Your Experience With Cabover Fuel Mileage

SmallPackage · Sep 9, 2022

Long FLD said: ↑

Once the front of a cabover was through the air it was through the air. If the trailer was tucked up close then the air could continue down the side of the cab and trailer with very little disruption, the grab handles were all that stuck out for the most part. It’s not a coincidence that as the fuel economy standards come into play that the narrow cabs and exposed air cleaners are being phased out in favor of cab sections nearly as wide as the sleeper.

I’d be curious what JB and Schneider were doing for fuel economy back in the 80’s with their mostly cabover fleets. Of course with the 55mph speed limit it wouldn’t be a fair comparison to running one 10mph faster today.

The size of drivers these days is what will keep a modern cabover from making a comeback. It’s a work comp issue waiting to happen. The Argosy was ahead of it’s time with the fold out stairs I suppose.
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Also wonder what Wally was getting out of his? They had IH Transtars long before the flat floors came out.

silverspur · Sep 9, 2022

I drove one for JB Hunt Houston terminal during the 37-41 cpm gold rush years of the late 90's. It was very spacious on the inside and easy to maneuver in tight spots.

However, driver will be first one arriving on the scene of any accident.

jldilley · Sep 9, 2022

kranky1 said: ↑

If it’s that one in the picture there you should be able to get pretty much the same mileage as a conventional with the same power. Cab overs don’t really start to pay a big aero price until they’re long enough to let too much air at the front of the trailer. And that’s only really bad with vans. Low deck loads mine were good with. Lumber squared off 3 high on the front trailer was noticeable, but no worse than it would be for a conventional with a flattop.
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Yep. It’s the one in my profile picture.

jldilley · Sep 9, 2022

Brettj3876 said: ↑

Not me but my dad got right around 6.2 lifetime avg with a 9700 back when the speed limit was 55 and always coming back empty. Not a flat piece of ground around here. Big cam 4
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Isn’t the N14 essentially just a Big Cam with electronic fuel injection?

jldilley · Sep 9, 2022

kranky1 said: ↑

On trains guys I know we’re doing 5.5-5.7 loaded with N14’s, about the same as my Cats. The Cats were a little better empty for some reason. Those were 525’s though. Still a few guys around here running them now on trains and 5axle wagons. You couldn’t give those guys an ISX for free.
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My buddy Dale and his wife run as an AA and E team here at Landstar. He has an ISX in his Volvo and swears by it. He was happy to see the N14 in the Kenworth.

Brettj3876 · Sep 9, 2022

OLDSKOOLERnWV said: ↑

The trailer you pull will have a bearing on fuel mileage as well as your right hoof.

For the most part, with that wheelbase you should do decent even with a box behind you, as long as you don’t try to run wide open 100% of the time. I’d cruise along about 1550-1700 rpm and see how it performs. You should be around 5.25 to close to 6 mpg I’d think.

I’ve gotten 5.25 with my hot Big Cam running a lot of 65mph in Indiana @ 81,000 gross. But I’ve also got a lot of 4.75 running 70mph in the Hillbilly state and surrounding areas @ 70,000 gross. Course that’s in my W9, but point is, you’ll get different readings according to your terrain as well as how you operate the hammer in the floor. Sometimes you only need your big toe, not your whole foot.

Back when I drove the 1988 K100, I could get 5.0 - 5.25 with a 365 Cummins / 9 spd / 3.55 cogs on 24.5 tall rubber….. and out pull a 3406B @ 400hp in a 379 doing it. That pissed Underdog off so bad he couldn’t stand it when I slowly walked around him loaded on I-79!!

It’s not just the truck that makes a difference, it’s the driver as well, never forget that….!!
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That was the same specs my dad had. 9sp 3.55 direct with a 315 and a different button. Whatever the guy put in it before he got it. Used to walk away from his friend with a 400 cat. "That ain't no 315" "Look that's what it says on the valve cover" Lol.

11r.22.5 not tall rubber

jldilley · Sep 9, 2022

OLDSKOOLERnWV said: ↑

The trailer you pull will have a bearing on fuel mileage as well as your right hoof.

For the most part, with that wheelbase you should do decent even with a box behind you, as long as you don’t try to run wide open 100% of the time. I’d cruise along about 1550-1700 rpm and see how it performs. You should be around 5.25 to close to 6 mpg I’d think.

I’ve gotten 5.25 with my hot Big Cam running a lot of 65mph in Indiana @ 81,000 gross. But I’ve also got a lot of 4.75 running 70mph in the Hillbilly state and surrounding areas @ 70,000 gross. Course that’s in my W9, but point is, you’ll get different readings according to your terrain as well as how you operate the hammer in the floor. Sometimes you only need your big toe, not your whole foot.

Back when I drove the 1988 K100, I could get 5.0 - 5.25 with a 365 Cummins / 9 spd / 3.55 cogs on 24.5 tall rubber….. and out pull a 3406B @ 400hp in a 379 doing it. That pissed Underdog off so bad he couldn’t stand it when I slowly walked around him loaded on I-79!!

It’s not just the truck that makes a difference, it’s the driver as well, never forget that….!!
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I like to cruise right in the torque range of my engine. In my Freightliner that’s right around 1200 rpm, but I’ll do 1300 rpm which puts me at 62 mph.

OLDSKOOLERnWV · Sep 9, 2022

SmallPackage said: ↑

Schneider Barrels. I think thats were the nick name for the orange construction barrels come from. When you saw a pumpkin trailer ahead in the distance you knew you had to treat it like a construction zone and merge into another lane to get around them.
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We called them Schneider eggs back in the 80’s…

kemosabi49 · Sep 9, 2022

My first truck was a 1994 Cornbinder, 9670, Highrise cabover. 60 series Detroit with a 9 speed. Former Burlington Carriers fleet truck. I ran it for 360,000 miles and it did 6.3 mpg over those miles. That was on par with most conventional of the time. As said above, the driver's right foot played a big part then, as it does today.

mustang190 · Sep 9, 2022

Drove a 1990 Pete 362 with a 425hp CAT.
Pulling a 48’refer. I could get 6mpg on certain roads like across Texas or here in Florida. Dropped down once in hills.
As others said it depends on the length between the cab and trailer. And of course the gross weight.

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