Fuel mileage still sucks

[NDISX15]

I run in the ND oilfield.....540/1850 18 spd driven as nicely as I possibly can, properly demandated and 4.1 is best I can swing on the dash so far. Which since demandate and power increase is up .7 from where it was.. used to be 3.0-3.3 mpg. We have lots of highway running empty and loaded, but its the lease roads, hills, and on site work/idling that kills our MPG's im pretty sure. Running overweight/over dimensional definitely doesn't help either.

Up here they've all but completely gone away from sand boxes. See a couple here n ther but for the most part everyone is pulling hopper bottoms for sand now unloading directly to an auger and right into the sand trailers.

[GhostHauling]

Do you know Why are they moving back to pneumatic ? That’s interesting I hauled sand for two years with a pneumatic but sandbox took over and killed the rates.

[NDISX15]

(10-31-2021 )GhostHauling Wrote:  Do you know Why are they moving back to pneumatic ? That’s interesting I hauled sand for two years with a pneumatic but sandbox took over and killed the rates.

Schlumberger i think is the only ones pulling pneumatic for sand still because they have some of the sand towers still in service. Other than that, 98% of sand up here is running around in hopper bottom grain trailers. Think they started going away from the sand boxes because pads were getting smaller and smaller. Real estate on a frac site anymore is at a prime. Some pads now when fracking look like 10 gallons of sh!t in a 2 gallon pale. Other reason I think many have gone away from them is because they got sick of drivers flipping over. Used to see a couple a year on main roads...can only imagine on lease roads how many happen.

[GhostHauling]

I thought you were referring to a pneumatic when you said hopper bottoms as I’m unfamiliar with that process but the oilfield rates should be insanely high this year considering how high fuel prices are at least around here when fuel goes up the oilfield gets booming I’m guessing because of exports to other countries choosing natural gas over oil for certain things at least that’s what I’ve heard people say anyhow I hope your making money while the making is good be safe and god bless.

[Lead_sled]

I got into hauling sand because I’m able to create my own work schedule. Prior to this, I work in Drilling operations at onsite drilling rigs.

Sand boxes was the easiest way to get started for me. Gave me a chance to get aquatinted with the truck and not having to invest in a blower. Now that I’ve been at it for awhile, I’m considering buying a blower to increase my flexibility. But I have seen the hopper bottom option as well.

I think the reason they’re going back to pneumatic is the capacity of sand. They’re able to haul 45-48k worth of sand vs 40-42k in the sand boxes.

With the increase of work, the companies are hurting for trucks. The trucks that were here have been heading back to OTR with rates increasing. Plus with sand, no one has increased rates. Fuel has been going up too. So, right now company “H” is paying $100 extra bonus per load for South and East Texas.

[Lead_sled]

So, since I’m taking my truck off of the road and making it an off-road farm truck, I have a few questions about the de-mandate.

Is the de-mandate for DPF, doser, and EGR? Or just DPF and doser?

If EGR included, do I need a kit like this one to ensure blocking? {link removed by Rawze}

[tree98]

A proper demandate eliminates the function of all emissions components. You'll want to get in contact with runningrough here on the forum to have it done correctly.

You will have to take the cans off the truck and hollow them out COMPLETELY, that means ALL of the honey comb stuff in there, you don't want anything left behind that can break loose and cause restriction later or anything that can reflect heat back upstream and damage your turbo.

Really the only thing you need to block is the EGR crossover tube coming into the intake Manifold. You could just take the tube off (not hard at all) and have a welding shop weld it up water tight with some 1/4" plate and you'll be good to go, that shouldn't cost more than around $50.

[Rawze]

(11-01-2021 )Lead_sled Wrote:  ...
If EGR included, do I need a kit like this one to ensure blocking? {link removed by Rawze}

that kit you popsted a link to is complete garbage!. it is inadequate and will eventually destroy your enigne!.

not only that, but you CANNOT block coolant flow thru the EGr cooler (which is part of that kit)!... it will cause 5 and 6 cylinders to run hotter than normal and eventually fail.

[Redland1]

I have an 03’ International 9900i with 3.90 gear ratio and 13 speed.I purchased the truck to haul Frac sand here in south Texas and started out with a grain hopper hauling 84k with the overweight permit and then the company I was with went to boxes for a lil bit and then back to hopper bottoms.I averaged 5.8 mpg driving at 65mph,taking off nice and easy,and didn’t idle a lot even with all the staging pad time.My truck is a wall going down the road compared to your aero truck.