Is 10 MPG Possible with a Fully Loaded (80K gross) 5 Axle Truck?

What about the tractor?

I have no control over the trailers I pull that are owned by my customers.

 

MicroBlue rear ends will be installed in truck tomorrow.

 

Picking up truck today and will know when I fill up tomorrow.

 

Ok here is the news on the MicroBlue Micro-polished and coated rear ends.


The shop finished installing the new rear ends Monday morning and went to pressure check my CAC and found it blown out. It had to be replaced and I already had a dedicated load that had to be PU and delivered the next day. This explains my power and fuel mileage loss the last 2 to 3 weeks of July with the last week a total failure of the CAC.


The shop finished it up right at 5 pm and I headed out bobtailing to get my loaded trailer. It did not feel much different on the rolling part, but the new CAC was pumping out some HP again. Hooked and headed out. I was getting a little worried because it just did not feel like what I expected until around 100 to 300 miles it started to free up and by the time I got almost to my delivery in northern AL on I-65 there is a long downgrade that I usually roll over the top and coast down the other side that I let build up speed until it got to close to 80 mph that I would flip on the jake about 3/4ths the way down to keep it under 80 to 85 mph, but this time was alot different because I had to flip on the jake before half way down and had to use the brakes to keep the speed down. WOW.


WOW...It just kept getting freer and freer the more miles it broke in. I delivered my load, swapped trailers and back towards home I went. I stopped at my fuel stop and it was 9.21 mpg that considering the break in period and the extra idle time spent re-charging my AC along with some idling for the excessive heat I felt that was real good and the next run will be even better now that the break in period is almost finished.


Now I am on a wild run to St. Louis, MO that I have to go to Indy and swap trailers to head back to Charlotte. By my estimate, I feel that I am in the 10 mph plus range with a light loaded (50K gross) 53' van trailer and I went thru the mountains in NC and TN.


I am planning on getting fuel near Newport, TN Saturday and we will know just how much it used. It is nice to plan the fuel stops futher out now and to have a truck that has a 2,000 plus mile fuel range all thanks to MicroBlue.

I have another dedicated run to make Monday/Tuesday of next week to compare numbers also. It will be good to see what it will do now the break in period of the new rear ends is almost finished.