Not to get off topic, but how do you save fuel? (Try to keep it in high gear as much as possible, making less stops, letting it coast a bit while stopping instead of braking instantly?) :?:

"GEORGIA OVERDRIVE", and only drive with a "TAILWIND".

Actually, driving habits have a lot to do with fuel consumption. I know guys that consistantly get better economy if they use their foot rather than on the cruise control. I've done it too, especially when going through hills. Also, how you go through traffic lights helps too. Time it so that you don't have to come to a complete stop and you save on fuel.

As for starting, I've gotten my truck started at -23 F. But, it did take an amount of starter fluid and then seemed to take forever to warm up enough to run decent. Another thing that helps is to have an "ANTI-GEL" additive in the tanks along with the fuel. I've seen guys have the block heaters plugged in, and the engine starts... Only to die off when they touch the throttle. Engine was warm enough to start, but the fuel was gelled.

Driving habits are the major cause of high fuel consumption... speed & excessive idling are the greatest causes of lowering fuel mileage.

My truck for instance, is a 379 long nosed Pete, I have a 550 twin turbo Cat, 373 rears & 18 speed. I pull extended length (overall 102 ft), with GVW of 117,700 lbs.

My unit:




At 62 mph I am at 1350 rpm, that gives me an average mpg of 6.2. If I drive with rpm over 1450 I might as well pur my fuel on the ground. I put on a massive amount of miles, average of 16,000/month (our HOS are different up here ) & fuel is incredibly expensive (over $4.00/gal). So good fuel economy is mandatory. I watch guys roar down the road at 75 mph & then whine about their fuel economy. I just shake my head.

Idle time is another major blow to fuel economy, I have an Espar heater with a bunk heater, unless it is below -30, I DON'T idle...ever. If I'm waiting somewhere for longer than 10 minutes, my truck is shut off, I start my engine heater, it will keep the engine at operating temperature for 2 hours even at -30. I have less than 1% idle time on my engine.

Most who know me know that my regular run is in the Canadian Arctic, where fuel can be over $6/gal, so guess what, ZERO idle whenever possible.

There is alot of controversy about whether cruise control improves fuel economy or not...IMHO, it greatly improves fuel economy, UNLESS you are always on big hills, etc. I use mine whenever practical to do so, as it helps to keep the truck at a steadier speed & reduces fatigue.

Actually cruise control does improve fuel milage. When my dad drives the cruise is always on and the milage is high up there and he has a large car Freightliner Classic XL. When my step mom drives she is always on the fuel and messing with the cruise and fuel milage is BAD!!

Someone mentioned earlier, and i agree that when in hills, especially continuous, rolling hills, a driver can see further ahead than his cruise control can, and actually begin coasting near the crest of a grade, and get his foot out of it earlier. Sure, you will drop 2 or 4 mph near the top depending on grade, and your gross, but that is free distance that the driver can see, but the cruise cannot. Just like driving down a dip into a saddle. Your cruise stays disengaged until you are partway up the other side, but a driver could have added a couple mph very cheaply, going downhill, to coast up-hill, while the cruise would be hammer-down full at that point.

My opinion is that in rolling hills, like hiway 10 thru AZ, NM, TX, you can imporve your mpg by driving the truck. Also, at night my mpg drops because I cannot see grades, and plan accordingly far enough ahead. Took me a while to figure out why I got better mpg in daylight hours over the same route, and at the same speed, with no wind. :?

But that cruise sure is nice when flying east across Nevada and Utah though!