New 2014 Glider kit. 60 series Detroit or N14 Cummins

The guys that are getting the best mpg are guys that go home every night. So they have no need to idle their trucks. A lot of us are Otr and live in our trucks so we have to idle a lot more. We are always running close to gross cause we pull tankers. I'd take a pic of the fuel mileage printout but it got taken down already this quarter. I'll see if I can get you one next quarter.

 

You must be on a stock tune and motor?

 

I have a 06 W900L day cab with a tuned and tweaked ACERT that can get 7. I don't drive to get best mpgs. If I slowed down to a 65 mph max and was not in such a hurrie all the time I'd be in the 7s. As it is I get mid 6s all the time.
You sound like a younger version of another member, if you've not seen it or read it in dealer propaganda then it must not be true.

 

I don't buy junk, those are the biggest piles of crap made, and that could be fact!! LOL!!!!

 

I have loved every freightliner Colombia I've ever drove. Workhorse trucks. Simple trucks that get the job done and keep on running.

 

i have an 03 columbia

it wasnt my first choice of trucks, but i have to admit, it was the best business decision i ever made

low maintenance cost, good performing truck, great fuel mileage

that pile of crap has taken care of my family for over four years now

 

A truck is only as good as how it is spec'd out. My Columbia is rock solid. Even in the -15F I drove home in tonight, I still haven't even turned on the hot water to the bunk this year! I ordered up the Arctic Insulation package and Premium insulation and noise abatement package with my glider. The cab heater is all I have hot water to, and it keeps the cab and sleeper (mid roof) warm. I even had to turn it down a couple of notches tonight as it was doing such a great job I was getting too warm. I have the premium signature interior in mine also. Nice wood grain throughout and very solid cabinets with pretty good doors on them with latches that feel very smooth and secure. Not a rattle out of any of them, and of course, a built in fridge. Great sound system in mine. I really like listening to great instrumental jazz music, and I can make out every instrument in a session. Yes, while driving down the road! No, this truck is not as quiet as my neighbor's Cadillac, but after all, this is a truck.

I do take somewhat of an issue with the door windows. A little thin, and if you open one up going down the road, it will get out of the track sometimes when you try to close it, until you actually stop and close it. The wind blowing by the cab creates a pretty good suction that wants to pull the door window outward. Only real complaint I have. But since I quit smoking, this is really not a big issue.

And from a more practical standpoint, it has a great steer axle also made by Detroit. Great turning radius, and I just changed out the steer tires that came on it from the factory.... at 220,000 miles and they still had 8/32's tread left. No cupping, no river wear. Got $100 casing credit from each of them. Got a good deal on the new steer tires, so had to jump at it. Otherwise I would have taken the original steers out longer before taking them off.

Running wide based on the back. Still the factory ordered rubber. Still has 18/32's - 20/32's tread left on all four. No uneven wear anywhere.

Not bad for one of the biggest piles of crap ever made! Sure, once in a while something needs tightened down. But that is to be expected. When you run around Chicago as much as I do, a screw is bound to work loose once in a while. A quick turn with a Torx head screwdriver and problem solved.

 

I will concede I go home every weekend, and occasionally like tonight, stop at the house on a run. But I generally spend my entire week out in the truck. And I stay up north all winter long. But I also have a bunk heater I run. The only time I idle the truck is when temps are into solid minus territory. And then, not all the time. Didn't idle last night in Scheerervile, IN even though the temp hit -2F. Many times, I may start it up a couple of times during a break in extreme cold just to warm the engine a little for my peace of mind. In the summer, being up north, I don't have to idle much either except on the worse hot/muggy evenings. I don't need to idle enough to justify getting an APU. I ran all the numbers, and between the cost of an APU, the associated maintenance, and the fuel that it uses, my break-even would be 10+ years.

I am not pulling a tank, but I do run somewhat heavy. I have 7 steel coils in the wagon on this run. Prior to that was 46,000 lb of Purina pet food, before that, 44,000 lb of rolled oats. Got lucky last week and got a 8,000 lb load. Those are nice once in a while.

 

LOL!!!!!.....................

 

But, on the flip side of that coin, you have to realize a fair amount of lubricity was lost with the change from low sulfur to ultra low sulfur diesel, as well.