New truck new blog.

[marek4792]

Figured I start a daily blog of my truck and trailer from a different point of view usually frowned upon on this forum mainly as a learning experience for would be owner-operators with a company driver mentality and to those who already drving slow and steady opposed to driving the posted limit but not over 75mph.
Keep in mind I spec'd my truck new from the factory and picked it up back in May 2019
so my mpg numbers may not reflect what you will see especially with used equipment, or if you switch trailers every trip.
In my case I have just bought my own trailer so I now know my numbers will be more consistent in tracking fuel consumption.
I run out of Northern IL mostly to OR and WA and back to IL occasionally WI, IN, MI and OH.
Weights greatly vary but usually I'm close to or at 80k gross with produce coming back east
Anyways onto my specs
Truck:
2020 Volvo VNL860
155,000 current miles
Cummins X15 Performance Services
505HP 1850TQ CPL4343
13 Speed Manual Transmission
3.36 rears (should've went to 3.42 atleast d'oh!)
Michelin Xline energy steers 16ply 22.5lp
Michelin Xline energy D drives 22.5lp
Hendrickson air ride front axle with the air suspension lowered.
Grass burner exhaust
TriPac installed by selling dealer.
Egr tuneup done at 110,000 miles
PM service done every 12-15,000 miles using 15w40 conventional oil
including all fuel filters
Air filter every 75,000 miles
Will be doing an overhead valve adjustment very shortly.
Switched the 5th wheel legs on my SAF Holland from a 10689-2 to a 10689-1 which brings the trailer down an inch or so hopefully to help with aerodynamic drag associated with higher speed operation.
5th wheel is slid forward to maintain 13k on the steer axle when full of fuel.
Lifetime mpg is showing 5.9 winter and windy conditions are a big factor along with the speed of course.
DPF regen history is showing 1.6 to 2 with the soot counter showing very little soot.
Fortunately the engine has very little idle time thanks to the tripac and bunk heater even in blistering cold weather.
Trailer:
2014 Great Dane Everest Super Seal Reefer
Skirts and Trailer Tail equipped.
Just installed 8 new Bridgestone R197 22.5lp tires
New shocks as well.
   
   
   
Bonus cat picture, the white one who I have named him Edmond is an old friend of Rawze's who I had adopted during my stay at his place while fixing my old truck back in 2018 which I no longer have due to an accident the first load out since my stay totalling it. Talk about very bad luck..

[Explosia]

Why no side fairings? I run that lane also, but not since the virus, dry freight has been pretty weak in the NW.

[Rawze]

5.9 mpg is absolutely horrible fuel mileage for that lane on dry-van/reefer freight. And at the speeds your running, you are going to run that truck into the ground and those roads are going to beat it to death. - Just My own opinion.


Here are some numbers to strive towards in those regions with the freight type and weights you are hauling. I haul the same type of freights thru that region... I also haul a different trailer every time, as the company I am leased onto has more than 4,000 of them... Some trailers are good with skirts etc, some not so good.

============
That area of the country has some of the lowest fuel averages for me and my truck. understandable so, as the wind fights you heading west and the mountains + extreme cold in winter are not forgiving on fuel consumption.

BUT... We still do not do so bad. My lifetime fuel mileage (1.4 million miles collected data) ...

heading east....
headed east, fuel stops show: Wyoming to Illinois = 8.885 mpg hauling same type of freight. Wa to Wyoming = 7.3 mpg. Oregon to Wyoming = 7.98.
- Roughly totals up to avg. lifetime of ~8.05 mpg going from Or or Wa to illinois.


Heading west...
Illinois to Nebraska = 7.67 mpg, Iowa to Wyoming = 7.38, Indianna to Utah = 7.8 mpg, Wyoming to Utah = 7.78, Illinois to Iowa = 9.06, Idaho to oregon = 8.15, Wyoming to Oregon 7.948
- Roughly totals up to avg. lifetime of ~7.96 mpg going from Illinois to Or. or Wa. state.

What i posted is the rough averages ... All the numbers will be slightly higher in summer and slightly lower in the winter. This is for 2 reasons. The fuel quality goes down in winter, and the dense air and cold in winter is much harder for your truck to push through.

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Maybe that will give you some idea of what can be achieved with a little extra effort, keeping speeds down while still making deliveries, and not beating the snout out of your equipment in those regions. - Keep running that 70+ and in a few years you will see it is costing you a lot more than just fuel mileage. Slowing down, re-programming that engine torque to about 1720 or so max, using the HP instead of the torque (higher rpm's) + driving by boost gauge when heavy and especially when climbing any hills, and learning to run in neutral as much as absolutely possible is the key. -- Oh, and we avoid fuelling in Ogden Utah at the Flying-j/pilots ... Every time I have ever fuelled there, I got shorted a few gallons vs. what I paid for. Never had an issue north of Willard,UT though so we just fuel there instead whenever we need fuel in that region.

[marek4792]

Appreciate your words as always Rawze and great numbers as well, I always avoid fueling in Utah/Idaho/Washington like the plague as well because I've noticed similar issues plus their price is astronomical compared to other states. My fuel card is only good for TA-Petro and AMBest and has a better discount in general like up to a dollar a gallon off some places. Produce is kind of tricky though and one of those products that absolutely has to get there so it doesn't go bad but don't want to pay team rates to do so. Trip averages in the summer are 6 to 6.5 mpg in the summer and 5 to 5.5 in the winter. This is why I started this thread to show those faster isn't always better for the reasons you stated above. I'm very curious about the actual benefits of the tail especially since I've never seen it mentioned on here before.

Explosia, it was mainly a cosmetic choice and I like the style of it, I also shedded about 300 or so pounds which the tripac added back. The quality of the fairings are not so great either already seeing them bungee strapped down or missing on some new trucks. Work has been alright for me the last few months were rocky but I've made out okay and seems to be getting better for me atleast on the reefer side of things.

[marek4792]

So without further ado, So I was kind of all over the place this trip. Trip average was 6.5mpg started strong in the 7's due a tailwind heading west which is a rarity and plus having 25,000lbs in the trailer only going to Oregon. Fueled in Sawyer, MI before finishing previous trip home to Sinclair, WYO
The Mpg counter is accurate within 2/10ths +/- and does not factor in TriPac fuel consumption.
   
Sinclair, WYO to Portland and my two drops close by before heading east to Wasco, OR before crossing the river into WA for my reload
   
Reloaded in WA 78000lbs gross and starting my way south through Oregon and up a couple hard hills, Idaho, and the passes on US6 and 191 in Utah stopping for the night in Wellington where I fueled the next morning.
   
So back on us191 treking south wow the view is beautiful but the hills no so much lol got onto us491 just rolling hills and eventually flattens out in NM until Gallup where I eventually grab I40 I25 and I10 few hills here and there but eventually make it to Sonora, TX
   
Fueled there finally onward to Corpus Christi still got some rolling hills until San Antonio and it finally flattens out. Get there Saturday morning drop doesn't go to plan, so what does one do with a weekend to kill? Sightseeing of course and getting some sun.
   
To be continued..

[Explosia]

How much boost are you driving with, and are you figuring your mpg by hand instead of always relying on the computer? I used to run that route all the time, I stopped running that lane because I absolutely hated the part from Moab to Farmington.

[marek4792]

So after spending the weekend there unloaded first thing Monday and continuing on to Houston, TX got that dropped off, Doubled back to McAllen reloaded Tuesday back for the Chicago Market 77000lbs gross stopped to fuel into Falfurrias, TX if you needed a better point to prove that biodiesel sucks this is it right here as 360 miles were empty and I should have seen low 7's atleast even with the coastal winds pushing me around abit!
   
Getting out of southern TX past San Antonio and decide to pay TX-130 a visit for those who don't know, it has the highest posted speed limit 85mph so why not stretch its legs abit. I can hear Rawze's blood boiling already. lol

So cruising at 1800 rpm about 85mph for a short amount of time. engine Egts around 750-800 degrees, coolant temp around 200 degrees, oil temp at 235 degrees instant fuel consumption so/so depending on the incline or decline. Not something you want to do with cheap tires or frequently.. speaking of which after getting back on the Interstate past Waco one of those wonderful work zones must've had debris on the road because I have seen a car pull over with a flat tire, thought oh well bad luck until I saw in my mirror oh son of a bit...
   
   
Tried the fixed a flat worked on the spot but no luck once back on the road. Time to visit a tire shop south of the I35EW split, can't patch because it's a shoulder puncture, threw a new tire on it and got on with it despite the height difference of new and 160k of wear, no time to lose. Navigated US 75/69 in Oklahoma which is notorious for crappy roads and poorly timed lights, once on I44 I was like a rocket sled on rails into the Ozarks to my next fuel stop at Cuba, MO that Texas biodiesel is still hitting my mpg abit.
   
Got some green diesel now onward to Chitown, made it before 11pm yesterday night bam got a door and two hours later bills signed and another happy produce customer. This afternoon took off the new tire and mounted a used tire that matches the old one I took off, but now I have a nice new spare at the shop now.
it was a longer trip but it had it's up and downs overall came out ontop. Now I'll crack open a cold one and enjoy my home time.

[marek4792]

(06-25-2020 )Explosia Wrote:  How much boost are you driving with, and are you figuring your mpg by hand instead of always relying on the computer? I used to run that route all the time, I stopped running that lane because I absolutely hated the part from Moab to Farmington.

pen and paper until I figured out the accuracy of the computer but I still check it every now and then to make sure.
MAX Boost is between 28-32lbs depending on egr operation, cruising boost is normally about 8-20 lbs depending on conditions, load, and terrain.

[Explosia]

(06-25-2020 )marek4792 Wrote:  So cruising at 1800 rpm about 85mph

(06-25-2020 )marek4792 Wrote:  Boost is between 28-32lbs depending on egr operation

Jesus....I think your payments will outlast your engine