Michigan gravel trains

Wonder what the fuel mileage is

 

Probably 7 or 8 gallons per mile.

 

Must be a crapacadia eh ?

 

Who cares? With twice the payload, they should be millionaires by now,,

 

More like 4 mpg. Overhaul engine every 500-600k. Only run about 1400 miles per week. They’d tell me they made $5k per week back in late 90’s. Fuel was $1.25 gallon. 3 round trips Porter IN. / Dearborn Mi

 

The reason that everyone runs them in South Dakota is because there are basically two places to get rock and there is only a couple rail lines left in the state. Rapid City and Spencer are the two main rock quarries so every concrete plant in the state gets fed from there. Sand is also limited so it’s the same situation there. That’s why the majority of them run sleeper trucks.

Roth Trucking out of Rapid City runs a lot of newer Freightliner SD122 and Western Star trucks. Haven’t heard much about how they’re doing, just that they’re also testing some autos out. XL out of the Mitchell area was telling my cousin they get maybe 2 years out of a Cat overhaul and when they buy a transmission or rear ends from Inland there is zero warranty.

I know they don’t really have much of a slow season because in the winter they just keep stockpiling product for the upcoming construction season.

 

You’d think they would try planetary rears

 

That has to be it! Lol. Great point. MI just can not build a road.

 

4 on a good day. 3 at best.