Over The Road Versus Local

[flonly]

We just gota little increase in our fuel sucharge so I am up to 1.76 a hub mile .The cheapest I can get fuel right now on my route is 2.99 a gallon .I am only getting right at 7 miles per gallon but I think it will get a little better cause I only have about 90000 on inframe and I need to check air filter.Basicly .43 cents per mile for fuel right now about 25 percent of gross.At some point I need to look into different rear gears The truck came new with 336, 10 speed over and 24.5 low pros.65 mph is 1300 ish .Mabey go with 355 or 370 to run slower and get that better milage after she is good and broke in.

[Waterloo]

(05-31-2018 )flonly Wrote:  We just gota little increase in our fuel sucharge so I am up to 1.76 a hub mile .The cheapest I can get fuel right now on my route is 2.99 a gallon .I am only getting right at 7 miles per gallon but I think it will get a little better cause I only have about 90000 on inframe and I need to check air filter.Basicly .43 cents per mile for fuel right now about 25 percent of gross.At some point I need to look into different rear gears The truck came new with 336, 10 speed over and 24.5 low pros.65 mph is 1300 ish .Mabey go with 355 or 370 to run slower and get that better milage after she is good and broke in.

I would go 3:70 or higher, that is my next adventure, swapping out the gears. I owned a little Volvo years ago, it had that little M-11 Cummins 360 hp, a 9 speed and 3:90 gears. That little truck, on paper was consistently over 8 mpg. I drove her at around 60-64 mph, always loaded pulling a 53' step deck van.

[Evotrucker]

I worked OTR as a company driver till i got my own, as far as the pay goes. The big factor that i see is the company that you choose to work for, company A pay's you take a loaded/empty trl 10 miles for 50$, company B might pay 40$ and company C might pay 120$ lol :P.

A lot of companies do the same jobs but the only difference is what they pay,my friend got paid $189 empty/loaded for a 90 mile run, i got that same run a week later for $300.

My OTR buddies make more then i do at gross but they have higher expenses, i don't have to scale out the TRL's unless told other wise. Those splendid weight stations? yeah i'd see one once a week and if that. also to consider, the truck might get banged up a lot more because well you are driving around the city area, crossing railroads all day long, making more frequent stops, getting in and out of the truck, you have more people to deal with on a daily basis so and so on. i could go on about this just, depends on what you want in the end and what works for you. tho to be fair, driving around the city shouldn't mean it takes more punishment, if you drive easy and relaxed. before my injector took out my liner, i was getting 7.5 mpg 8 mpg loaded and empty.

I was working harder/longer then most but you can live a comfortable life making a easy $500 a day. i know a lot of old heads that are like that, they say " i was just working for taxes " and they found balance with money and life.

if you want to take my advise, call the companies ask them specifically about empty/loaded pay, what they pay for 20ft,30ft and 53 ft TRL's and etc. Ask the drivers if you can from the company which company they would work for preferably. Most likely the local/regional drivers have worked in many of the companies in the area.

[snailexpress]

33% fuel cost is too much IMO. I don't have anything to brag about my truck or driving habit but my last year is 26% with 6.4 GPM on my truck.

[AHMLLC]

6.4? Thats great! Most i've ever seen was 7 and that was with a 2015 kenworth with 525hp

[snailexpress]

(05-31-2018 )AHMLLC Wrote:  6.4? Thats great! Most i've ever seen was 7 and that was with a 2015 kenworth with 525hp

That's really bad! I have friend with mandate intact flying crazy 75mph Cal-Ut with 8.7 mpg IFTA. Cummins. 2014. There is no any cheating. Fuel on company terminal.

[Chamberpains]

I've been running under 25% and probably better as of today with current rates thru the roof. But you have to remember that number is all relative to the current economy, the competition within the market you run in, availability of freight, if you get and what fuel surcharge there is, fuel price, what terrain you work in, local cost of living.... There are just a laundry list of factors. 33% is just where I was at for awhile in a stagnant economy and I was able to sustain a descent living. Anything above that and life got hard.

And I have to call shenanigans on 8.7 MPG while doing 75 all day. You're either running all flat ground and really light a lot or/and are not a full tractor trailer operation. I think I'm hearing a truckers tale in the making. 6.4 mpg is descent average for an older truck. You can always do better though. Im getting my old rag up in the 7's consistently with a few electrical tweaks and rubber changes along with driving habits.