New to the forum. I now have a 2002Ford F350 with the 7.3 powerstroke. I use it for interstate use pulling stacked boat trailers with my own authority. I pull 6 trailers on a tri axle hauler and 2 trailers overhead on a rack that goes from front to back. I weigh 11,400 empty (with the empty haul trailer) and usually around 22,000 loaded. My Ford gets 8mpg avg loaded and 12 empty for an average of 10. I am looking at a 2006 Dodge dually (5.9 with 3.73 gears) and 26k miles as a replacement for the Ford, only for increased fuel milage. I average 8000 miles per month at 10mpg is $3200 in fuel for the month @ 4.00 gal. My Dodge dealer says he thinks I can avg 14 with the Dodge and if that were the case my fuel cost for the same 8000 miles would be $2284, a savings of $900.00+ per month. My question is simply this, will this truck get 14mpg avg, half the miles loaded and half empty (keep in mind empty is still with the tri axle haul trailer and the rack on the truck). The 22,000 lbs loaded is not the only issue when I am loaded, it is wind resistance. When I am loaded with 8 trailers it is like pulling a parachute down the highway so the motor is always in a strain. I am in business for myself and VERY fuel conscience usually travelling loaded at 55mph and empty at 60-62 mph. It is imparitive that this truck can get 3-4 mpg better than the Ford or it would not be worth the extra $$$ spent in truck payment. So please, your thoughts. I never mod my trucks (other than open exhaust and air intake) as I am pulling so hard all the time that I would worry about EGT with mods. Thank you for your time!
I would guess that the mileage might be a little better but with what you are hauling and no mods i cannot see it being a whole lot better. If that is what you are counting on, being fuel mileage only, then it is a tough call. Odds of getting better mileage empty are good, but loaded i wouldnt expect much over 10.
What kind of mileage would a single axle tractor get?
For what it's worth with my 35's on I get about 16 city and highway combined empty. I am not sure what the truck weighs, but truck and trailer on the scales was 22,500. With the trailer on I get 10 doing 70. That is with a few grades no serious mountains though. A lil' better going slower. It is a tall fifth wheel so the aerodynamics are what they are. It's like a lil' wall back there. Don't know if it would be as much drag as your setup. That is debatable, but I'm gonna say yours has more drag after lookin' at the pic.
Unless that truck is needing a lot of repairs, I think you'd almost be better off keeping the ford. And these trucks all being so different you could get one that does horrible and I don't want that for you.
Honestly I think a newer dodge would do better, but 3-4 mpg better overall.......tough call!
Dang it man that's hard, good luck with your choice :beer
I admire your spirit in trying to do it yourself. Being an owner operator is tough these days and if you can survive this fuel situation you will be fine.
As one poster has already stated, you would be much better off with an entirely different power unit. There are lots of them for sale due to the current cost of fuel. Most are offered for sale by RV people who just don't want to travel any longer.
You would have the room for a legal sleeper berth and have an engine that you would not have to work as hard to get you down the road. The trade off would be how much you would be saving by not having to use motels, or sleeping on the seats or over the wheel. Been there done that.
Seems like you got hooked up with a decent shipper but your rig pretty much precludes any return haul so you have to make it on the front end. you know by now that in the trucking business every dime has to be watched closely. Most likley you are doing it because you love it and not so much for the $$$$$$$$.
If you like the lifestyle, step up to a bigger rig so that you can be more diverse in what you can haul. Unless you are making big $$$$ doing what your doing and covering expenses and making enough to buy beans, you are just kidding yourself. Trying to squeeze and extra mile per gallon by switching pick ups is an exercise in futility.
I am getting paid well at $2.40 mile outbound, of course always empty coming back. The straight truck-small tractor idea would change my whole operation though, as then I would have to license over 26,000 which then would require an apportioned plate, more insurance, ifta fuel sticker, fuel taxes etc.....
$1.20 a running mile is in the long run a break even rate. When you plug in tax, license,
depreciation and interest plus the cost of maintenance you are probably making less then $.20 per mile driver's wages. Compute that using the hours you spend working and I don't mean just driving, loading, unloading, working on your rig and doing all of the paperwork. When you draw the bottom line, minimun wage looks pretty good.
Don't get me wrong Mate, as I said earlier, I respect you. Having spent over 35 years as an O/O and fleet owner, I learned most of what I know the hard way. Just trying to save you some grief.
I agree with motorboat. Get a larger tow unit and it will play with your loads, rather than working the engine all the time. I pull a 10,000# 5er and get 10 - 12 mpg, so can't see you gettin 10 with you traler and load. JMHO
Just out of curiosity (and this may not be an option with that kind of load) i would sure wonder what kind of difference a few custom aluminum or fiberglass aerodynamic add-ons would do for the mileage on either truck. I always see the big rigs with wind deflectors on the roof and around the stacks as well and just maybe you might see some better numbers, but putting all that in and making it cost effective remains to be seen. I could see a big standing vee attached to your trailer and wrap it around the sides just a bit...don't know what you could do for the top rack tho. Maybe someone with some experience with this stuff could give some more ideas.
I was in bisnes for my self runing over the road for 10 years , A big truck is not the way to go tou will only get 4 to 8 mpg with a road trator ,Plus you are looking at 12.000 to 15.000 a year for insurance, And tags a lone can cost as much as 1700. year and the dam DOT:CRY:. Thats just my .02s
I was in bisnes for my self runing over the road for 10 years , A big truck is not the way to go tou will only get 4 to 8 mpg with a road trator ,Plus you are looking at 12.000 to 15.000 a year for insurance, And tags a lone can cost as much as 1700. year and the dam DOT:CRY:. Thats just my .02s
Seems like the biggest variable is the "fuel cost"...in fact it seems to be going higher here anywhere $4.17-$4.40 per gallon. Is there any possiblility you find and store on site diesel/ or make//a cheaper fuel source..Buy and fill in bulk pump your own. Or produce your own Bio/or cleaned WVO or find a supplier that offers in your area to fill your storage tank. The upgrades/if necessary might be cheaper than investing in another vehicle. At least you already know what you have now.
With tool boxes & racks, my truck gets between 15 & 17 mpgs, With the type of load you are pulling, I think the best you can hope for is 10, but the dodge will do it alot easier than the PSD, I had a 01 PSD with 411s,& my Dodge with 373 can autpull the ford, no contest.eelout
Motorboat, I dont know what you mean about break even rate or minimum wage? I get 1.20 per hub mile, all miles, I spend .40 per mile on fuel, (10mpg avg @ 4.00 gal) .6 per mile on truck payment, .4 per mile on insurance, and keep .7 per mile in a maint fund. Maybe .2 per mile for meals and a motel room twice per week. Total it runs me 59-60 cents per mile to operate with all the truck related bills paid, leaving me aprox $4,800.00 per month net. Pretty good job I thought for 3 days per week!
Thats heavy duty truckin' for three days a week. eelout Especially when you consider the stops you have make to unload. Good for you though, glad to see someone who is making it in the trucking business.:thumbsup
Are you married to the shipper's daughter?.............just kidding. :lol3:
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