Pullin with the dreaded PACCAR Mx13

In regards to idling, if you have the manual for your engine it will say to idle at whatever rpm maintains the temp at 160. In cold temps if you bump the rpm up too high all it does is spin the fan faster, making it harder to maintain temp.

I owned 2 mx13’s and neither truck had an APU. Both had Espar heaters that I’d use unless it was in the low single digits or colder. Both trucks I did what the manual says. If I needed a/c in the summer I didn’t bump the idle up. In the winter I did just enough to maintain temp.

The truck I sold in April had the 12 speed and I used cruise control all the time. Coasting didn’t have any ill effects on the engine in the 390k miles I put on it.

 

the transmission part I buy, but the stuff about the turbo and injectors I’d keep asking (other people). Like I said some of those dealership service advisor guys can be clowns that like to think they know what they’re talking about, and if they don’t there ain’t any point in arguing with them. They’ll just say “sorry can’t help you with that, liability reasons won’t allow us!” Like the tire shop next door to me when I asked about singling out the drive positions to save weight and MPG. “Ooh can’t do that because blah blah blah!”

 

BOTH of those things are absolutely true though
just because you don't understand why doesn't make every body else a clown.

 

If your running a Eaton Ultrashift , there are quite a number of different shift programs available in the software for that transmission, as well as options for how fast it responds and also has a provision for how it engages the clutch upon startup, I think it’s called “urge to move”, basically lets the truck move as soon as you take your foot off the brake, where I work we have 6 - 18 speed Ultrashifts, they all came setup so you have to apply throttle to get them to move, the urge to move setting might be better depending on your preferences. I can’t remember what program our service shop changed our trucks to but it made a huge improvement in the drive ability, I do know they switched the shift response to “fast” which helped a lot as well.
We also just took delivery of 2 - 589’s with the PACCAR Endurant transmission, I only bobtailed 1 home from the dealership so no real experience with it but seems to shift very nice, both trucks are pulling super b hoppers on the prairie’s , so far the drivers like them.

 

I should clarify, you need Eaton Service Ranger software to make any of those changes to the Ultrashift, I believe the PACCAR Endurant uses Davie

 

Correct. You can’t take a 455 to 510 without a bunch of parts. It’s really not worth it in my opinion.

 

I had the 12 speed Paccar in my 2022 and loved it. I ran it about 2 weeks and then went back to the dealer. I sat with the tech for a couple hours while he made changes to the shifting, etc based on what I liked and disliked. Urge to move is nice. No throttle input to get rolling unless you’re on a hill. There’s also a creep mode where the truck will move at idle with no throttle, I believe up to 4th or 5th gear. Backing into docks was nice when you could just idle back.

 

Agreed 110% on the backing to a dock, the Ultrashift can be absolutely brutal if it’s not setup right. My regular truck is still a 18 speed standard , still can’t beat it in my opinion.

 

I'll just comment on the tanker part, I run a 2020 Cascacdia DD13 @400Hp, DT12 Automated and smooth bore tanker usually 76-79K gross.

I found empty duals had better traction than SSingles, loaded I found no difference.

I ran Super Singles working for Schneider from 2020-2021 on their company truck. I would never consider it owning my own truck. I blew 2 in my 18 months driving that truck, both while I was empty. Both times sidewall explosion. Both times took the rim with them, even tho I pulled over immediately. One time managed to take out air line to brake chamber, and brake chamber was heavily damaged. Both times over a 5+ hour wait for roadside to get a new rim and tire mounted. Schneider ran Michelin SSingle's, they have since stopped ordering them on tanker's and gone back to duals. Also, running the rim covers on super singles eliminated airflow so much that disc rotors on the SS drives were warping, but that maybe driver error, Schneider doesn't encourage Jake Brake usage because the DT12/DD13 Jake is pretty strong and can be misused by newbies.

Automatics on tankers are fine, you will learn the shift points your truck does and compensate with throttle responses within a week or two of driving. Same as learning how to shift a manual. Make sure any automated transmission has manual mode allowed, DT12's you can program it not to let the driver select manual. Some companies do that. Using the Jakes coming down a hill you may want to lock it in a gear and then adjust lo-hi jakes. Looking at you WV turnpike and Fancy Gap VA.

As far as hypermiling and trying to get the best mileage, just a couple tips. Cause I've been there and do it. Stay out of packs running down the road. stay in the right lane and keep it at 1275-1300 rpm. Let the cruise control drive, the computer can do it better than you can. Take your time entering and exiting the interstate, no need to floor it going uphill on an entrance ramp, wait till the downhill to floor it.

Drive at night as much as possible, less throttle input because less traffic.

On long runs, quit stopping every hour. Put it on 65 mph and drive for 7 hours without stopping. Some studies have shown it costs an extra gallon of diesel to slow down and stop at a weigh station. I'll have guys pass me 3 or 4 times at 72 mph in a 6 hour driving stint. They stop at every Love's they see. Don't stop, everytime you do it cost's you a gallon of deisel to get off and on the interstate.