Super singles....actually help fuel mileage? or a novelty like chrome?

[Kevin0915]

I've heard one of the biggest things to help fuel mileage is to lower how much 'rolling resistance' you have on the truck/trailer. Do super singles actually help with that?

[chain binder]

I used to drive for a company that runs super singles.They swore they increased mpg.I found two problems with them.1) If you have tandems on your drives,like so many trucks do,they create a rut in the asphalt which leaves a ridge in the middle.A super single runs on top of the ridge making it hard to control at times.It keeps wanting to drop off the ridge into the rut.2) If you by chance blow one out,you are stuck.Can't limp in to a truck stop for repair.One upside to them is the company was getting about 80,000-90,000 miles out of a set of them.Some trucks even went to 100,000 miles.They aren't cheap either. They don't work on split tandem trailers either.

[JR OTR]

I used to drive for CFI (now Conway Truckload), who equip all their tractors and most of their trailers with Michelin super singles. The ride quality is great, they lower the net weight of your truck by approximately 100 pounds per position (replacing two tires with steel rims with one super single with the aluminum rim) and they last a long time. The truck I was driving had 292,000 miles when I left with two of the original tires still in service.

Now I lease a rig from Hill Bros and the very first change I made when I ordered it was to exchange my duals for singles. As of today my truck has 282,500 miles on it and I'm nearing the end of useful life of my first set. The driver posting before about 80-90-100,000 miles from a set was way off base there (perhaps he was talking about some sort of specialized trucking like logging?).

A few weeks ago I ran across an article in one of the digest-sized magazines the truckstops give away where Michelin tested a set of its super singles against the best from Goodyear and some other manufacturer and beat them by 7% in fuel economy. I expect they have posted the results online if you care to google for them.

I have posted all of my settlement numbers for the past two years on my blog in spreadsheet form (linked below). In my first year I purchased approximately $59,000 in fuel at the pump and received approximately $42,000 in FSC, resulting in a fuel bill of $17,000 for the year. This was enough fuel to run my truck for 133,303 dispatched miles (approximately 145,000 including OOR). My second year numbers were $47,600 (pump price), $32,000 (FSC), $15,600 (adjusted fuel bill) for 122,900 paid miles.

You can view all my numbers, weekly, quarterly and yearly via the spreadsheet.

I would also point out that since I mostly haul refrigerated freight, most of the loads are heavy. I estimate 75% of my loads are 40,000 pounds or more and I drive a truck with a modest engine (2007 Volvo 780 with the 2006 Volvo D12 and a 13-speed).

In a month or so I'm going to have my truck in the shop for its 300,000 mile maintenance and to have a new set of Michelin super singles installed. I wouldn't want to drive without them.

Good luck,

Jim

[VPIDarkAngel]

They don't work on split tandem trailers either.

1) Why is this?
2) Why do some companies use them on spread axle trailers?

[Sealord]

They don't work on split tandem trailers either.
1) Why is this? Too much scrubbing of tire rubber if front tandem airbag can't be dumped.
2) Why do some companies use them on spread axle trailers? Don't care, deep pockets.

[Malaki86]

Here's my main concern:

How are they in the snow? Heavy rain? Ice?

[BanditsCousin]

I've researched them a bit in my quest to get my truck light enough to put a 96" ICT on.

Pro's-

Save around 300lbs over duals

General concensus is a .3mpg increase

You CAN limp them, but not far, and NOT fast

Con's-

If you jack one up bad enough, no limping

[Sabine]

I HATE them. It's not my truck, so not my choice, but having again blown a tire, sitting on the side of the road waiting, because you can't go anywhere I have had enough.

They suck in rain, bobtailing in the rain is like riding a bronc, no matter how much I slow down, you slip and slide everywhere, no better in the snow.

Big whoop, you save a few percent on fuel mileage. I know it makes a difference if you own 1000 trucks, but for just one, who cares.

If I ever have a truck of my own again, I would not have them, I really hate them.

[VitoCorleone99]

I hear these stories about traction problems all the time and, quite frankly, I haven't seen it. I stayed behind to keep an eye on things after Jim there left CFI, so I've been rolling on super singles for around half a million miles. Rain and snow are not a problem for me and never have been.

A few years back I had a blowout and I sat on the road for hours as I waited for someone to bring me a new tire from several hundred miles away. That's probably the biggest knock that I would have with regard to the single tires. This situation has improved significantly though, as even T/A and Petro keep super singles in stock now.


TL;DR - Yes, they most definitely help fuel mileage. Traction issues are overrated. Blowouts are a problem when they happen, but they don't happen much.

[Sabine]

I have driven 8 years on duals and 2 on super singles. I don't believe I am "overrating" the traction issues. I started to jackknife a year ago in Wyoming, doing 15 mph in the slow lane, going after a truck in the ditch, while I was being passed at about 30 or so miles an hour.

I am scared of getting in a wreck because of losing traction. I have hydroplaned empty, bobtailing and loaded light more often than I can count. Slipping and sliding with the least bit of snow on the ground. And that is with new tires, don't get me started on how bad it was before I got a new set.

As for the fuel mileage savings. My 65mph truck gets a whopping 5.8 or 5.9 mpg. With a Detroit 60 series motor.

My last truck had the new DD15 and I got a whole mile to the gallon more.

Anyhow, I consider myself a fairly experienced driver, and I stand by my evaluation of the super singles. They suck.

[JR OTR]

Well, there is an easy way to determine if they are a safety risk... look at the SafeStat scores for companies that use them exclusively (Conway Truckload uses CFI's old DOT number so those scores go back a ways) vs similar companies that don't.

I'll go out on a limb and say that they don't make a difference on the macro level in a fleet. Some individual drivers might have issues adopting their style to match the tire, though.

Jim

[Sabine]

What can you possibly do to adapt your driving style to a tire. I go way slower than I used to in wet or slick conditions. Stop sooner than I used to. Knock on wood, so far so good. I am way paranoid though, because I really don't like the way they handle.

I think the fuel savings on an individual truck are too negligible to put them on, versus the downsides you may experience. Such as the traction and the fact you are stuck if you blow one. I have blown 4 in the last 12 months. More than I ever did with duals. Makes me wonder. Our trailers are equipped with the system that puts equal pressure in all tires, and I check my drives regularly. So it isn't lack of checking things out.

If there is anything I could learn, on how to handle super singles different from duals, someone please tell me, anything to make me feel more comfortable with them.

[cdswans]

Can you carry one as a spare on a typical sleeper configuration?

Swift uses them on the local fleets so I have to believe they see a benefit there. I don't recall seeing them on a road tractor or any trailer. My guess is the potential for a hosing on an on-road repair must be too great.

As far as safety is concerned, if there was a demonstrable difference, as in lawyers could routinely convince a jury that it was a choice of rubber that caused the accident, we'd all have them or they'd be history.

[Kevin0915]

Thanx for the input guys. This is what i'm thinkin'. Super singles will give you a .5mpg fuel savings at best. They cost an arm and an infant. The ride might be smoother, but are they just as durable? I think the biggest downside is simply, if you have a tire issue on the road, odds are, you're stuck. So all that fuel you've saved over the past year, will get ate up by, at minimum $1,000 on-road emergency call....and that is if you're close enough to a truck stop that carries them in stock. Seeing how time is money, And you could have saved yourself $1,000 on an e-call by, what....not getting as good a ride as with duals? saving a pint of fuel out of every tank? dunno.....sounds to me sitting on the side of the road is alot worse. cause knowing my luck, if i try to limp into the nearest truck stop, there will be a DOT bear coming along any minute. =)

[JR OTR]

Here's my conclusion:

I'm not terribly concerned about being stranded. Michelin has an 800 number for tire replacement (800-TIRE-911 I believe) and says if they can't have one out to you in two hours then the service call is free. Since I lease on to a company with its own breakdown service, all of this is taken care of for me.

In the first two years of my lease I have paid $106,600 at the pump for fuel (at our company discounted price). Michelin claims 6% better overall fuel economy, which would be about .4 MPG for the average truck. At that amount of fuel, this results in savings of $6,396 in fuel I would have purchased had I run duals during that period but did not.

When I purchased the truck I traded eight duals for my four super singles, and purchased the rims. This came out to $1,516 (this also included upgrading to top-of-the-line Michelin steers instead of the default Goodyear tires from the factory, all mounting, balancing and the like). I just this morning purchased four new super singles, which set me back approximately $3,000 (won't have the actual bill for a few weeks until it gurgles through the system), for a total of $4,516 spent. This leaves $1,880 in savings in my bank account after having paid for two full sets of rubber and one set of rims, and I expect to see 250-300k miles out of the new set before they need replacing.

I conclude that instead of paying approximately one cent per mile for tires I would prefer to not only pay nothing, effectively, but also save money in the bargain. The 400 pounds lighter weight, superior ride and ease of checking inflation levels are thrown in on the bargain.

Good luck,

Jim

[danske]

Here's my conclusion:

I'm not terribly concerned about being stranded. Michelin has an 800 number for tire replacement (800-TIRE-911 I believe) and says if they can't have one out to you in two hours then the service call is free. Since I lease on to a company with its own breakdown service, all of this is taken care of for me.

In the first two years of my lease I have paid $106,600 at the pump for fuel (at our company discounted price). Michelin claims 6% better overall fuel economy, which would be about .4 MPG for the average truck. At that amount of fuel, this results in savings of $6,396 in fuel I would have purchased had I run duals during that period but did not.

When I purchased the truck I traded eight duals for my four super singles, and purchased the rims. This came out to $1,516 (this also included upgrading to top-of-the-line Michelin steers instead of the default Goodyear tires from the factory, all mounting, balancing and the like). I just this morning purchased four new super singles, which set me back approximately $3,000 (won't have the actual bill for a few weeks until it gurgles through the system), for a total of $4,516 spent. This leaves $1,880 in savings in my bank account after having paid for two full sets of rubber and one set of rims, and I expect to see 250-300k miles out of the new set before they need replacing.

I conclude that instead of paying approximately one cent per mile for tires I would prefer to not only pay nothing, effectively, but also save money in the bargain. The 400 pounds lighter weight, superior ride and ease of checking inflation levels are thrown in on the bargain.

Good luck,

Jim

Jim, You would have spent that $3,000 on a new set of drives anyhow whether they were duals or super singles, so I wouldn't subtracted it from your fuel savings. If in fact you got more miles on a set of singles vs. duals, then your savings on rubber is even more into your savings account. Your only expense was the initial switchover from duals to singles and difference in cost(if any) between a set of 8 standard drive tires and 4 super singles. Sounds to me you made the right financial decision.

BTW, I have never driven a truck with super singles, so I have no personal experience with ride or traction.

[JR OTR]

The way I wrote it was by comparison to duals... if you accept equal levels of usable lifetime (roughly 300k) from one set of duals vs one set of singles, that is the comparison.

Another way to put it is someone with duals is effectively $3,000 in the hole when they replace their first set. At the same point, with brand new rubber, I'm up $1,880 for a difference of $4,880 in my favor.

Jim

[Hawkjr]

I was riding behind a guy pulling a Dump Trailer with Super Singles on it and the bitch blew right in front of me and **** went everywhere!! and he had to immed. pull over!! it was a mess... just my pov..

[scythe08]

The Salt lake city terminal of my company,Mr. Bults Inc, uses super singles on our super sets. We haul 129,000 gross every load so whatever addition MPG we can squeeze out We want. Our trucks get around 3.7 to 4 mpg WITH the super singles. Without we were getting around 3.2 to 3.5. May not seem like much but with our loads it adds up quick and the tires pay for themselves in about 4 months and I can average about a set every 12-14 months. I've been there 3 years and am on my third set with 360k on the odometer.

I live in SLC so my tires see every season and to be honest, I see no difference in Highway travel. Regular vs snow vs rain vs whatever. Now there was a noticeable difference being in snow or mud in low range. These damn trucks can hardly make it outa the yard if there is hard snow pack on the ground with cold tires, but once they heat up, We're fine. But when We do blow one, we are dead in the water! Luckily Our routes are set up so that We are never more than an hour away from the shop, unless the service truck is on the other end of the route you are on