The 379 exhd and the W-9 may be the only two that eventually survive, certainly the 379 exhd. I don’t believe resale values will hold to offset the loss in mpg differences.

Rev, just 1mpg is a lot per year and bigger over a 4-year trade cycle. It’s especially important if you can no longer get more money than a 387 etc. We saw that in Q4/07 and early 08 already, especially when fuel spiked. It’s currently softened a bit with fuel down. If fleets aren’t buying them, it’s going to depend on how many o/o’s survive to keep hood prices up. I know many o/o’s who won’t buy hoods anymore either. Just ask Musicman when he’s on the blog.

Yes, the last 9 years of fuel increases didn't have the biggest driving force either. It came about more in the last 4 years. Since the EPA got involved and more recently when fuel went up, combined with the lower mpg’s of EPA-motors (but I've said that already!). Time will tell...

Alan, you said it well as far as overall truck sales being down and hood-sales being down even more. As for CAT and the banner at the trade show, go figure?…Sounds like the marketing dept wasn’t let in on the plans the board-of-directors had. Probably on purpose!

 

I think I've read this somewhere before.

 

No that's not necessarily true as we established in anoter thread recently..

Say a flatbed guy is looking to buy a used truck. What does he do? Buy a high rise volvo because he read on CAD that aero trucks save $15,000 a year? In fact, a high rise aero truck might well get poorer fuel mileage than a flat top long hood for his application.

 

You're just jealous I'm pulling a step with a high rise Volvo :P

LOL

 

Don't think it was me was it?

 

We've acknowledged here that specialty trucks may have a different niche. That's not a representative impact by any volume to more than 3 million trucks on the road. We're referring to the mainstream in the overview here. Some flat bedders have told me they don't always get better mpg than a box with all the changes in air currents moving around the various load configurations.

Plus I'm not sure you're correct anyway about hoods helping flats mpg? Companies like Arrow and Anderson Truck Service are running areo more & more. Take a look at the trucks they show on their website...Almost all, even HH are pictured with areo trucks. I'd question if even they are ordering hoods anymore? Like it or not it's where the transitional market's, we are in the midst of, have been going lately...

Click here > Anderson Trucking: Specialized Trucking

 

A flatbed is a "specialty truck"?

 

Maybe not in the classic niche market sense of the word? How about special application maybe? Smaller numbers than box or reefer. Point being, they may meet different criteria than in the overview main areas we are talking about here. I still think they may benefit from areo though. Not sure.

Alan5oh could tell us what he's experienced with his Volvo pulling Flat's (and a step no-less!)? I'll bet he use to run a hood/flats.

 

NO. lol. I have mentioned this a few times in the past.

 

I'll take it! How much?