Working Duramax
 

Hello,

I use a 2009 Chevy 3500 LMM 6.6L Duramax for expedite freight delivery. I'm looking for any advice I can get for squeezing every ounce I can out of my fuel.

Engine/tranny longevity and better MPG are my only objectives. My truck runs smoother, cleaner, with lower EGT'S, lower oil/coolant/tranny fluid temps than it ever did stock. I run my truck everyday with 10-4000lbs. in the bed only-no trailers anymore.

I've owned a small trucking company hauling frac sand with a pneumatic trailer, hauled cars with a double deck trailer, flatbed and even hauled enclosed trailers. Keeping engines up and running with a quick/eventual ROI was a must, not a bonus.

No matter what some people think of us in the trucking industry most owner operator's are environmentally responsible individuals working with slim profit margins struggling against ever burdensome regulations. Data is often fed to the public that is misleading or down right dishonest! Every % of gains in MPG means we can pay our bills the next month. For most trucking companies the taxes/fuel alone run around 70% of gross. We work with 6% usually to keep going.

Although I no longer own nor drive Class 8 vehicles I work closely with them daily. I've learned more from these men/women than I ever did in college or in the "Professional" world. Its crazy the things we go through just to keep your shelves stocked.

I say all this to bring home the point that MPG, engines that run clean and forever are paramount to our survival. 1/8 of a MPG saved to us (although hard to calculate) is looked at as one thing only "an improvement"
Mpg gains turn into $20,000-$30,000 a year reclaimed! Easily!

I will gladly consider ANYTHING to help improve MPG gains or tips/advice/experience for engine longevity or efficiency gains.

I will also gladly share or collect any data I can.

Respectfully,

J.B.

If you don't already use synthetic oil and other synthetic fluids, switching will definitely get you more longevity, and in the long run fuel savings too. In my previous experience with heavy duty diesels, that if the fuel filter wasn't changed at least every other oil change, that driveability problems came up. If at all possible, avoid excessive idling too.

I change the fuel filter where the stock was now a 1R-0750 Cat 2 micron every 8,000 miles or two weeks, the auxiliary filters 1R-0749 and a 175-2949 water Sep. Every 25,000 or so.

I do actually run amsoil Oil and change it about every 25000 miles

The only idling is to allow the turbo to cool down sometimes, rarely needed though.

Every time I fuel up I record the miles driven, HOURS, outside temp, average speed, elevation changes over time spent driving, humidity and more. Smart phones are great!

That's a lot of data! Most folks don't track all that.

My mpg for highway are 20.7 average over last 50,000

City/highway average is 16.3

I carefully record all my data in collaboration with approximately 50,000 commercial drivers weekly.

Egt's
MPG
Are the most closely watched but we analyze every aspect of our rigs