We're getting new trucks!

[LKTraz]

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Mine have all been company trucks too.

I've just been fortunate in that, with the exception of the Macks we now have, they have all had decent engine/transmission combinations.

[LKTraz]

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The new trucks started arriving this week. By Friday 10 of them were delivered and Monday 12 more are supposed to come in. Our shop has started putting on the company logos and lettering.

We won't get assigned our new tractors until they have all been delivered and the corporate office sends the check to Freightliner. They are damn nice trucks and we've been able to crawl around them and have a good look.

I took a few pics of the exterior of one and I'll get some interior pics as soon as we get one fully prepped.

   

   

   

   

These are supposed to help with fuel mileage but I don't see them holding up very well.

   

[BallseyMalone]

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Looking nice Rick! A new set of wheels always makes the long drive more tolerable!

[LKTraz]

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Well......after 2 weeks in my new ride I must say I'm impressed!

It rides more like a passenger car than a truck. Beats the cat snot out of the Mack!

These new Detroit DD15 engines are fucking incredible! Ours are set to 455 HP but you'd swear they are more like 550 ponies. Fucker says "Hills? Where? I don't see any hills!"

Yesterday on my way to Boyertown I couldn't believe what happened. First on the hill leaving Blandon, a hill which would have had the Mack down to 6th gear and my 4 ways on, I shot up in 8th doing 47 MPH in a 45 zone!

Next at Shenksville the hill which would have had the Mack crawling at 30 MPH the Freightliner went up at 57 MPH in 9th gear! (It's a 50 MPH zone!)

Can you say HOLY SHIT?

Now here's the kicker.........these engines reach certain benchmarks and open up performance parameters as they break in. So far I've hit 4 different stages and I only have 3440 miles on it. Full break in occurs somewhere between 65,000 and 90,000 miles. I'm wondering WTF is it gonna do between now and then and what the hell will it do at full break in.

From what I gather, at full break in it will deliver a MASSIVE performance upgrade. The dealer said that when it happens it will be like getting a kick in the ass and away we go!

Jesus H, will it pull fucking wheelies or something?

As well it seems that out of all the trucks we got, I got the luck of the draw and ended up with the best performer! They all do well but mine is at the top of the heap. Shit luck finally worked in my favor.

[twisteroo]

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Sweet. It always makes the day easier when you like the stuff you gotta work with.

[LKTraz]

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Well........I now have just short of 14,000 on 14-0623 (my truck's number) and it turns out that not only do I have the best runner of the bunch but it also is at the top of the fuel mileage heap!

I average between 6.5 and 6.8 MPG and have topped the 7 MPG mark a few times with the best being 7.5 MPG. The rest are getting somewhere between 5.6 MPG and 6.3 MPG.

On top of that, these new emission standards engines (Certified Clean Idle) are equipped with a diesel particulate filter on the exhaust system and run DEF injection. A consequence of this is that they occasionally need to run a regeneration cycle. Most of the trucks have "asked" (by way of an idiot light) for a regeneration before 10,000 miles and 2 of them have asked twice. Mine has yet to ask.

I sure ain't complaining. Luck of the draw? I won't look a gift horse in the mouth!!!!!

[AnthonyG]

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Those wheel covers to help with gas mileage was created by a teenage girl who also invented the microwave bacon rack when she was like 6 years old, I saw it on Steve Harvey show, it was kinda crazy.

[LKTraz]

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I removed mine. It seems that they are only a part of a fuel saving package and do nothing significant unless you have the entire package (which we don't). 2 trucks still have them on and they are no better on fuel than the others.

Interesting about their origins though.

[ralgith]

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The other day I saw a trailer that had what can only be an aerodynamic enhancement on it... on the ass end it had these panels that make a kinda squared off cone that you latch with cables onto the doors. Anyone know anything about them? I mean, I've seen the undercarriage wind panels for a few years now, but these new panels on the back end around the doors I've never seen until about a week ago.

[LKTraz]

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That's a "trailer tail" setup.

MVT (Messila Valley Transport) has nearly all of their trailers outfitted with them. They have been around for about 3 or 4 years now but few companies are using them.

The idea is that they direct the airflow into a stream as opposed to the normal twin opposing vortices which are the norm and thereby reducing the drag of the trailer by changing it to a more laminar flow.

I really don't know if they work. I do know that the side skirts (air tabs) DO work to a degree.

Here's the company that makes them: http://www.atdynamics.com/