Buying first truck. Thinking Pete 379

My 1993 T600 Detroit 12.7 13 speed and 3.90 rears runs within .4 mpg as a 2016 Volvo 780 with Ishift d13 pulling same loads same route and I run 5-10 mph faster.

.5-.7 better than the Mack pinnacle I drove, same loads same route. And .8 better than the T680 with super single tires that ran with us.

I ran a Western Star 4900 that I would regularly get about .2 mpg less than the t600 I have now. I attribute that to the cat motor, not the aero aspects of the truck.

I also do not have to spend hours removing crap just to get to the motor. Saves money in maintenance that way too.

 

Don't buy the truck based on emotion, that's dumb, think business and only business, that's smart.

 

Here's someone who gets it.

Driving a classic style truck may or may not break your bank. So could a newer aerodynamic truck.

I've seen W900's get a solid 7mpg average. I've also seen Freightliner Columbia's barely breaking 5mpg.

My opinion is this. If I gotta drive something everyday, and sleep in it at night, I'm gonna be comfortable and happy. And if the person next to me is more profitable in his aerodynamic truck, so be it. His profit means nothing to me anyway

 

Nobody is going to lay there on their death bed bragging to everybody about how much better their fuel economy was driving that crappy truck. Unless you want to bore everybody.

 

From here...post 12. I think it fits here quite well.
https://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/threads/mpg.346971/page-2

 

Most of the time pulling my flat bed aerodynamics is not an issue because there is none and I can still average 6-7 mpg running 64-67 mph

 

now before i say this let me just say that i like a long nose pete better than any other truck on the road. iv spent a lot of time driving them.

but, for the money you spend for a long nose pete you can get a truck that's in mechanically better shape for less money in something else. being new in business i think this should be a strong consideration you can always buy that hood later after your established

 

I remember my old man's first brand new truck. Daycab with the aerodynamics of a brick. DDEC 4 Series 60, 18 speed, 4.56 rears. Grossed just shy of 100k lbs every day. He worked out the fuel mileage on paper as just under 6.5 mpg.

 

Just a side not here... The faster you drive the more aerodynamics can help your fuel mileage

Edit... For example at 5mph it don't matter what the aerodynamics are... At 60 it does and at 75 it does even more

 

I drove a 04 Columbia with a 14L Detroit and 10spd auto and barely broke 6mpg with 42K in the box. Former Trans Am with first gen ultrashift. I also drove an 09 Columbia 13spd that got 6.5-7mpg all day at 65mph with 42in the box. Former Swift unit. Same truck; different spec's.