Quote:
Originally Posted by YerDaddy
That's my logic. The sleeper is so far ahead of the load you are pushing air twice or more than twice depending on pieces of tall freight. Once with the truck and then with the freight. You compare a low load of say... steel bars. A flat top Pete will push less air than a condo with the same load.
|
Yes, but my tall aero truck doesn’t push much more or less air than a low long-hood with its flat nose, twin cans and side mounted pipes. Actually it probably pushes less, since they call it an “aero” truck for a reason, right? With either your hypothetical low-rise long-hood or my 387 high-rise, the amount of wind resistance generated on the freight is the same. If we were talking about a flatbed you might be able to get me on-board with your assertion (with certain loads); but with a stepdeck, the very design of the trailer would seem to render much of your argument moot. The only kind of load that your argument might be valid with is a full load of lumber or other similarly shaped items than is on the upper as well as lower deck. If the load is on the lower deck only, the fact that it is eleven feet behind the front of the trailer means that the wind current flowing onto the load would be nearly identical no matter what the configuration of the power unit in front. With the average stepdeck load (especially LTL) which is irregularly shaped equipment, machinery or vehicles, etc., I would think it doesn’t matter what the power unit looks like, fuel economy will suck.
Quote:
Originally Posted by YerDaddy
And when you have tarped loads you might not want to run the speed limit. The slower you run the less destruction to tarps even though you should tarp to prevent any flapping. If you run between 50 and 65 like me (avg 60) cab aerodynamics isn't as much of a factor as at 70-75 mph but still that 3'X8' extra clearance upstairs is a lot. A piece of plywood is 4'X8'. Hold up a piece of plywood on a windy day and see.
|
I set my cruise between 61 and 63 mph… always. I do this not only to increase my fuel economy and decrease wear on tires and other components, but I’ve found it makes my day a lot less stressful not having to interact with most of the other traffic on the highway. I just stay in the right lane and listen to my ipod or satellite radio.
The plywood analogy is a poor one because when you say to try to hold it up in the wind, I am pretty sure you have in mind me trying to hold it up at a ninety degree angle to the wind and that is not what happens with wind currents flowing over an aerodynamic shape like that of my 387. Because the truck is designed from front to rear with rounded edges and gentle slopes, the difference in wind resistance between a 387 and a 379 or W900 is much less than the amount of wind resistance exerted on a 4x8 piece of plywood being held up perpendicular to a 70mph wind. A better experiment would be to get a friend to drive you in the bed of a pick-up truck down the highway at 70mph. First hold up a 2’x4’ piece of plywood (representing a 379 or W900) perpendicular to the ground. Once you get out of the hospital, repeat the same experiment, only this time holding up a 4’x4’ piece of plywood at a 30 degree angle to the ground (representing my 387). I think you might actually be able to stay in the bed of the truck and out of the hospital holding up the plywood that more closely resembles the design of the 387.
Quote:
Originally Posted by YerDaddy
Nice looking trailer. Just paid off my not brand new anymore Fontaine Renegade flat.
|
Now here’s something we can agree on for sure. Both the Fontaine and Reitnouer are nice looking pieces of equipment. While I am financing mine, I hope to be able to pay it off in the same eight month’s time we did the reefer trailer we just sold. NOTHING looks as good as a paid for piece of equipment on the road.