So do you think the freightshakers with the automatics have the best mpg? Though I would prefer a KW or Pete the penny pincher in me would probably settle for a plastic automatic truck if they served my bottom line better.
Best for your bottom line? Hard to say honestly. You can take the same truck and put 10 different drivers in it and you'll get 10 different results. Regardless of the truck you have, you need to find your sweet spot. Please do not go by the dashboard results. Put good old fashioned paper and pencil to it. Once you find the best running speed, STICK TO IT. Do not adjust your speed because the load "has to get there." If you need a swap because your sweet spot is, for example, 63 mph but the load requires 67, tell them you need a swap.....but please tell then in advance, not 4 hours from your appt time. One (and this is only 1) reason some drivers fail to maximize their profits in ANY given truck is because they don't stick to driving for their own profit, but rather for what the load dictates to them. If you're gonna throw fuel away to satisfy any company because of their scheduling inadequacies, better off being a company driver. YOU RUN AND CONTROL YOUR BUSINESS!
Thanks for the advice. I'm coming from being a company driver myself, so that's one of the many bad habits i'll have to shake.
Pretty much if you can control your fuel costs then you will or at least should be successful... like steel Tiger says dont let a load dictate what you're going to do... Your fuel is your biggest variable expense therefore watch it very carefully because whether you're successful or not depends on that for the most part and it can make it or break you
Ended having to swap my load to Seattle. Had to ice skate from Kit Carson, Co to Rock Springs, Wy. That took 11 hrs. I averaged 52mph. I probably could have still made ontime, but with it being a "high priority" military load; I didn't want to take any chances with being late. Sometimes you have swallow your pride just tell JCT to swap a load because of crappy icy roads and let the load keep going for OTD rather then keep saying yeah I'm good and then be late because something else came up.
I did a good deed today. Well two of them. I picked up two jct drivers doors after i blew them and handed it back to them. Lol felt good