With so much emphasis on fuel efficiency these days, with truck drivers being rewarded for achieving an extra 0.001mpg per gallon (irrespective of the nuisance to other road users), it got me to wondering why they don’t disconnect the air conditioning in trucks, or order without the option of air conditioning? I remember reading quite some time ago that air conditioning can take 25% off the mpg figures for a car, not quite sure what percentage it affects on trucks though?
Was just curious if some of these fuel paranoid hauliers limit the use of air conditioning, where it is fitted?
I’ve found it makes no difference in either our 6 or 8wheeler to mpg. Virtually no difference in my car either. There used to be talk that Chris Hayters’ used to disconnect the air con in any trucks they bought to save fuel, no idea if it was true but the story is well known around here. An ex employer of mine never used to buy lorries with air con but always specced it with their plant. The reasons I was given on asking why was that it was a waste of diesel (lorry drivers would leave it on with windows down) and that it was only necessary in dusty surroundings. I was actually told off by one manager for leaving my windows open in the (dusty) quarry because my lorry was brand new. So I was expected to sweat my arse off because they wanted to keep the fake wooden dash trim clean.
Well our lot are keen on keeping fuel figures down but they still order new trucks with a/c fitted, i thought it affected petrol vehicles a lot more than diesel, 25% seems wrong to me.
According to DAF/our firm the new Euro 6 XFs we use will use around 6% more fuel with air con on. I believe it is cheaper than running with windows down and roof open though!
And what cost to keep offices air conditioned?
airconditioningforcars.co.uk/ACpage05.htm
According to this article it doesnt affect the fuel consumption much during motorway driving and even city driving is negligable if it is on for a reasonable period of time.
Im assuming it’ll be the same for trucks
The first thing I do when I get into a vehicle is drop the drivers window, as can’t stand being closed in. Get into my partner’s car on a hot day she puts the air con on and I get told off for dropping the passenger window straight away.
I just hope the truck makers never do away with roof vents completely, as aircon no use when the engine is off.
I wonder how much fuel I have wasted this past month in the car as I run with the A/c on constantly, but have now discovered that a pipe for the unit has sheared completly, bloody BMW !!
The day they start moaning about fuel efficiency will be the day I look for another job. It’s a load of crap, I drive an automatic so theres very little I can do to alter anything bar cruising at 50. Apparently my truck learns my driving style, walofb, I don’t have a single driving style, it varies depending on load and road conditions. I keep moaning that the gears change when revs are too high - wish they could just set up properly and disable all the learn feature.
Tris:
The day they start moaning about like fuel efficiency will be the day I look for another job. It’s a load of crap, I drive an automatic so the very little I can do to alter anything bar cruising at 50. Apparently my truck learns my driving style, walofb, I don’t have a single driving style, it varies depending on load and road conditions. I keep moaning that the gears change when revs are too high - wish they could just set up properly and disable all the learn feature.
Is it a Daf? I thought you could turn that feature off.
Tris:
The day they start moaning about like fuel efficiency will be the day I look for another job. It’s a load of crap, I drive an automatic so the very little I can do to alter anything bar cruising at 50. Apparently my truck learns my driving style, walofb, I don’t have a single driving style, it varies depending on load and road conditions. I keep moaning that the gears change when revs are too high - wish they could just set up properly and disable all the learn feature.
Is it a Daf? I thought you could turn that feature off.
Scania, I up change from standstill in Manual a lot of the time to get away more smoothly.
Tris:
The day they start moaning about like fuel efficiency will be the day I look for another job. It’s a load of crap, I drive an automatic so the very little I can do to alter anything bar cruising at 50. Apparently my truck learns my driving style, walofb, I don’t have a single driving style, it varies depending on load and road conditions. I keep moaning that the gears change when revs are too high - wish they could just set up properly and disable all the learn feature.
Is it a Daf? I thought you could turn that feature off.
Tris:
The day they start moaning about like fuel efficiency will be the day I look for another job. It’s a load of crap, I drive an automatic so the very little I can do to alter anything bar cruising at 50. Apparently my truck learns my driving style, walofb, I don’t have a single driving style, it varies depending on load and road conditions. I keep moaning that the gears change when revs are too high - wish they could just set up properly and disable all the learn feature.
Is it a Daf? I thought you could turn that feature off.
Scania
I’m so sorry.
I couldn’t give a [zb] what I drive. It’s fairly comfortable and it’s got a fridge. It’s a nice truck apart from its erratic acceleration.
Tris:
The day they start moaning about fuel efficiency will be the day I look for another job. It’s a load of crap, I drive an automatic so theres very little I can do to alter anything bar cruising at 50.
Completely disagree. On Friday night two of us did a night trunk to Lockerbie. Both in the same trucks, 64 plate DAF CF Euro 6 automatics, both pulling the same loads in the same trailers on the same routes setting off at the same time, both running on the limiter where possible. On the Eco driving thing fitted to those DAFS he gets sub 20% and I get 80%+.
Over a distance of 614km he used 223 litres of diesel and I used 185. So in a single night on a 383 mile run he used 38 litres or 8.3 gallons more than I did. That’s 40 gallons a week or 2000 gallons of diesel a year, roughly about £10,000 a year worth of fuel more than I would. And he saves maybe 2-3 minutes each way over me.
I averaged 9.4MPG including cutting through via twisty minor A roads from the A19 to Darlington via Northallerton due to the A1 closure, going over the A66 both ways loaded (return journey 42 tonnes) on a very windy night where “slow down high winds” signs were on the M6. He averaged 7.8MPG.
But its a load of crap and you can’t do anything about it because its an automatic you drive? Rubbish. Stop excusing the fact you can’t drive.
If each of your company’s drivers increased their fuel economy by just 1MPG you’d save £5000+ in fuel each year per truck, enough to give them the ability to offer you a reasonable wage rise.
