Opinions on gliders

[Texasdude74]

(03-15-2017 )Rawze Wrote:  

(03-15-2017 )Rockycoon75 Wrote:  I'm pretty jealous of that.
I never had one get great mileage loaded. Drove both stingers and high mounts. The one with a accert got 4. Last one got 6.5-7 empty 5-5.5 loaded

If it is truly that bad then maybe you should look into getting an aero truck with a covered car trailer. That is what the last guy had and he loved it. Said he was rarely over 33k loaded.

The math just don't add up at 4 mpg vs 7+ in an open frame vs aero to me when you look at it like that. Especially when the difference is only a couple extra cars on the top of the cab with all that extra open framework.

Like I said, I just have not been around them at all.

They really are that bad on fuel. I know more than a couple of guys that average in the threes, but most are between 4.0-5.3. Year end averages I'm speaking of, not single tank or quarterly.

It's a logical argument: Why not drive a aero truck and pull a high mount? The loss of 3-4 units in capacity could be offset by the fuel savings. Here's why it's wrong:

First, the difference in fuel cost between 4 and 7 mpg is about $.27/mile. The absolute cheapest vehicles I've hauled in my career was $.36/mile. Even by that bottom dollar rate, it's still a loss of $1.08-1.44/mile in revenue to save $.27/mile in fuel. It would be a much bigger loss than that for me in reality.

Second, high mount and enclosed trailers are more limited in the sizes of vehicles that they can haul. Not only do they haul fewer units, but they have to be smaller units. Bigger stuff generally pays more per mile, sometimes many times more.

Lastly, all high mounts are illegal and technically over length unless hooked to a cab over day cab, which they never are. Only three states: CO, CT and MI are militant about it though. High mounts are also not allowed any overhang off the rear of their trailers while stingers are allowed six feet! This further limits the size and combinations of loads they can haul by a lot. But it just gets worse, because the new Fast Act completely rewrote the rules for stingers this year. Allowing an additional five feet of length and even more front and rear overhang. Which makes high mounts even more irrelevant.

Sadly, for my Porsche fund and my wifes' desire for another new SUV for the upcoming birth of our fifth child in August...and possibly some college funds, I just don't know. I am not unaffected by the new length laws. It means....and it brings a tear to my eye to say it....that Daddys' truck is now....sob......LEGAL.
I won't drive, no legal truck. At least not for long. Next thing you know I'd be going into scale houses. Where would it end??? It's lunacy.

So, to the drawing board it is. At my advanced age (42) this will be the last one for me. Something wicked, this way comes.