Whats your MPG?

Truck in sig. 500 Cat, 48' Dane, 75,000 # plus, and do mean plus

I run typicaly 65-70 mph unless I'm in a rush....and get an honest 6 mpg, unless I'm stupid heavy and/or into a strong headwind

 

3.55s and terrane is nothing mountainous. Wisconsin to Florida and back.

I came home empty once and got 7.1 mph.

 

There's a page over on the Peterbilt (?) website that says you pickup 3 to 5% on your fuel efficiency with a aerodynamic cab, and another 1 or 2% by minimizing the distance between the back of the sleeper and the trailer. It's probably more with the newer designs. Keep in mind that this works if you're running at highway speeds. Spend a lot of time in stop and go traffic, and you may as well look cool in that classic flatnose!

Speed has a lot to do with it - slow down, and you get better efficiency. That probably doesn't matter much when fuel costs are low, but when the world economy heats up again the demand for diesel is going to run that price back up through the roof. So does tire pressure, trailer weight distribution, grades, wind, the crap we put in our tanks during the winter disguising itself as "real fuel." A big thing to remember is that driver technique has a lot to do with it as well.

 

Aerodynamics dont come into play until you're over 55mph.

 

Does the ultra low sulphur D affect your mpg ??

 

Not according to the Peterbilt guys - maybe you ought to check out their website. Also, it seems the guys driving Cascadias are having an easier time getting better mpg than we are in the Centuries - FL is big on the better aerodynamics of the Cascadias. Tractor numbers with the best mpg get posted off of the board I'm dispatched off of on Mondays - you can tell the Cascadias from the Centuries by the tractor numbers.

 

+ 2006 century detroit 14L 13sp 3.58 ratio pulling dryvan loaded gross vehicle 765000 from La, california to pittsburg, pa (I-15,I-40-I-81) 68-70 mph got 6.4 MPG
come back to los angeles, ca loaded 35,000 lbs gross vehicle 70,000 lbs samething 68-70 mph same road and MPG increase to 6.6 # destination (note: this truck got 0 milage on engine, 10k mile on new dealer clutch, 0 mile on 6 fuel injector, 0 mile on turbo, 0 mile on air chager cooler, 0 mile on EGR cooler and VPod) This is my first trip testing on this truck after truck ######...


+2003 columbia Detroit 12.7L, 13sp, 2.93 ratio 280 full gallon fuel tank load gross vehicle 76,000 lbs from same load above ( swift driver but not me) get 6.6-6.8 MPG same speed above (full fill fuel up then after 1113 mile driving i re fuel again loosing 160 galon)

come back at light load 20,000 lbs gross 52,000 lbs got 6.8-7.2 MPG same speed and same route above ( note: this truck no EGR and engine inframe rebuild 300,000 mile ago, turbo 40,000 mile ago)


Anyways i dont know how to tell but for myselt: loosing to much money on new detroit engine (14L, EGR: labor and part so so so expensive for my 06 truck and event after overhauled MPG doesnt good)

Now what do we move??? i plan to buy old truck with good engine dynotic to reduce risk, save money, fuel, cheap maintenance, if we god luck, then make money b4 Emission law 2014 for 03 truck and older, if we not in luck??? then we work for free... look at my other thread to compare: thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/trucks-eighteen-wheelers/147614-2000-century-redtop-question.html

Anything i said wrong, please let me know... have a good999999 everyone....

 

So it sounds like you just rebuilt the '06? You have nothing broke in on that. It will take some time to see true MPG and it should come way up. I had new Century with identical specs and saw MPG increase on monthly basis going into 70k miles.

I did LA to Portland or SLC and back. 80K (had to run half fuel to stay legal), mostly 60, neer over 62. At 100,000 miles, 7.2 mpg on SLC and 6.9 on Portland.

And it sounds like the '06 is likely an old company truck. If that is the case then 68-70 is pushing that hard. On a new engine I would back off a bit while breaking it in.