Future Heavy Haul Specs

Those planning to order a new truck for around 200k gross give or take, in the next few years what will you order?, looks like Volvo will be the only option, best startability of any manufacturer. the new Cummins is also going to follow suit and be a downsped engine which doesn't work with low rear end gears and any current paccar transmission or 18spd manual combo. 2 times the startabilitly with the 14spd Ishift, but it may have an issue at the top end. 300vs200 rpm drop from overdrive to direct as we have now, so might hard to maintain any decent speed, with 200k and an un aerodynamic load, still a much better option than being above the power curve. Downsped cummins we'll be overrevving the power curve even worse than we do now with 3.58 or lower gears.

 

It sure as fuhk won’t be a Volvo

 

Then what would it be? Why would you not want the most capable, most efficient available truck? Running the new downsped cummins the way we do now, would be disastrous, low torque, worse fuel economy and even more emission problems. Plus that Ishift shifts better,smoother, especially offroad heavy than any human ever could.

 

Cascadia 450/12 speed auto /2.29

 

You think that Volvo or Cummins powered will be the only two options? And that the tuning parameters of Cummins can't be set for specific applications?

 

Well there's Detroit DD16, but how much longer until that's dropped or downsped too. But no, tuning won't make up for it, a downsped engine has different physical internal parts.

 

Can you explain this "downsped engine" to your average trucker? Difference to an upsped engine? Never heard the term

 

Downsped engines are fleet spec engines that are meant to run between 1000 and 1200 RPM. Versus somebody that knows what they’re doing and orders the high horsepower and torque engine which is not set up at all like a low power fleet spec engine.

 

Just buy a tesla semi. Instant horse power and torque at all times... plus no gears to shift... plus it's the only truck ever built that is uglier than the Swedish dog.

 

Do you ever wonder how that pencils out?

I'm sure the big fleets have it dialed right down to the gnat's ###, and calculate fuel costs, extended service intervals, and depreciation so that they have the lowest cpm and trade them when warranty is gone, but in my mind there is no way that an engine can live very long at full load, at 800 to 1200 rpm. I know the computer makes adjustments to protect the engine, but at full load there is no way the bearings can last a million miles like an older 1500 to 2100 rpm engine. I realize that every revolution costs a certain amount of wear, but half the resolutions at more than twice the pressure must wear things faster.

I don't know crap about it, but that's my take.