It's Summertime and MPG's decrease to keep myself cool!

my question is this.

what good is a mpg bonus do you if u gotta sweat ur ### off or freeze to get it? seems counter productive and/or inhumane if u ask me.

my deal is if im cold i run the truck if im hot i run the truck i make good money whether i run the truck or shut it off. my boss wants me to be comfortable and I'm happy to oblige never once has he questioned me about my fuel economy. im lucky if i get 5.75 mpg's in this ol' kitty kat. i save money in other ways like not hauling cheap freight for 1.

 

If you wanted to get really technical about whether it is better to put the widow down or put the a/c on you would have to compare the additional hp required to overcome each. I would guess it works out about the same and won't result in any measurable difference. If you could predict the wind speed and direction for your route, you would save more by parking when it is windy .....................

 

LOL, this arguement has been going on forever, the which costs more in fuel, using the AC or running with the windows down.....LOL, I agree when you're running use the AC and slow down 1 or 2 miles an hour if you feel the need to compensate, as far as when taking your break......I dunno about you driver but I'm going to stay comfprtable and get a good night's sleep so if that means idling and running the AC so be it, as in the name of safety, a well rested driver is a much safer driver. If the company is concerned about fule costs then it's up to them to do something about it like install an APU or whatever but if they were ever to tell me NO I can't idle when it's sweltering in the middle of July in Birmingham or Phoenix well too bad for them, they can fire me if they want but I will do whatever I can to remain comfortable and thereby safer........I use a 12 volt fan I have attached to the bottom side of my upper bunk to move air when I'm laying down and also have a tripak with an espar heater. I get great fuel mileage and sleep very well. I also have a set of window screens I use a lot.

 

Yes, I do not idle just for the sake of doing so.......this last run from Mentor, OH to Vegas to Hayward I'm at 7.36 mpg combined on paper......I'll take it for my old DD60 12.7 500hp with over 1mill on her......

 

I got the portable air conditioner at Sears. A lot of those hardware stores carry them. Basically it is a stand up air conditioner on wheels. What you have to do is use this washer/dryer type of outlet hose to get the hot air out of the room or truck. The classic air conditioner we are mostly used to is the kind that sticks halfway in/out of a window and pumps the hot air outside as well as the condensation. These portable ones also need a drip pan inside the truck although I'm reading about new ones which have some kind of evaporator.

 

So is this what trucking has come to? Worried about wether or not the ac or the window down is going to cost more in fuel? If my profit margin ever gets that tight I will sell my truck and trailer yesterday and go flip burgers for a living. They have heat and ac, all year long.

 

I used to worry about idling my truck because it was costing me $30 a night in fuel. Now I look at it as $30 to get a comfortable nights sleep. Worth it if ya ask me

 

this was a very good read. thank you.