156,000 miles per year (MPG)

[rrockfordd]

so i landed this new gig in which i will have to drive 155,000 miles per year on a straight truck (all highway)! This equates to about $50,000 a year in diesel ! I want to thank you guys for sharing your knowledge on how to save diesel and giving me better idea of what type of truck to buy, but i am convinced i will forever be a horrible decision maker still. i want to list my needs, ideas and questions to see what you guys think.

I NEED:

*class 6 truck (non cdl straight truck)

*26 ft body

*ability to carry only about 3,000 - 4,000 pounds (max, but
usually much less like 1,000 lbs)

*Ability to climb Vermont's greatest mountains

I am thinking:

*kenworth with a cummins engine for reliability (but with driving 155,000 miles per year is an international more cost effective?)


For fuel/money savings:

*Airtabs (link)

*x-one super single tires (link)for rolling resistance (do these stink in the snow? i hear they are not wise for a single rear axle truck)

*NoseCone (link) (if the trucks cargo box is taller that 11'6" - 12 feet high)

*Eco-Flaps (link)

*synthetic motor oil

*Oil Purification Systems (link)(to prolong the oil changing intervals)

*gearing (maybe a 4.11 or a 3.70 rear end?) (10 speed automatic or a 6 speed manual?) Whats the difference between over drive and direct drive?

I think gearing is probably the most important step to take when trying to save fuel. This, i think, is where i need to base my truck purchase on, and also where i am clueless. What is the most efficient engine/transmission/rear end/tire combo when only hauling 3,000 - 4,000 lbs (max, but usually 1,000lbs or less) when climbing vermont's mountains (all highway)? If i do carry more than 1,000 lbs i will probably not be driving into Vermont or any mountains.



what do you guys think?


(i will be happy to report my mpg saving with the changes i make in hopes to support the community)

 

[Dakota]

Just remember the majority of class 6 trucks are 400K trucks. Kenworth and Peterbilt might be the exception. I believe they are built better to start with, of course they are more expensive. At 155K a year that gives you a life of around 2 1/2 years before an inframe rebuild tranny rebuild etc etc. with mostly highway, I'd think you could get more life out of the truck. Problem with most class 6 is the way they a geared, not great for longevity or highway driving.

Before anyone posts that these trucks last longer then 400K this may be the case but it is the industry average for class 6 trucks
one might get 300K and one might get a million out of one

Congrats on the new gig!!!

 

[rrockfordd]

thanks. along with all highway driving i will be carrying very light loads which i think would make the drive train last longer. I just wish i could blow up those pesky mountains (i can live without snowboarding)! Those snowy declines can be scary at times. I saw eight cars in the ditches in a single day last week. its usually about 2-4 cars.


How much would an inframe rebuild cost?

thanks

 

[greg334]

I may be wrong about this but even if you have a under 26k trucks, you will be doing that logging thing and if you are logging as a solo, 155k a year may not be a doable thing.

Let's see ...

11 hours a day drive time - at 45 mph that's 500 miles.

500 miles in a day is about average for one to do when it is repetitive.

At 11 hours a day, you have only 70 hours you can work and drive in a week (sort of) so let's assume that you are actually doing the on duty/driving time bumping into the 14 hours a day limit which means that you can only work 5 days before you hit the 34 hour reset - right? 70/14 hours comes out to 5 days.

So 5 times 500 = 2500

2500 * 52 (go for the gusto - work all year) = 130,000 miles at 45 mph average.

If you think you will do 65 miles an hour with your average, you may be surprised that it turns out your yearly average will be close to 45, maybe even less mph.

Now if this is really the case and the info I laid out is sort of near accurate, then I wouldn't even bother with looking for a class 6 but just get anything under that magic 2290 weight.

 

[Dakota]

thanks. along with all highway driving i will be carrying very light loads which i think would make the drive train last longer. I just wish i could blow up those pesky mountains (i can live without snowboarding)! Those snowy declines can be scary at times. I saw eight cars in the ditches in a single day last week. its usually about 2-4 cars.


How much would an inframe rebuild cost?

thanks

That would be something to ask the various dealerships you visit
Also something to consider, does this truck need to be forklift accessible? If not then you might be able to go for a shorter height box which would definately help with fuel mileage. My truck has a 26' by 8' tall box and I can really feel the wind drag. You can choose from 6 foot tall to 103 inches tall. I have a Hino with auto and it turns at 2300 at 65, if you get a truck with a more powerful motor you could change the gearing to less then 2300 at highway speeds. Not sure if it would be possible to change gearing with my 220 hp truck since it barely pulls a 6% grade empty.

 

[rrockfordd]

i am a little confused greg. i arrive at 12 pm and i leave at about 12:05pm. I get back at 9:30-10:00pm (after fueling). That would be 10 hours a day. 60 hours a week. should i have a driver work one day per week? i gotta look into the laws. i never drove over 150 air miles and work these many hours before.

 

[rrockfordd]

yes, i can have a very short box, but, if i do, i am thinking about getting barn doors so i will have maximum box height clearance for future work. If i did get a tall box, like you have, then i would get a NoseCone to help out. I am also thinking about not getting a lift gate because i think that creates a lot of drag. especially those extended tuck-away lift gates. I had one rental truck with the shorter lift gate and the one now with the extended lift gate. The extended takes up so much more space and creates more drag. At least i think, because i am getting worse mpg with the extended. both trucks are the same make and year with a 50,000 mile difference on the odometer (150,000 and 200,000).

My international rental truck also gets 2200-2300 rpm at 65 mph. ( i have the 102" or 103" box height and 102" width and 26 ft length).

 

[Dakota]

i am a little confused greg. i arrive at 12 pm and i leave at about 12:05pm. I get back at 9:30-10:00pm (after fueling). That would be 10 hours a day. 60 hours a week. should i have a driver work one day per week? i gotta look into the laws. i never drove over 150 air miles and work these many hours before.

Logging rules are 11 hours drive time, 14 hours total per day. The three hours could be fueling, rest stops, food, loading, unloading
not to exceed 70 per week
problem would be weather and not allowing you to drive 65 so you might run into your 11 hours before you get there.
How many miles are you going to be driving per day and is it roundtrip?

 

[Dakota]

yes, i can have a very short box, but, if i do, i am thinking about getting barn doors so i will have maximum box height clearance for future work. If i did get a tall box, like you have, then i would get a NoseCone to help out. I am also thinking about not getting a lift gate because i think that creates a lot of drag. especially those extended tuck-away lift gates. I had one rental truck with the shorter lift gate and the one now with the extended lift gate. The extended takes up so much more space and creates more drag. At least i think, because i am getting worse mpg with the extended. both trucks are the same make and year with a 50,000 mile difference on the odometer (150,000 and 200,000).

My international rental truck also gets 2200-2300 rpm at 65 mph. ( i have the 102" or 103" box height and 102" width and 26 ft length).

My Hino is basically a Penske rental spec'd truck with a oversized liftgate and ramp. I've heard people say they get better mileage with the bigger engines, the rental truck have around 220to250HP and basically have city truck gearing.
Thing to look for and don't know if possible in class 6, would be more gears and different gearing in rear axle. Also see if you can get an upgrade in the engine and not the standard(small) rental truck engine
I am sure if you go around to all the dealerships you can get this info. I know most here drive class 7 or 8 trucks and the 8 trucks seem to get better mileage. Mine averages around 8 or 9 depending on how much highway I drive and wind, best I've gotten was 10.2, all highway, no wind, unloaded. Last international I drove DT466 got 6.6MPG city/highway mix, but it had over 250K on it

 

[greg334]

If you are driving at or near 10 hours a day, then you are cutting it really really close and I would consider 8 hours a day the norm.

The clock ticks even if you are sitting at a light, pulling out of the yard or what ever. If you are on quarter hours for logging, then you have to make sure that you manage things carefully so not to run out of hours.

5 minutes to load?
Your pre/post trips are 30 minutes alone, paper work is on-duty time and then as mentioned - the weather.

I would think it may take just a little longer to load and unload unless you are doing a drop and hook but even then it is 15 at each end. If you are going to do more than one stop, don't forget you may cut into your on duty time which may not be limited to 3 hours with all of your stops - meaning it can cut into your drive time.

It seems too much to ask for at 156k a year, I can't see it happening legally.

 

[LDB]

You only need 15 minutes per day logged for inspection to be legal unless something has changed. Still, 156k is 3k per week every week with zero time off. A solo can possibly do it as long as they have optimal conditions. If Murphy gets into the picture much at all it could be a real problem. Does that 3k weekly include the deadhead miles or is this supposed to be 156k loaded miles? I'd look at a class 7 truck to have heavier duty components. I think you'll get greater longevity with a heavier duty truck that's just loafing along under your light loads than a light medium duty truck that's working harder to do the job.

 

[x06col]

156K miles a year, driving in (what appears) New England?? Me tink yer dreaming. Or, someone has sold you a bill of goods about revenue.

Regardless, the least cost engine to rebuild would be the IH 466. A 250 HP engine should be plenty for that kind of weight. You may want to consider a class 8 with a big block and cut it back.

 

[dogshed]

If you want to go crazy with the low box look at Dallas-Smith.

Dallas Smith Corp - Low Floor Vans

 

[rrockfordd]

this run is for six days a week and it is in new england. it's 250 miles to vermont and 250 miles back. at noon they have 2 or 3 pallets (with paperwork) ready for me to grab and run. it really does take 5 minutes to load with the drop off taking about 10-20 minutes. I park my truck at that pick up location and i plug it in at night to keep it warm. i dont hit any traffic on my way to vermont or back from vermont (unless there is an accident or road debris). the pick up location and and the drop off location is literally 2 minutes off the highway. I even fuel up down the street from the pick up location which is great because its one of the cheapest locations i have seen (and they have the high pressure pumps too which is awesome). i have had a few days where the weather has sucked and it takes me about an hour or so longer (so far anyway), but even if there is adverse weather, don't i legally have an additional two hours to complete the run? This run is, like someone said, cutting it too close.

 

[rrockfordd]

wow a low rider box truck? that's not usable in new england. i need dock height anyway.


Getting a class 7 or 8 means i would have to get a cdl. As you guys know i dont have time for that lol

 

[dogshed]

This looks cool, but I don't know if they have a product for straight trucks.
Freight Wing Incorporated - AeroFlex Fairing product info page

 

[dogshed]

wow a low rider box truck? that's not usable in new england. i need dock height anyway.

I'm sure that one has the air bags dropped down for loading.
I doubt it will go up to dock height, but I bet they could make
one for you. The fuel savings probably wouldn't be enough to pay for the lifts though.

 

[jaminjim]

I'm sure it was mentioned and I just did not see it. Do you need a dock high truck? Why do you need a 26' cargo box?

If you need a dock high, then I personally like the Kenworth with a Cummins engine. The Cummins can have an in frame rebuild because of the wet sleeve type of bore. This would depend on whether or not there is a KW dealer close by.

 

[greg334]

Sorry but there are a lot of red flags here that a few of us see.

Take our advice, some of us have done this work before and know.

156k as a solo is not doable while 120k with a team is.

Get the biggest truck you can get, a class 8 will work out a lot better than a 6 or 7. A class 6 is not made for this work and as the miles add up, so does the chance of major problems. Not only that but you will beat yourself up which contributes to fatigue which is on the radar for every state and the feds right now as a preventable cause of accidents.

Buying a truck is easy but buying one that you can depend on takes time - it is a tool, not a status symbol. There is a pre-purchase process that everyone should follow and if you don't, then the chances that you may have bought a problem truck increase dramatically - a lot of abused trucks on the market, especially class 6 and 7s. Some of us who have done this for a while know what to look for, in-frames and brands are not one of them.

If you are in a hurry and don't want to get a CDL, then it is another issue altogether.

Logging is VERY IMPORTANT. One thing I stress to everyone who asks is to cover your a**. If you don't know that you can take the 16 exception once a cycle or that pre-trips have to be logged as does fuel stops, then you need to learn before planning anything. If you have an accident and someone gets hurt (even if they don't) they will pull your logs, demand your receipts and investigate. If they see no pre-trips or no fuel stops on that log, you are screwed. If they put the numbers together and then look at traffic flow to see if they are doable hours or not, then you could be screwed. If they see back to back work with no breaks (fatigue issues are now investigated), you are screwed. The courts and lawyers don't care, they will nail you to the wall and take everything you have. It is a great way to end a driving career.

 

[jaminjim]

Not going to highjack the thread, but I was simply agreeing with the original posters thoughts, Kenworth with a Cummins engine. It sounded to me as though the original poster was going to be buying new as opposed to used. I could be wrong.

But Greg you are correct, there is no need to consider Quality or a higher level of service at the dealer when you choose your work tool. Nor have the ability to do a complete overhaul for less money. Heck just buy it drive it throw it away.