeter
    http://isspro.mybigcommerce.com/r8810/

    pyro
    http://isspro.mybigcommerce.com/r607tt/

    Boost
    http://isspro.mybigcommerce.com/r5623r/
     
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