Optimial fuel mileage

I ran coast to coast with a '96 FLD ($12,800), a '90 pete 378 ($9,000) and my current 379 that cost $22,000 9 years ago.... I still run it everywhere.

The price of the truck has little to do with reliability....

 

You can spec all day long for economy and put 5 different drivers in it and get 5 different results for mpg. Obviously the spec of the drivetrain helps but knowing how to drive it accounts for a big % of good fuel economy numbers. Optimizing shifts, momentum, braking, know your rig and find all its sweet spots.

 

The number one factor with regard to fuel mileage is the DRIVER....Everything else is secondary!

You can spec. it just right with a droopy nose, low rolling resistance tires and Air-Tabs (useless) and all of the other bolt on crap that they sell to (supposedly) help your fuel mileage and it will ALL be negated by a crappy driver!
Now.....Here's a news flash!

Most drivers are not mentally disciplined enough to get decent fuel mileage. They do not take the time and effort to develop the skills required to drive a truck efficiently....I won't even get into the whole moronic "I never shut my truck off" mentality!

Learn to operate your equipment efficiently and shut it off unless it's absolutley necessary to idle it and you'll see the greatest increases in fuel mileage available regardless the shape of the hood or whether it has outboard air cleaners and stacks.

 

You don't run regional FOR Landstar!

When you lease to/with Landstar you pick your own loads thus YOU choose where you run.

 

So what year trucks should I be looking at to be CA carb law OK and CA legal and to be able to going coast to coast?

Being used, what mileage is good and when is to high?

Also what price range do you feel is a good deal for what ever year you mention?

 

To get into the ports I thought you needed a DPF, which means '08+. However anything with EGR ('04+) should get you by for awhile at least. Mileage really isn't as much a concern as condition and maintenance. A high mileage unit can be a great value unless it is really close to needing an in-frame and isn't discounted enough to cover that. I wouldn't touch anything that was a big fleet team truck. Get as much info about the truck's history as possible. ECM report, major repair history, dyno, motor and gear oil samples, etc.. Yes this stuff takes time and money but might well save you from big repairs shortly after starting out. Just remember, there's a reason someone sold/traded/defaulted on it. Do your best to find out if the reason was mechanical problems. A $20k truck has seen better days.

My suggestion: Forget california. $20k will buy you a 10yr old aero truck with a 12.7, 13spd and 3.70 rears. It should have ~1.4M on it with new sleeves already broken in. Forget that it even has cruise and learn how to drive with an egg under the throttle. Also forget the speed limit, you now live by the tach, psi and pyro. At 100k mi/yr, every .1mpg you extract is an extra 1cpm you earn.

 

Spec it like Masilla Valley Trucking does. They have 6 x 2 drive config, run supersingles, all the aero dynamic tricks and the fleet average is over 9 mpg governed at 66 mph with average payload weight around 15K.

MVT used trucks go for top dollar becuse the buyer knows what they are getting....a money maker truck!

 

My '96 FLD midroof had an 11.1 Detroit that I uprated to 400 HP... Fuller 9 speed direct with 3.58 Rockwell rears... got 7.4 everyday..day in and out... pulling a 48' flat. I could run up to about 72 mph and maintain my fuel economy...over 72 it would drop to under 7.

My son's '97 Pete 377 with a 12.7 runs right at 7.5 pulling a flat. It's a $6,000.00 truck FWIW.

 

My 2000 W900L running the speed limit wherever I happen to be (yes even 75+) does 6.5 to 7.5 consistantly and has seen 8+ with light loads.
If I was concerned with getting better fuel mileage I could probably do better but I'm more interested in getting the freight to the customer in a timely manner and continuing to be able to charge realistic rates rather than sitting around wringing my hands about a tenth of a mile here and another tenth of a mile there.

 

optimal fuel milage is obtained by sitting at home in front of TV