Class 8 owners how's your mileage?

ATeam · Oct 27, 2007

>LDB whats a POD and yes i have got a load within those 2 hrs
>before and even if i haven't i'm still on the borad before
>some people so how is that fooling myself??? or how about
>this you run your truck the way u like and i'll run my truck
>the way i like and at the end of year lets just compare
>books and see who made more money sound like something your
>game for

If such a contest occurs and reliable information from both sides can be supplied, I'll bet $1,000 on Leo.

LDB · Oct 27, 2007

POD = proof of delivery. When we send that over the QC they release us back to the waiting pool. Sometimes the next load is already booked before POD. Sometimes the next load is offered right away after POD. Usually an hour one way or the other makes no difference other than in fuel costs.

As an example, let's make up a 420 mile run that one guy runs at 70mph / 8mpg and another guy runs at 60mph / 10mpg. Driver 1 finishes in 6 hours burning 52.5 gallons at $3.199 for $167.95 fuel cost and driver 2 finishes in 7 hours burning 40 gallons at $3.199 for $127.96 saving $39.99 in his pocket or almost a dime a mile. If he runs 90k paid miles in a year saving a dime per that's $9k more net income or $750 per month.

Maybe you run for a carrier where there are lots of guys on the board wherever you are all the time so it's really important to beat them. Maybe you get more than the usual number of follow up runs in an hour or less. For most operators that isn't going to be the case. They won't be several positions lower on the board and they won't miss an immediate follow up load. They'll just wait with extra money in their pocket.

Comparing numbers really wouldn't be of any value as circumstances would never be the same so the comparison would be completely apples to oranges. I'm merely pointing out that for the majority of operators it makes more sense to drive to save fuel and money.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB
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jaminjim · Oct 27, 2007

I got 9.6 miles per gallon for the life of the truck that I just sold. I only shut the truck off for fuel, and to check the oil.(some times would shut down for the night if it was a cool night and I was not in a truck stop. but less than twenty times in four years.)

We run the speed limit or within 2-3 miles an hour. Will you get better mileage if you run closer to 55 mph? Yes, but it also has to do with how you get to that cruising speed, how your truck is speced, and a host of other items. To say you lose 20 to 25 percent is not very likely. I think you could get to within 10%.

For you pundits that demand that the bottom line is the only thing that matters, why not save money and buy a standard transmission. You would save money on fuel and the purchase price.

piper1 · Oct 28, 2007

From Cummins whitepaper on MPG,

ô€‚ƒ Above 55 mph, each 1 mph increase in vehicle speed decreases fuel economy by 0.1 MPG.

Yes you can spec things differently, accelerate slower etc...

What you can't change is your truck has to push air out of the way, and the faster you go the harder it gets and it does not increase evenly with speed. It takes more HP to overcome the air if you drive 75 rather than 70 than it does if you drive 65 rather than 60.

You can also get into a discussion about tire life etc but the aerodynamic forces play the biggest part in this equation.

I've spent years specing trucks and managing fleets and I could never spec my way around it and always delivered results by slowing the fleet down. The efficiencies of going fast never paid for the extra fuel and maintenance.

D Team Brothers · Oct 28, 2007

Own two 03 Freightliners with Cummins ISX 450, auto-shifts. They get a steady 10.5 MPG. Just bought a 08 Western Star with a MBE 4000-450, Ultra-shift and am only getting 7.6 mpg during the first 3,000 miles. I expect this to increase after break-in, or I've made a big mistake with this engine.

Broompilot · Oct 28, 2007

I am with davec on 11, 14 WOW. Bobtail I get almost 12, pulling an empty 53 10.5, 12K loaded nice sunny day a few hills plus Black MTN to climb she delivered 8.47 @58mph the whole trip 720 miles.

Now the opposite 40K 70mph max wind ghust for 1/3 of a 670 trip 6.9 average speed 59.

NO IDELING this truck has never since I have owned it ever idled for more than 20 minutes to make myself dinner. Install a bunk heater, buy fans with a Invertor do anything to not spend that $ for fuel at $3.08. Now if its 85+ on a sunny day and high humidity I am not gona stay wet, but otherwise I sleep at night now and drive during the day cool AC day time, fans at night, winter time I use my bunk heater at a 1/3 of a gallon a night and throw on the Engine Block Heater an hour or two before PTI.

Overall Average 7.6 for 3,600 gallons used so far. Volvo 770 Cummins ISX 10 speed.

ConfusedMuse · Oct 29, 2007

Well our truck is designed and powered to do 135 mph, so the dyno and computer says... at that we get 12mpg, so at 65 mph which is half it's rated speed we get 24mpg. So when you see a red freightliner Tri-State stickers on the side,and Panther plates, (we're wanted in 5 States) flying by with a red flashing light in hot pursuit, you know it's us.

jaminjim · Oct 30, 2007

Leo Said:

As an example, let's make up a 420 mile run that one guy runs at 70mph / 8mpg and another guy runs at 60mph / 10mpg. Driver 1 finishes in 6 hours burning 52.5 gallons at $3.199 for $167.95 fuel cost and driver 2 finishes in 7 hours burning 40 gallons at $3.199 for $127.96 saving $39.99 in his pocket or almost a dime a mile. If he runs 90k paid miles in a year saving a dime per that's $9k more net income or $750 per month.

What voodoo numbers are you using for your baseline??

jaminjim · Oct 30, 2007

First you people say based on studies you will use 1/10 of a gallon for every mile per hour increase. I don't doubt that it is more fuel used, I just question the amount. Keep in mind that those numbers are given for class eight trucks with a trailer with an engine that is thirty percent larger, and hauling more than 2.5 times as much weight.

Same thing holds true when you say that a 7 or 8 liter engine will burn the same fuel at idle as a 12 to 14 liter engine. don't get me wrong I will agree that you should not idle and that there will be a higher percentage of profit for that one run if you run closer to 55 or 60 mph. Just not as much as some of you are stating.

Tennesseahawk · Oct 30, 2007

Leo... how about a 720 mile run? You're pretty much forced to go the speed limit. How would you handle that?

What does 70 accomplish that 60 doesn't? Maybe not getting a run 2 hours after you drop. But for me, it could mean getting there a couple hours ahead of three other trucks; which, in turn, is the difference in getting out tomorrow and three days from now.

'01 Century, 370 hp Cat w/duals. FL to TX avg was 8.6 mpg at near 68-72 avg speed (no cruise).

I'm not saying that watching your speed in order to get the best fuel milage is bad. Just not what is useful to me in most cases. I won't be the one who pinches pennies while losing dollars.

-True independence can only be gained if you're trully independant.

LDB · Oct 30, 2007

I would never have a 720 mile straight through run. That's a little better than 65mph average speed for the entire 11 hours to legally log. Maybe for 1 in 1000 their tanks are big enough and their bladder is big enough and the p/u and delivery are each no more than a mile or two off the interstate and there's no construction anywhere along the route and there's no rush hour traffic anywhere along the route and they could legally make that run. Most could not. It can be made to look legal on paper and for some that's all that matters. My safety department would be annoying me to death before it was over. I'm sure there would be some times when the extra hour I use puts me one spot further down the board. Many times it would make no difference. The money saved during the many plus the money saved during the some offsets any loss because of the lost position during the some. The savings in vehicle expenses adds more to the offset. Being less fatigued by not pushing so hard can't be financially weighed but that's another benefit. It's not a pennies vs dollars situation. Any difference is much smaller than that.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB
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Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
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ATeam · Oct 30, 2007

> First you people say based on studies you will use 1/10 of
>a gallon for every mile per hour increase. I don't doubt
>that it is more fuel used, I just question the amount. Keep
>in mind that those numbers are given for class eight trucks
>with a trailer with an engine that is thirty percent larger,
>and hauling more than 2.5 times as much weight.

With our Class 8 straight truck, and 12 liter engine, hauling C loads (less than 5,000 lbs), the 1/10 gallon per 1 mph. speed difference holds true almost exactly. When we drive 55 mph., we get 10.0 mpg. When we drive 65 mph, we get 9.0 mpg. The difference is wind resistance that increases with speed. The mpg is actually a little higher at both speeds but I am rounding down to the nearest mpg so as not to overstate.

Tennesseahawk · Oct 30, 2007

You're forgetting the run doesn't have to be done in 11 hours. Potty breaks and fuel stops can all go into that 3 hours you have besides the 11. 720 miles at 50mph avg is 14.5 hours. Therefore, you have 14 hours to get it there. Done it plenty of times. Tho I understand what you're saying about Panther bugging you. That's why the cats aren't on my box. Something about giving up a little liberty for a little security... or something like that.

Not here to beat up on the cats. 600 mile run to NY (upstate). Delivered 10-15 minutes before another driver in NYC. I got the call that night for a morning pickup 220 miles away on LI going to FL, even tho the other driver was much closer. I had first shot because I was first out. To me, that's reason to worry about milage as an afterthought. It also started the best week I had as an o/o, whereas it might have been a so so week if I had been #2 in the northeast.

I see no reason to push 80 anywhere. Even then, I might only go 70-72 in a 75. But this is a dog eat dog business in a dog eat dog world, and I'm not wearing milk bone underwear. You have to be aggressive, IMO, in order to be top dog... or just survive. And you need every scrap you can get. I just prefer to help myself.

-True independence can only be gained if you're trully independant.

LDB · Oct 30, 2007

>You're forgetting the run doesn't have to be done in 11
>hours. Potty breaks and fuel stops can all go into that 3
>hours you have besides the 11. 720 miles at 50mph avg is
>14.5 hours. Therefore, you have 14 hours to get it there.

You have 14 hours before being illegal on the 14 hour clock but still only 11 hours to drive which is over 65 mpg average driving speed. It isn't the 14 hour that makes it marginal, it's the 11.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB
OOIDA Life Member 677319, JOIN NOW
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
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Tennesseahawk · Oct 30, 2007

>You have 14 hours before being illegal on the 14 hour clock
>but still only 11 hours to drive which is over 65 mpg
>average driving speed. It isn't the 14 hour that makes it
>marginal, it's the 11.

That's true. And it can't happen with every run legally. But most states are 65 mph, and quite a few are 70. If a state is 65, it's a 64 avg in my books, simply because I drive 67 or 68 most of the time. If you want to be a stickler for each and every mph, then do that. I won't argue with you. I'm just saying it can be done LEGALLY and without fudging your logs... depending which states you run thru. Gotta take every inch the government gives you, if you're trying to make a living out here.

-True independence can only be gained if you're trully independant.

x06col · Oct 31, 2007

It is amazing how closely Leo types to a Hawk I once knew. Having the monkey on your back seems to make a difference.

Thornapple · Oct 31, 2007

On the subject of cost per mile...

Last year (I think) Overdrive had an article about cost's, and they divided them up into 4 or 5 catagories.

Fuel = 39%
Profit = 36%
Truck payment = 14%
and the remaining 11% was for Lic, Ins, Maint. etc.

In the catagory of fuel, How many of you (especially the $/mi. guys) are close to that 39% with all miles at today's fuel prices?

I just ran the numbers and looked at about 54% of gross was fuel. Can't live too long on them potatoes.