The settlement sheet is the same color and that is what counts in my book.
Caffee's Cascadia
- Thread starter TeamCaffee
- Start date
Bullitt5199
Active Expediter
That is a great looking unit.By reading through the posts, it appears that you are all about fuel mileage.Was wondering why you didn't go with a direct drive transmission and corresponding rear ratio?
Jack_Berry
Moderator Emeritus
i thought this was a WG truck. no?
We spent HOURS and I do mean hours over the time span of two years working on this issue and "Spec Pro" to get the desired transmission and rear ends... It became an exercise in futility... We worked with engineers from Detroit Diesel as well as Freightliner and Eaton to get everything as close to our original specs as we could and found this truck which was all ready on order. We did learn a lot over this experience and somethings sound easier than they are in reality.
We went with as close as we could get to what was our original specs and the truck is preforming the way we thought she would. We are constantly in the upper tens with a few high elevens on the MPG. We have a little over 15,000 miles on the motor and the Cascadia seems to be breaking in nicely.
Going from out M2 Class 7 truck to this truck has been amazing. This truck rides like a Cadillac and part of that I am sure is due to the double frame. When we shut the doors to the Cascadia the outside noise practically disappears. The engine is silent even when gaining momentum, something we have found we have to watch as we before we know it we are speeding.
We have had the truck on the I-5 corridor from LA to Seattle and the Cascadia flattened out the mountains. As an straight truck the DD13 engine will never have to strain due to pulling any weight or trying to hold weight back while going down the mountains. I really enjoyed the jake brakes while in the mountains and found that with the 3 stage brake I needed to use the medium setting to maintain my speed and not get to slow.
Jack we are now a white glove truck as we were able to attend white glove training after Molly passed. On a side note I would much rather have Molly back and have stayed in surface, a truck without a beloved pet is not the same.
We went with as close as we could get to what was our original specs and the truck is preforming the way we thought she would. We are constantly in the upper tens with a few high elevens on the MPG. We have a little over 15,000 miles on the motor and the Cascadia seems to be breaking in nicely.
Going from out M2 Class 7 truck to this truck has been amazing. This truck rides like a Cadillac and part of that I am sure is due to the double frame. When we shut the doors to the Cascadia the outside noise practically disappears. The engine is silent even when gaining momentum, something we have found we have to watch as we before we know it we are speeding.
We have had the truck on the I-5 corridor from LA to Seattle and the Cascadia flattened out the mountains. As an straight truck the DD13 engine will never have to strain due to pulling any weight or trying to hold weight back while going down the mountains. I really enjoyed the jake brakes while in the mountains and found that with the 3 stage brake I needed to use the medium setting to maintain my speed and not get to slow.
Jack we are now a white glove truck as we were able to attend white glove training after Molly passed. On a side note I would much rather have Molly back and have stayed in surface, a truck without a beloved pet is not the same.
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Was your decision to go with a pusher axle instead of tandem strictly an excise tax issue, or was there more to it?
The Cascadia is a heavy truck, but we are still able to run with the pusher up in the air which increases our fuel mileage for most of the time. By reducing our rolling resistance by 1/3 for most of the time.
The pusher axle is less drag due to not having the inter axle differential, differential, as well as two u-joints which creates less parasitic frictional losses from the drive line. Another side benefit is a lower overall weight.
The pusher axle is less drag due to not having the inter axle differential, differential, as well as two u-joints which creates less parasitic frictional losses from the drive line. Another side benefit is a lower overall weight.
I'm considering tandem, but with a "dead" axle. I may well end up going the same way you did. Have you seen 12mpg yet?
Our best so far has been 11.78 using the odometer not the dash readout.
The dash readout has had us up in the upper 12's and then we find the wind and we have really been able to find the wind and our readout slowly decreased.
The pusher axle does not seem to effect us nearly as much on this truck as it did on the M2. When we put the pusher down on the M2 we would lose at least 1/2 mpg and we have not seen the huge loss in this truck.
The dash readout has had us up in the upper 12's and then we find the wind and we have really been able to find the wind and our readout slowly decreased.
The pusher axle does not seem to effect us nearly as much on this truck as it did on the M2. When we put the pusher down on the M2 we would lose at least 1/2 mpg and we have not seen the huge loss in this truck.
Bullitt5199
Active Expediter
Saw you going east on Interstate 80 near Winnemucca Sat. night.Was in the four wheeler so I couldn't shout to you all.Really like the looks of the truck in person.Any noticeable improvement with the wheel covers.
It is really to early to tell and we probably put the wheel covers on before the engine has broke in. Those wheel covers are really noticeable and we really like the look.
The truck is continuing to improve on fuel mileage we have had several over 12 MPG fill-ups and one fill-up in the 13 MPG. We had the DDEC report run at 47000 miles and the average fuel mileage was 11.58 and average speed is 52.1 mph. I believe the numbers are a little higher then what I figure off of the actual miles.
Bullitt5199
Active Expediter
Even though I am a company driver for a large freight company, I like to see what other drivers do and also try to operate my unit as if I owned it.I haul triples around Idaho and I check my fuel mileage on every tank.Two problems I have are a city driver puts about 50 miles a day on my unit and my gross weights very drastically day to day.My running average is 5.05 mpg yet my report shows 5.48.
I believe that is pretty good mileage for triples anywhere much less the area you run in. What are your winters like pulling triples are you shut down a lot of do you haul less trailers?
moose
Veteran Expediter
OR :
The Caffee's: "The truck is continuing to improve on fuel mileage we have had several over 12 MPG fill-ups and one fill-up in the 13 MPG. We had the DDEC report run at 47000 miles and the average fuel mileage was 11.58 and average speed is 52.1 mph. I believe the numbers are a little higher then what I figure off of the actual miles."
OR :
Moose: "thoe'w my truck average is 8.2 MPG, the ECM report show 9.1, and the carrier report show 8.7 "
Electronic reports are always VERY optimistic.
there is no one correct way to calculate F/M, it is what works for you, as long as you do it continuously .
heck, even the fuel pump dose not disposed the exact same amount as shown on the ticket
just understand that every O/O choose a different method .
Bullitt5199
Active Expediter
We don't ever get shut down unless a blizzard comes through.Our dispatch won't send us out with three if they know weather is coming.Occasionally we run into weather that forces us to drop trailers at truck stops or rest areas,but very rarely.Travel safely and profitably.
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