What MPG's are you getting with your 2011-12 trucks and should I upgrade?

I am seriously contemplating getting a new 2012 Peterbilt and I am wondering what kind of mpg those of you are seeing with them?

I am looking for hard numbers, so any info on ACTUAL results will be best.

Here are the numbers that i have come up with:

My run is 2,700 miles round trip, and I do 4 per month, so 10,800 a month. I pull a dry bulk tanker and it's always loaded very very light. My loaded weight is 15,000 and my empty weight is 10,500. I go to the same place, on the same route and roads every week. Also, 400 miles of this run every week is bobtail (1,150 loaded, 1,150 empty and 400 bobtail)

I am currently getting an avg of 6.5mpg in a 2004 WS Lowmax going 60mph.

I feel I could easily see 8.5mpg with the right spec'd truck for what I do.

So here is what I have come up with:
6.5mpg / 10,800 miles = 1,662 gal x $3.80 gal fuel = $6,316 per month
7.5mpg / 10,800 miles = 1,440 gal x $3.80 gal fuel = $5,472 per month
8.5mpg / 10,800 miles = 1,271 gal x $3.80 gal fuel = $4,830 per month

6.5mpg = $75,792 year
7.5mpg = $65,664 year
8.5mpg = $57,960 year

So just going from my current 6.5mpg to 8.5mpg I could gain a difference of $17,832 a year in fuel savings into my pocket!

Now this is hypothetical and only IF I can obtain 8.5mpg avg for the entire year.

I am currently paying $336 a week/ $1456 month on my truck and have 130wks/ 2.5yrs left of payments. I can turn the truck in and have 0 penalty but I don't get any of my money back, so I have basically rented my truck for 6 moths if I choose this.

Going thru Peterbilt, I have found a 2012 389 loaded with a 475hp ISX15 and 13spd 3.55 rears and an ESC+ warranty 5yr/700k miles EVERYTHING covered (including emissions/turbo/injectors ect ect) for $139k out the door. My payments would be roughly $2,600 a month for 5 years.

Doing the math, I could save $336 a month AND have a brand new truck. Granted that I can get the 8.5mpg and also knowing my other truck payment is only in effect for 2.5 yrs more, so 2.5yrs of the new truck there is really NO savings, but it is still obtainable with my contract run.

Even at just getting 7.5mpg (which I feel is VERY realistic) I would still only be paying an extra $300 a month for a brand new truck.

So what do you think???

I know everyone is going to say to buy an older truck for less money and blah blah blah... that's already in my mind and I'm considering it too, but am currently looking at my options for a new truck.

 

I have done that alreay, and I've been a member for a while. It seems like truckers cannot figure out how to use the site properly as there are 15 pages of guys getting 155mpg and it makes it hard to find real numbers

 

Thank you for the input....and I live by Valparaiso.

 

Well I just resigned a 5 year contract, and the company I am doing the loads with has been doing this run for the last 15 years, but anything is possible, and that is a good thought to consider.

As for the MPG, that is what I was wanting to know, thank you. I have spoken with 3 drivers of 08-09 trucks with DPF and they all seem to be about the same as you, around 7mpg. The 9 drivers I have spoken with that have the SCR/DEF set-up seem to be doing about 1mpg better than the previous emissions systems and are between 7.5-8.5mpg but then again, all circumstances are different too.

 

Yes and no..... I knew it would go up, but the physical damage is not too bad monthly thru my carrier. But you are correct, it is something to add in and I did not put it into my calculations above. Thank you for the insight as it seems the $336 I'd be saving would be put to the PD on the truck.

 

I am also looking into just getting an older Columbia or Century outright with cash. Say a 2000-2001 with a pre-emissions 12.7 and seeing if I can squeeze 8mpg out of it. Only problem is all the one's I have found have 900k+ miles are are looking ragged. Might just have to keep saving till I find that 1 perfect truck out there.....

I only stay in the truck for 3 nights, and only driving it 4 days a week. Plus the fact that my loads are so light I may not need much else.