Overall hood cost - Aerodynamics

I think he’s still driving 102 now. He downsized a few years ago and now two more mills closed down over the summer in Missoula County. When I was out that way in April I ran into one of his drivers and that was when the news was getting out about the mills and he wasn’t sure how things were going to go but they’re still plugging away.

 

Because Detroits since the Series 60 have always been better on fuel than CAT or Cummins, quit playing like that ain’t the truth.

 

Then you need to zip it until you’ve drug one. It’s that plain and simple.

 

Correct. And like I said, he chose the truck same as others have chosen hoods to do the same thing. But you are in luck! He recently bought a used 389 and is in the process of swapping a series 60 into it because he wants to see what kind of mileage he can get out of it now that he has a decent driver in the Cascadia.

 

I’ve said this exact thing to some of these exact same folks in this thread and others. The only aerodynamics at play are how these words rush in one of their ears and out the other.

 

You’re both in luck! This has been done 20+ years prior back when you could order a Detroit in a long hood from the factory. Spec for spec (379 vs 379, gearing, wheelbase, sleeper, etc) the 12.7 will get .4-.8 mpg better than a 3406/C15 and .2-.7 better than either an N14 or ISX while on fall run. I’d imagine a C12 could match a 12.7 on fuel mileage but I’ve never ran with anyone that had one to pull cattle with.

 

In case some have forgotten the original post that started this thread. A very vague and generalized question. A very generalized answer to that question is yes in general an aerodynamic truck is more efficient. But as per usual around here it gets drug out into the weeds about how it won’t work for this or for that. But there are people doing whatever it is people say can’t be done and they’re doing it more efficient than others.

The driver is more important than the truck. That will never change. If you take a driver who already operates his truck efficiently and give him tools to be able to improve then he will just be that much more efficient. Are aerodynamics the only tools for improvement? Nope. But for the majority of truckload OTR operations it’s the lowest hanging fruit.