Do you care about fuel figures? (EMPLOYED DRIVERS ONLY)

The daf cf 8 wheeler I have just inherited revs up to 1800 rpm on the limiter and this week I’ve kept to 50 mph and my fuel use has gone from 5.8 to 6.9 mpg.
I know that sounds pretty poor but that’s a roll on off running 50 yard bins at full weight with lots of stop start driving and on the landfill site it’s more about keeping going than keeping it in the green.

bubsy06:
just knock it into neutral on the down hills that saves plenty of fuel

Another quality post from you… :unamused: :unamused: :unamused:

Suggest you go and read up on how engines work before spouting such crap.

rambo19:

merc0447:

Quinny:
Also I take WN’s point that if the gaffer has a top of the range car, then he can’t care about consumption either.

Ken.

Say you ran a fleet of trucks and where fairly successful do you not think you’re entitled to spend your on earnings as you see fit?

I dont see what make the bosses car has to do with him wanting his drivers to be fuel efficient to reduce his overheads.

Agree 100%.

I am unlikely to be the next Eddie/Jack Richards/Pollock etc, so don’t give 2 stuffs what the truck does to the gallon, and like TheTaff I never will.

And most cars that gaffers have are leased anyhow, (Tax fiddle.) and if they choose a big V8 variant, then they don’t care what a vehicle does to the gallon either.

Ken.

Santa:

animal:
Took an LDV van from Newcastle - West Thurrock ( Lakeside shopping centre ) then back (ok was full when left Newcastle well Brunswick ind est ) fuelled up when I arrived back home which was 70 lit :blush: forgot to take milage

Its about 280 miles so I make it around 35mpg

280 mile is not the round trip might be there so can poss double the milage

Mine hovers around the 7.2mpg mark according to the computer. Not the greatest for a 32t vehicle usually running at 20-28t. My old 6 wheeler with a 420 used to return nearly 10mpg

What bolloxes it is when the PTO is engaged for the crane or for raising and lowering the ramps, as soon as the PTO goes in the revs raise as the crane demands the power. Power to the ramps is via a diverter valve so they get a speedy operation too.

If I was more bothered I’d unstrap the machine, PTO in, ramps down, PTO out, machine off, PTO in, ramps up, PTO out.

The daft thing is that fuel must be one of the biggest bills but no effort is made to get the use reduced. We do a fair amount of running back and forwards that could be reduced by better planning or if they worked out our average and gave us a target figure to achieve each month with a small monetary bonus. If I tried harder I could probably get to 8mpg, saving around 10% on fuel. Even if they paid a tenner a week they’d still be quids in.

I don’t mind anyone agreeing with my point, as long as they understand what my point was.

The bosses car isn’t a tax fiddle, the car is generally part of a package, you can buy a used vw caddy from the auction or lease a BMW, the vw costs you a lump sum plus repairs, tax and insurance, the BMW costs you a known cost each month.

itchyfitchy:
afer working or a well known haulier in Norfolk who predominatly runs a fleet of baby actros… Mr “Director” wants a Fuel return of at least 8.5mpg over the course of the week. bearing in mind, most of the work they do they run at 44t all week, with the odd load which may only exceed 7t, it was bloody hard to achieve.

after going on a so called course on how to Merc, we was told to sit at 40mph and 50mph also using cruise control… and now the best bit… “using your exhaust break as your main break, and not foot break” anyone that drives a merc will know, that by doing this you need to be slowing do at least a mile before a roundbout, traffic lighs etc, thats without “BMW” cutting you up, closing the space some more.

so if anyone gets caught behind this known haulier, this be the reason why…

Hence to say ive now left :smiley:

That would ■■■■ me right off.

8wheels:
The daft thing is that fuel must be one of the biggest bills but no effort is made to get the use reduced. We do a fair amount of running back and forwards that could be reduced by better planning or if they worked out our average and gave us a target figure to achieve each month with a small monetary bonus. If I tried harder I could probably get to 8mpg, saving around 10% on fuel. Even if they paid a tenner a week they’d still be quids in.

Exactly right and if you worked for me you would get that fuel bonus.
In fact, if you worked for me and pointed out that I was doing something that was costing more
than it needed to, you would get another bonus.
(Then, I’m a driver who has become a manager, at least in name, I only manage myself :smiley: )
I look all around me and see hauliers in the tightest state the industry has been in for years,
yet many of them are running their trucks and drivers ragged for peanut rates.

Even some of the Irish are cutting their trucks back to under 90 kph to save fuel.
There is a lesson there that, if ignored, will only end in tears.

Regards,
Nick.

Quinny:
[

I am unlikely to be the next Eddie/Jack Richards/Pollock etc, so don’t give 2 stuffs what the truck does to the gallon, and like TheTaff I never will.

And most cars that gaffers have are leased anyhow, (Tax fiddle.) and if they choose a big V8 variant, then they don’t care what a vehicle does to the gallon either.

Ken.

Jealous much then ■■ Love to see the genius of those who feel it’s appropriate to be unprofessional and unconcerned about fuel consumption based on the fact “the gaffer drives a big flash motor” :unamused: :unamused:

The gaffer drives a big car cos he’s the gaffer. He’s put his money where his mouth is and taken the risks to build up, maintain and grow a company thus employing people. :unamused: :unamused: Apparently for all this though he should drive a small and discreet car so as not to offend the sensibilities of those he employs. Don’t like it ■■ then put YOUR money where your gob is and be a gaffer yourself.

My gaffers got a big motor but I don’t give a rats ■■■ cos it’s his choice (and mines even flasher) :laughing: . He both pays me and treats me, very well. He’s sacrificed a great deal to get the company through tough times and built it up from nowt so fair play to him. I’ve been “the gaffer” and listened to the begrudged whining enough myself :unamused: :unamused: :unamused: :unamused:

billybigrig:

Quinny:
[

I am unlikely to be the next Eddie/Jack Richards/Pollock etc, so don’t give 2 stuffs what the truck does to the gallon, and like TheTaff I never will.

And most cars that gaffers have are leased anyhow, (Tax fiddle.) and if they choose a big V8 variant, then they don’t care what a vehicle does to the gallon either.

Ken.

Jealous much then ■■ Love to see the genius of those who feel it’s appropriate to be unprofessional and unconcerned about fuel consumption based on the fact “the gaffer drives a big flash motor” :unamused: :unamused:

The gaffer drives a big car cos he’s the gaffer. He’s put his money where his mouth is and taken the risks to build up, maintain and grow a company thus employing people. :unamused: :unamused: Apparently for all this though he should drive a small and discreet car so as not to offend the sensibilities of those he employs. Don’t like it ■■ then put YOUR money where your gob is and be a gaffer yourself.

My gaffers got a big motor but I don’t give a rats ■■■ cos it’s his choice (and mines even flasher) :laughing: . He both pays me and treats me, very well. He’s sacrificed a great deal to get the company through tough times and built it up from nowt so fair play to him. I’ve been “the gaffer” and listened to the begrudged whining enough myself :unamused: :unamused: :unamused: :unamused:

:smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

ady1:
yes,if i get it all year round its worth appx £1200[better in my pocket than theres],but do i think its fair/works, no i dont[and thats comming from a driver whos not missed one from a couple of months before last xmas],the systems not fair as the driver who goes up and down motoways is gar it,ours is on running in green,use of cruise,idling,its obvious hell get it,the bloke who does 3+ drops automatically gets it,the double decker driver automatically gets it[they gar it on d/deckers,3+ drops],the poor sole who goes out and does 2 drops round country lanes doesnt get it[hes no chance of getting enough cruise].the driver who then gets 2/3 out of 5 eventually thinks stuff them,doesnt bother,sits in laybys etc to get his money,ive no idea how you make a fair system but its not fair that some drivers are gar it just because when someone alloted the runs they got motorway work,3+ drops,d/decker,it would be very easy to say im alright jack,zb anyone else,but i know how id feel,react in there situation,and i believe the system in place is not fair.
it also doesnt work as you can be as fuel efficient as you like,but if someone pulls out on you and you have to brake harshly youve lost it**,14 hrs 59 mins driving efficiently [saving company money] and in one minute youve lost it,**whats your reaction,stuff this for a game of soldiers i get it another way.
the one that really stuck in my throat was on our canbus training we were told if we had to brake harshly we could then bring this to the attention of the person who does it and as long as your genuine[not up there every 2 mins they would pay bonus,you then see ops mamnager as bonus blokes not about and he says you should of been looking ahead of you and you wouldnt have needed to brake harshly,you say-if i wasnt looking ahead of me id of t-boned him,i cant drive expecting every one to drive out of a layby without indicating and straight in front of me,his reply-but everyone says that,my reply-how many times have i been in office,none,first time so id guess im fairly genuine,and again his/some of managments attitude means drivers say stuff you.the office bloke in background said you know the answer next time dont you,run in to the zb thing,hes pulled out so it wont go on your record as your fault,and by not braking hard youll not loose your bonus,he has a point :exclamation: :exclamation:
and at the end of the day the little fuel you save in a day[company driver] is more than lost by the agency driver who doesnt get a bonus and leaves the motor ticking over for half hour whilst he has chin wag

You can drive for 14hrs 59 minutes in a day and then it takes another minute to lose your bonus??
I’d take your bonus about 4hrs 59 minutes before that for exceeding your drive time.

Thanks for your input, people. Just bumping this to get a few more votes on the poll - the bigger the sample the more useful the results! :grimacing:

I don’t know which box to check. I drive the truck as it needs to be driven, giving regard to gradient, terrain, weight etc.

I never think “I need to accelerate heavily here but I won’t, because it will use more fuel”

Lucy:
Thanks for your input, people. Just bumping this to get a few more votes on the poll - the bigger the sample the more useful the results! :grimacing:

It’s a flawed poll really, I suppose the nearest answer I could give is (1), but it isn’t because “I don’t pay for the fuel”.

It’s like having a poll saying “Do you agree with me” and having two possible answers…

  1. Yes, I agree with you.

  2. No, I am a sick kiddie-fiddler.

Why not have an option saying “No, I drive the truck properly and safely and if my employer cannot get a rate for the job which is sufficient to pay for the fuel required to do it safely and properly then that’s his problem”?

But then you knew all this already :wink:

Harry Monk:

Lucy:
Thanks for your input, people. Just bumping this to get a few more votes on the poll - the bigger the sample the more useful the results! :grimacing:

It’s a flawed poll really, I suppose the nearest answer I could give is (1), but it isn’t because “I don’t pay for the fuel”.

It’s like having a poll saying “Do you agree with me” and having two possible answers…

  1. Yes, I agree with you.

  2. No, I am a sick kiddie-fiddler.

Why not have an option saying “No, I drive the truck properly and safely and if my employer cannot get a rate for the job which is sufficient to pay for the fuel required to do it safely and properly then that’s his problem”?

But then you knew all this already :wink:

+1

Advice to a fuel bonus boss,

Try running your firm well and stop taking out your mistakes on your drivers.

W

Well, honestly, I get fed up with these “faux polls” and with the idea that just because we are truck drivers, we are sheep who can be driven towards the answer which the poll setter had in mind for us, Lucy of all people should know better.

As I said to my boss the other day if there is a problem with my fuel consumption then there is a problem with my Truck…I drive a Auto Volvo FH, the gear box selects all the gears for you, you cant do racing starts like the old days, or take it off the clock like the old days…

With the new Euro 5/6 engine coming in the Air going in will come out cleaner!!!

My company does care, to a degree, well they care a lot, but our trucks are the least fuel efficient on the road, however, in an attempt to make a silk ■■■■■ out of a sow’s ear, they pay us a bonus based on our speed, it’s a bit different to the UK where you have limiters, my only limiter is my right boot, but if I keep under 65mph for 90% of my miles I get $0.05 per mile, 85% $0.04 per mile etc until it dwindles down to zero. we all run different routes at different weights, so a fuel bonus would be unfair to some, the theory behind ours is that by driving at 64mph or under, we’ll be getting the best fuel economy at that particular time. 64mph may seem fast, but the trucks are geared very high, so under that and you need to change down half a gear.

I care, because I’m a professional, plus, I learned that driving economically is also the fastest way to get from A to B, I learned this from being trained by manufacturers representatives, it may cost a lot to train a driver, but it costs a lot more not to train them :bulb:

Harry Monk:
Well, honestly, I get fed up with these “faux polls” and with the idea that just because we are truck drivers, we are sheep who can be driven towards the answer which the poll setter had in mind for us, Lucy of all people should know better.

It’s a completely fair point, and to be honest I wasn’t looking to drive the answer anywhere - if you’ve read much of my previous work I tend to err on the side of digging out what’s not expected rather than what is, so there’s certainly no agenda here. I pride myself on keeping the contacts I gain by never screwing them over, and people who give help on here are no different in that respect.

It’s too late to change it now, but I’ll happily ensure that your views are represented. After all, I’m looking to get to the truth, here, not anyone else’s idea of it, hence asking for comments.

Thanks. :grimacing:

Lucy:

Harry Monk:
Well, honestly, I get fed up with these “faux polls” and with the idea that just because we are truck drivers, we are sheep who can be driven towards the answer which the poll setter had in mind for us, Lucy of all people should know better.

It’s a completely fair point, and to be honest I wasn’t looking to drive the answer anywhere - if you’ve read much of my previous work I tend to err on the side of digging out what’s not expected rather than what is, so there’s certainly no agenda here. I pride myself on keeping the contacts I gain by never screwing them over, and people who give help on here are no different in that respect.

It’s too late to change it now, but I’ll happily ensure that your views are represented. After all, I’m looking to get to the truth, here, not anyone else’s idea of it, hence asking for comments.

Thanks. :grimacing:

Have you taken over from Rikki as community manager here now? Rikki has not been on this site for months and is also ignoring PMs. You creating all these pointless polls was what Rikki used to do to keep the RT ad mongers happy, so are you at the wheel now?