Engine hours vs Engine miles

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Cw5110, Dec 31, 2016.

  1. Alaska76

    Alaska76 Road Train Member

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    Comparing mileage to hours is completely irrelevant. Almost.
     
  2. x1Heavy

    x1Heavy Road Train Member

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    We were a husband wife team with FFE and issued a virgin Century in 2001, we put just about 7340 some odd hours on that engine 24/7 based on our tax return logs in service days 24/7 running with very little sitting around outside of Americold Dock (Those can take three days to get ready to load, I hate them. Piss your fuel tanks to nothing 300 miles from a authroized fuel stop which is where that 200 dollars cash comes in for fuel a block away...)

    We put roughly 221,000 on that Century. It worked out to 31 miles per hour average fleet speed which is really close to our personal standard of 35 mph for dispatchers. Average fuel burn was 6.5 to 6.7ish in total with a rockwell auto. We burnt approximately 8 gallons per hour on average. It would either sip 1.4 gallons an hour at idle or gorge itself on 35 gallons a hour fighting a mountain, So. 8 gallons times 7340 comes to 58720 gallons burned. It was around 2.30 average per gallon roughly, 9-11 we paid 6 to 10 per gallon some days... which works out to. rougly 85,000 to 150,000 in fuel for 2001. Im not exactly sure. Im pretty sure FFE knows to the penny but they were bought out and no longer in business.

    That's enough for today, makes me sick when I consider people buying a tractor trailer and travel the USA on a mission to build long life, prospertiy and happiness only to learn it's a 150,000 dollar cost for fuel to feed that thirsty monster. We should go back to horse and wagon, grass is free.
     
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  3. STexan

    STexan Road Train Member

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    How so? Mileage relates to wear and tear on the truck body and components. Hours relates to wear and tear on the engine. Idling imposes more wear on an engine [and pushes closer to needing rebuild and/or overhead] then running down the road.
     
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  4. Cw5110

    Cw5110 Heavy Load Member

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    Let me rephrase my Question i want too see if the miles match the total engine hours. Both while in motion and parked.
     
  5. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    One shop I worked at had a pair of Western Stars set up for mobile steam cleaning and pressure washing. 50k kilometers (not miles) and about 22,000 hours on them.
     
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  6. Cw5110

    Cw5110 Heavy Load Member

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    Also the truck has an apu if that helps
     
  7. tony97905

    tony97905 Road Train Member

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    Use 42-45mph as an average for an OTR truck to see if miles and hours line up. The numbers you gave are right in line with what I've seen in my career as a tech on an OTR truck. Typically engines with 25k hours are at or near the end of their life, of course there are exceptions either way.
     
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  8. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    We still don't follow you. Hours and miles are 2 very different variables. They can't be compared. 417160 miles and 10,955 hours might be normal for how that driver ran his truck, but 190,000 miles and 18,000 hours might be normal for another driver's truck. The hourmeter starts ticking the moment the engine fires and the odometer starts reading once the wheels are turning. What it reads is what it is (within the instrument's accuracy margin anyways). Unless the hourmeter or odometer has been changed, in which case an ECM readout would be able to confirm.
     
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  9. Cw5110

    Cw5110 Heavy Load Member

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    I see what your saying. I appreciate the help.
     
  10. Cw5110

    Cw5110 Heavy Load Member

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    How often did you idle?