Fuel Mileage

[layoutshooter]

Mind you, I am not complaining, but my fuel mileage has been getting better lately. Today I had a short 250 mile dead head for a load later and I got 12.7mpg on that run. A month ago I would have got around 11. I am driving at the same speeds and using the same additive I have used since I got this truck. I just don't understand. I now average over 10mpg. I just rolled 285,000 on the odometer. Any ideas as to why this would happen? I want to be sure and keep doing whatever it is. Layoutshooter

 

[FIS53]

Sure you weren't a little easier on the throttle at lights and getting upto speed and such as it was a dh run? Run a few mph slower??? Dumped more additive in than usual?? Something as at that mileage the thing should have been at its best for awhile. Whose fuel did you fill with??? Sure it was diesel and not chemicals???(sorry had to throw that in)
Every now and then I fond myself taking it easy as i go to a call or coming back from one and then later realize hey it's doing not bad on fuel.
Rob

 

[piper1]

The fuel companies are making sure all their "heavy" fuel is gone before the cold weather starts. My mileage in my little ole Duramax is up slightly as well.

 

[Jayman]

You may know this and it may "go without being said". But...wind has a lot to do with fuel economy. If you have a tail wind, you use less engine.

 

[layoutshooter]

I did not notice a tail or head wind. On the run we picked up we got a little over 10mpg. We were loaded fairly heavy, 12,520lbs. We had a head wind for the first 100 miles or so then no wind to speak of. A month ago we would have got more like 9mpg with a load that heavy. We always drive between 57-62mph. It is hard for us do dirve 55 as that is right where we shift from 9th to 10th. Maybe mixed the additive different but this has been going on for about 2 weeks. I am at a VERY happy loss. Layoutshooter

 

[nightcreacher]

In the past couple weeks,my fuel mileage has also been up,but I've been lucky to run with the wind to my back side,and my loads were light.The roads your running on make a difference also.How you take the hills,how you start and stop.There are many variables.It doesnt matter where you buy your fuel,that fuel already has additives in it.In most cases your mileage drops in the winter,cause there are more additives to keep the fuel from jelling,all these additives will actually cost you fuel mileage,just as you will loose mileage if you switch to number 1 fuel in the winter.In 30 years of doing this job,i have never had anything other than the way i drive my truck,make my fuel mileage better

 

[TeamCaffee]

Well I can think of several things that have helped our fuel mileage besides just slowing down. Taking that darn visor off was one of the best and the cheapest! I believe with the straight trucks we can do many things to help our fuel mileage as we do not have to pull trailers with bad tires and trailers that do not track straight.

We have total control over our truck and then we have to deal with the weight of the freight and where the load is situated in the box.

 

[layoutshooter]

Just ran another load, 3500lbs, still getting over 10 mpg. A little hard to tell since we did idle for several hours. Layoutshooter

 

[dare2dream1]

There is a very good reason why you are getting a little better fuel mileage then you have been, a lot of it has to do with the temp., has it cooled down in the last couple of weeks and have you been using your A/c as much and have you been driving at night time a little more? These are some of the things that can explain your sudden increase, did you know that parking your truck in a parking lot where the temp. is over 100 degrees on the pavement can use up fuel even with the engine shut off? Keep doing what your doing and enjoy the extra MPG because it wont be long before something or someone takes it away from you...

 

[layoutshooter]

The cooler temps can account for some of it I'm sure. That deadhead was during daylight hours with the A/C on. I am a cold loving person so mine is run much later into the season than most others would. Well aware of how heat affects fuel etc and believe you me I am enjoying what ever it is. I just was trying to figure out what "IT" is for sure so I can continue to duplicate it if it is something that can be duplicated. Layoutshooter

 

[RETIDEPXE]

Just my 2 cents, and as an old hot rodder, the cooler temp makes a huge difference on the amount of umph you can squeeze out of your motor and therefore, takes less pedal to gain the same mph. Some may remember at a drag strip where bags of ice are stacked on top intakes before they run. Your motor loves cooler, denser air running thru your intake air cooler or intercooler. I can absolutely tell a difference in my CAT C-9 ACCERT (and more so in my '68 supercharged 428 CI Pontiac) when the cooler temps roll around, more power and economy increases 10% or better. Think of it like a set of lungs, i'd much rather take a nice deep gasp of cool mountain air as opposed to 120 degree desert wind before running a 10K, not that i'd ever attempt it, smiley face, smiley face.

Doug B
Pather C Unit