Quote:
Originally Posted by cleanspeed1
I have run OTR as a an owner/operator in both semis and straight trucks, so, for me, I have a keen awareness about spending money on fuel in and out of the truck. It affected me in such a way that I could no longer look at a personal vehicle and not ask what can be done to make it use less fuel.
When your accountant asks "Did you actually spend $40k on fuel last year?", you can't help but to ask the question, "how in the world did we get to this?"
That's a years salary to some people.
And that's for one truck.
It's worth it in the end for me to do whatever it takes to get max FE because it means freedom.
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when you think of replacing your present Truck is fuel consumption the primary consideration? How many miles does your truck travel in a year on $40k? I am at the other end of the fuel cost spectrum in that I spend $1200 -$1500 per year to travel 32000km [20000 miles]. Yet I am still willing to invest $1000 - $3000 per year, in efforts to get down to 3.3L/100km [71mpg] as my 'fleet' average. Even though at the outset the return on investment does not look that good. The way I look at it is; I am insulating myself from future price rises. I suspect in your case a 5% reduction in fuel consumption represents $2000 savings in money but also a reduction in maintainance cost as well. Big trucks are in the same aerodynamic boat as motorcycle; real bad aero. The best ones I have seen in Canada are the bulk haulers with trailers that have the space under the deck between the wheels enclosed. What I have often wondered is why truckers have not built some form of cargo bays under the trailer deck much like the cargo space under a gray hound bus, which they could use for small inter city loads, to help both aerodynamics and generate extra income from the fuel already being used.
