# Fuel Efficiency of Large Trucks



## beefers1

hey, i was wondering.... how many miles do big trucks (i mean 18-wheelers, and road trains, with trailer) get per gallon? is there a record for this type of thing? or do they only calculate fuel efficiency for small to mid-sized cars? i'm guessing a heavy road-train towing a triple trailer would get around... 5mpg highway (since they're only allowed to drive on highway)?


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## V0lt

I am really interested in this as well. 

I actually read something a while back- I wish I could find it again, but I tried and failed- that said that a certain trucker (of an 18-wheel rig) was able to achieve ~10mpg. That probably isn't definitive though, since there are so many other factors to take into consideration, like truck weight and aerodynamic qualities. 

I'm guessing the 5mpg figure you gave is probably closer to the average for an 18 wheeler, but if they do test this efficiency, they probably only measure the efficiency of the cab (minus trailer).


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## ashumann12

:smile:I drive an 18-wheeler, a 1997 Freightliner Fld with an M11 Cummins and a super-10 transmission. I get as high as 8.5mpg ave. Bob-tail (no trailer) and between 5.5 and 7 mpg depending on total weight, Max of 80,000lbs on us highways with one 53' trailer. Hope this gives you a rough answer!


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## V0lt

Very cool! Trucking seems like a lot of fun. If I ever become a consultant in the IT industry, I might try to find a trucking company to go stretches of the trips I take, but it seems like everyone seems to have a personal cab, so that probably wouldn't work.

I can still pretend with the CB I bought at a flea market though 

"There's a bear in the road."

"So what? We're only doing 55"

"No, a _real bear!_"

Okay, so it didn't actually happen, but it would be funny if it did :grin:


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## ashumann12

:grin: Just don't feed the bears!!!!! Just put it in the Big Hole and gouge on it!!!


HA HA Some "Condo" style sleepers have 2 bunks, or you just find a cute female driver!!!


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## ashumann12

You have to look out for the Gators too.......Blown tire fragments.
They can tear a car or truck up pretty bad


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## V0lt

I almost hit one that was hanging out in the middle lane when I was on my way to college.

I've learned to mimic the motions of the cars ahead, even if I don't know why they're doing what they are- but they can see what I can't, and I can appreciate that.

Like the time I saw a pickup swing wide on a backroad near my house- my brother laughed at him, but I just shrugged and got in the other lane of the two way street (it was late and there were no other cars), and lo and behold there was a huge dead bush hanging out right where I would have been, right after the crest of the hill.


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## beefers1

lol i meant road trains get 5mpg, i figured that 18-wheelers (which are smaller) will get something better, like 7, but since ashumann told me that he can only get up to 8.5, then the average for 18-wheelers must be around 5mpg, so road trains might get...3?


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## beefers1

ok, i guess my estimates weren't too far off then. thanks guys


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## hatps

I used to be a truck driver and averaged around 5 MPG and got as high as 7.2 MPG that was on a 2000 kenworth T200 hope this gives you some clue

trains: a different story I doubt they would even get 5 figuring how much horsepower they need and the amount of weight their pulling, they probably consume massive amounts of fuel


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## beefers1

probably. i heard that some of them required as much as $1000 per fill-up. thanks. i've never heard of kenworth though. my idea of a large 18-wheel truck make would be a volvo, freightliner, or maybe a peterbilt or a mack. or maybe an isuzu or a hino. though roadtrains and 18-wheelers would still be the most practical and efficient way of transport, as planes (except small ones) are only effective for long distances, and the higher fuel efficiency of vans would be offset by their considerably smaller load. actually, an e-series or a chevy van only gets around 20mpg, which is not much more then a large truck, and can carry far less. also, many vans lack the power to go on treacherous roads that a larger truck can. though i did see a picture of someone driving an 12-passenger dodge van all the way up to the peak of a mountain.


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## mimo2005

Hybrid Engines Make it to 18-Wheelers

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/hybrid-engines-make-it-to-18+wheelers-247439.php


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## markster57

i work for a volvo /mack dealer ship and your happy if you get 6 mpg


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## MickeyFouse

A number of the company’s bucket trucks also use a 29-hp four-cylinder Kubota diesel auxiliary power unit (APU) to power the aerial device and all the essential accessories for crews to perform their jobs safely — again saving fuel cost and wear-and-tear of running the truck engine, according to Rick Hackstedt, fleet and shop services manager.
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*SPAM REMOVED*


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## Mr.POS

I used to work for an International dealer. They claimed that the Prostar (which is a newer model) would get at least 8 mpg. Freightliner posted similar results with the Cascadia series. Still, 6 mpg is about average, depending on the driver. With the influx of biodiesel blends and its lower btu rating, as well as higher emissions, it's more like 4.5 to 5.


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## gam662

hey, 

im starting a transportation business by the end of the year. is there a calculation on how i can estimate fuel consumption costs of heavy duty trucks.your help will be much appreciated


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