Optimial fuel mileage

Use the search feature, it will get you about 60 threads of the exact same question with answers.

 

If you are not going to run overweights I would say maybe a 9-10 speed trans, the smallest condo sleeper you can get away with, the moat aerodynamic front you can get away with, 3.54 or so rear ends with a Detroit 60 12.7L or so. Keep in line I am fairly new to this but from a purely statistical standpoint this should be fair. The mountains will suck though so try to stay as flat as possible avoid redlight racing and always use cruise control.

 

Freightliner Columbia with 12.7 Detroit and 3.43 rears with a 10spd would suffice.

Don't expect a $25k truck to make too many trips coast to coast, and that $10k reserve will be depleted very quickly.... not trying to rain on your parade, it's just that is a lot of miles and a lot of terrain to be covering each week on a high mileage truck.

 

A $25,000 truck for a coast-to-coast operation is a bad idea at best. Make it a team operation which raises the miles you run by 60% or more and it will be a short-lived operation.

What will you do about compliance with CA CARB laws. No equipment in that price range is CA legal. It will cost almost $20,000 just to make the engine CARB compliant.

A truck in that price range is more suitable for a regional operation. Truth be known, with a van you will make as much or more running regional with one driver as you will running coast-to-coast with a team. By the time you figure in the added fuel, repairs, maintenance and second driver's wages you will make less profit.

You are going to do what you are going to do and I wish you the best of luck.........but I wouldn't consider this. Are you looking at a mileage lease? What kind of van loads are you finding that have delivery appointments that are suitable for a team operation?

 

If I were going to do it, which I wouldn't, but if I were to I'd get a full aerodynamic truck like a Volvo 770 with a Detroit in it or Cummins N14. 13 spd with 3.36 rears. Super single tires on truck and trailer. Fairings on the trailer. Read Dice1's thread as he pretty much outlines how to do it.

The reasons I wouldn't do it. A team truck should run 250-300k per year. You will, have a major breakdown before you hit that number in a 20k truck. The truck will be obsolete, supposedly, in CA 2014. You can't go into the ports in CA with it now. I'm hoping you'll be leased to a carrier that has a lot of team freight, or already have a shipper/broker lined up that will keep you busy. If you do go through with it, you need to save every dime that truck makes, to save up for a down payment on a much newer truck. Good luck.

 

Currently I drive a 2006 volvo with a cummins isx 450 with 3.58 gear ratio. last week I hauled 2 loads at 40,000 lbs to Eighty Four, Pa from Kenosha, WI and 1 load at 26,000 lbs from Clarksburg, WV to Milwaukee, WI and 1 load at 42,000 lbs from Greencastle, PA to Belvidere, IL. Total mileage was around 2500 miles but my truck got about 8.1 mpg average for the week. 22.5r75 low pro's on tractor and trailer no fancy superslidies or areo thingies under trailer. Just driving with progressive shifting like your supposed to and of course doing the speed limit with cruise control. ( means 55 in a 55 and 63 or 64 in a 65). yea I am the jerk is hits his brakes to slow down to 45 coming into a construction zone neener neener neener.... and of course I don't own the truck.... makes me think about it tho. Not sure what else you want to know about my truck but that is what I know about it. 53 ft refer if that helps any too.