There is money to be made with 9+ mpg trucks

No matter how they are doing, if they are making a profit, and their bills are paid, and their drivers as well, no matter what they charge, isn't being cutthroat. It has been that way in business since the dawn of time. If someone can provide the service or product that someone wants, and can do it cheaper, then those that are not willing to make changes in their own efficiency, cry foul and have a fit. Someone could be realistically called "cutthroat" if they are side skirting regulations, cheating their own employees, and endangering the general public. Just because they know how to do things better and cheaper, and is willing to pass those savings on to their customers, does not make them cutthroat.

Heck, business', even trucking ones, can't win. If they keep a monumental profit, they are labeled greedy and need to be taxed to death. If they can do it better and cheaper than anyone else, and pass the savings on to their customers, they are labeled cutthroat.

 

Not saying MVT does this, for all we know everything they haul could pay $3 a mile or better right? Just saying they have the ability, in more ways than one really since they have lease purchase operators, to really cut rates if they want to. Their LP drivers actually allow them to secure freight that they wouldn't even put on their own trucks if they wanted to. They should be able to keep a fleet of LP drivers really busy 3,000+ miles a week if they want to secure $1.55 freight all day long in order to cover $1.45 the LP driver gets.. you think artificially being able to offer better pricing based on that is good? They would never put that freight consistently on a company owned truck...

 

That's a cool story but if someone is offering the same service for a drastically cheaper price there's usually a hidden reason. If a company lowers their prices or rates BECAUSE they have the ability to work cheaper are stupid. My trucks are all paid for but my rates are as high if not higher than they were when I had payments on them. I could lower my rates and I would most certainly be busier than I am now but who wants to work MORE for the same profit? You'd be an absolute idiot to cut your rate simply because your fuel mileage increased.

 

Not for everyone. Because I don't get full boost in tenth, if I slow down a bit, and I drop to 9th and let it spool all the way up, I will pull the hill significantly faster than if I just "let it roll".

 

Look at it like this

1 truck outfit that makes $0.10 / MILE profit after ALL costs and does 120,000 miles a year $12,000.00

850 truck outfit that makes $0.03 / MILE profit after ALL costs and each truck does 120,000 miles $3,060,000.00.

 

Broke into the 7 mpg marks today on a truck i was told was 5.8 histoical and never got over 6.3

6.4 seems to be my norm now

 

Niiiiice.

 

I have noticed the same thing with this DD15 set at 450 HP with a 10spd OD.

In 9th, I pull hills 55-60....
in 10th, 50-55.

 

Mn, rear axle ratio?

 

couldn't tell you without crawling under the truck.

Tires are 275/80 R 22.5

Cruises at 66 mph and 1425 rpm.