No wise guy, they call me knucklehead. My post goes to saying about speed and aero dynamics or could you not figger that out.

 

this was what i was referring to, not the aerodynamics... I do agree with you that aero trucks get better mileage than non-aero ones...

 

Yeah, we are leased on to a 100% owner operator company, who provide good miles, and 100% of the fuel surcharge. No I'm not going to US Express program, trucks too expensive, and they only pay 29% of the fuel surcharge. My current truck is being pulled out of the fleet, and I will be getting an 05 KW T 600, Cat powered, with a 13 speed. Once our trucks make it to the million mile mark, he pulls them, and auctions them off.
The driver that had this KW kept it really nice, and the only reason he is coming out of it is because he's getting a brand new truck. I think the Cat is a 475, and he did say he was able to get fairly decent fuel mileage out of it, and it didn't give him hardly any trouble, so as soon as his truck comes in, which will be Monday, I'll be moving into my KW. If it turns out to be a great truck, I'll L/P it for a year, and then it's mine free and clear.

Be back soon, going from Amarillo TX to Philly PA.

 

1999,475hp,cat,no apu,spread axle,379
2009,550hp,cummins,apu,closed tandem,aerodynamic
both have same trans and rearends
Both run mainly in 75mph states,at best 8-10 hours of idle time. When their truck was down for repairs they rented one of mine for a round and the fuel was comparable to the other team so i don't think it's the difference in drivers. A couple of other non aero,newer trucks doing the same routes fall in-between for mileage. I think aerodynamics play a large roll in van/reefer operations. Flatbeds a lot is lost in the trailer configuration.

 

With high speed, you'll get a high difference between "aero" and "classic". If you run "double nickel", it will be hardly noticeable. At 50mph, rolling resistance, takes more power, than air resistance. I'm averaging low 7Th with my Cat powered 2005 T6, pulling dry box mostly between OH and NE region, a lot of hills, lights and congestion's, but mostly with the light loads. I run between 60-65mph, when it rolls, I'll let it roll, on a rare occasions, I'll speed up(to pass, to get out of the crowd...) Could i run 80? I sure could, truck is not governed, but it's gonna cost me about 1 mph, with classic design, probably 1.5-2mph. At 120 000 miles it's around 15 grand difference, at current fuel prices. I have a much better use for that money, but that's a personal choice.

 

Driving habits have a lot to do with fuel mileage. You can have two identical trucks with the same load and they will most likely get different fuel mileage. The only difference is in the drivers. I am like you, I can find a much better use for $15,000 than putting it in the fuel tank. :thumbsup:

 

Gman, I'll tell you the truth, that after 10yrs hauling produce ca. to hunts, and 5 ca. to albuquerque I still have a clean mvr and license---no tickets. I got more log book tickets and 8 hr shutdowns than anything else. The 3 or 4 speeding tickets I received I paid immediately like all tickets and they have never showed up on my license. I remember a driver laughed at me for having 2 cb's and 3 birdogs I passed him 5 mi. later and smoky had him on the side as I rode "bye bye". You cannot go peddeling around ca. at highspeed in the blind. You have to have some sense, I'm not a total idiot, a little but not total. There are and have always been produce haulers like me, and we do not go truckstop to truckstop. More like, we drive like we always have from back in the days till now; 1000 miles a day. As long as they don't check my log book at the gallup port and I mean, run my miles, I consider myself home free. Before they started running miles it was a joke, just start a new log everyday, but for the last 3 yrs they have me sweating sometimes, I'm glad I only run to n.m. these days. The 3 days to hunts. pt. solo are over. An advertiser on this site had 150 o/o's running produce ca. to ny, beantown, hartsford 2 days for a team and 3 days for a solo driver and if you could not do that you did not haul for them. I ran for them for ten years. O/o's built them and now they do not need o/o's.

 

Jiptwoo, I would say that you have been extremely lucky. States are really cracking down, especially on logs. I am a little surprised that your former carrier isn't pushing for more owner operators. Some of the largest carriers are pushing for more owner operators and reducing their company drivers. Carriers are increasingly being held responsible for the actions of their drivers. That is forcing some of them to change their ways.