Planted a seed?

[JRMichler]

Drove my truck with the #2 person in a small construction company round trip to a job site yesterday. He had previously mentioned that the company was spending $10,000 per year for fuel and the owner wanted to do something about it. He was aware that he was getting 12 to 14 MPG in his 2004 F150 crew cab with automatic transmission. He drives 57 MPH, uses cruise control in rolling hills, and brakes at the last second for speed limit changes.

I drove for mileage at 55 MPH. The Scangauge showed 31 MPG going (uphill, headwind) and 38 MPG returning (downhill, tailwind). I got a chance to discuss driving habits vs grille block, kill switch, and aero topper.

Then I filled the tank. He picked up the bill, with the comment that he had never seen a gas bill so low (4.76 gallons, 165 miles).

I think I planted a seed. I hope so.

[Christ]

Great job!

One major tying that always escapes me about construction crews and the like: Do they all really NEED the pickup? Why can't a few of them drive a company car, instead of the 10mpg empty quad cab F350?

For employees of group occupation: get your company to get a van. You all met at a mutually selected point, sign in to the van, and ride to the job site/office. DIVIDE the fuel bill among everyone riding, or let the company consider it a "perk" or benefit of employment.

[Fat Charlie]

Originally Posted by Christ

One major tying that always escapes me about construction crews and the like: Do they all really NEED the pickup? Why can't a few of them drive a company car, instead of the 10mpg empty quad cab F350?

Pickups are the only manly form of transportation, even if you just commute to an office building and never use the bed. It has to be a quad cab, too, even if nobody else ever gets in it. You get extra manly points if it's a 2500 diesel. My brother in law drives a Mega Cab to work at his insurance company. He's cool.

[JRMichler]

He regularly carries four people in that truck, pulls a camper, and carries supplies to job sites. Tools, table saws, plywood, stuff like that. He could possibly use a truck the size of a Chevrolet Colorado, but his needs would be better met with something the size of a 1970's half ton.

My wife and daughter rode in that truck, and did not like it. Too big, too hard to climb in and out, and too hard to drive in grocery store parking lots. I can jerk my wife's chain by threatening to sell my truck and buy an F-150.

[blade]

way to go jr i wish my f150 got 20 mpg im gonna work on that in the morning

[bertb]

Love your topper and your brothers, the grill blocks are seemless!
It's been a few months, has the company made any changes yet?

[actwithclarity]

Originally Posted by Christ

One major tying that always escapes me about construction crews and the like: Do they all really NEED the pickup? Why can't a few of them drive a company car, instead of the 10mpg empty quad cab F350?

Good luck fitting all the tools in a company car. Construction crews are probably the people who most require a pickup. It's everyone else who doesn't need them! Even the bosses who usually drive alone with an empty box sometimes have to use their trucks to haul stuff. Good luck pulling trailers loaded with equipment or supplies with the company car.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by actwithclarity

Good luck fitting all the tools in a company car. Construction crews are probably the people who most require a pickup. It's everyone else who doesn't need them! Even the bosses who usually drive alone with an empty box sometimes have to use their trucks to haul stuff. Good luck pulling trailers loaded with equipment or supplies with the company car.

When I worked in construction, the tools were most often carried by a single truck, then locked up and left at the site, barring the few hand tools we may need for other small jobs here and there. One of the outfits working on the PA judicial center with us brought everyone in a company van, and the boss drove a single cab pickup, loaded to the hilt with all the tools and equipment, often pulling a trailer as well.

So why did the other crews ALL need a 7000lb personal vehicle, like I mentioned earlier?

[RobertM]

I think that depending on the job site, sometimes the additional ground clearance of a truck is necessary to traverse rough terrain.

[Christ]

Originally Posted by RobertM

I think that depending on the job site, sometimes the additional ground clearance of a truck is necessary to traverse rough terrain.

Larger sites, maybe... Most building construction sites, not even a consideration, because nobody can get anywhere on site in a vehicle anyway, especially in many cities. Even then, a golf cart would be far more efficient, probably quicker, and in many cases, the prime contractor would pay for the fuel, if it's electric.