I try to get good mpg as a challenge to beat the figure on the display, especially when driving someone elses’ lorry.
We’ve done the SAFED thing but there’s no incentive to achieve good mpg when we get paid load bonus, and when you see the empty running we do (the lorry on premix running back to the pit will pass say me running empty in the opposite direction to a muckshift 
My Alpha gets 9.88, but I drove someone elses’ last week; Identical to mine except it’s 2 years younger (one of last Foden 6wheelers on a 56 plate) and that’s only getting 6.88 before I drove it. Can that all be down to me driving slower than the other (who drives like a “traditional” tipper driver) make that much difference?
Muckaway:
I try to get good mpg as a challenge to beat the figure on the display, especially when driving someone elses’ lorry.
We’ve done the SAFED thing but there’s no incentive to achieve good mpg when we get paid load bonus, and when you see the empty running we do (the lorry on premix running back to the pit will pass say me running empty in the opposite direction to a muckshift
Most probably.
Ask the VMU for a brake lining wear rate comparison. That’ll give you you’re answer.
Brake pedal is a diesel tap!
Personally i don’t give a stuff about fuel figures,& why should i? we don’t get any reward for it,
but i do drive the truck sensibly always use the cc if fitted and working not because i care how much fuel the truck using,but because it can get uncomfortable if not able to use cc ,
I’m on a fuel bonus so I care about the figures. My boss does not care if I poodle about at 80kmh all day. I find I get better figures on the motorway at about 88kmh. Trouble is, driving a rigid I get lots of town work/country lanes which drops the figures down a bit.
I couldn’t give a monkey’s chuff about fuel figures, as there is no incentive scheme and as we are driving about in 6 year old poverty spec fleet motor’s which are only fit for scrap, there really is no point in taking pride in the job.
We had a fuel comparison sheet in the yard in Calais and it was always interesting to see who was at the bottom, and it always seemed to be the Bordeaux depot, whether British or French, never understood why, unless it was that bloody hill on the A31 towards Poole
I averaging 8.8mpg in my merc pulling containers, try to get good mpg partly down to fuel bonus although amount of actual money paid is poor and partly down to pride in doing a good job, yes it’s a pain in the arse travelling At 52mph all day but it’s their rule so it’s a case of get there when I get there.
Lazy trucker:
I averaging 8.8mpg in my merc pulling containers, try to get good mpg partly down to fuel bonus although amount of actual money paid is poor and partly down to pride in doing a good job, yes it’s a pain in the arse travelling At 52mph all day but it’s their rule so it’s a case of get there when I get there.
If it’s an actros, I used to average 9.1 by running at 51 instead of 52. That was in an 07 with a clutch pedal
The company that I used to work for as a transport manager are heavy haulage so fuel efficiency isn’t high on the list of priorities. We would be lucky to get 3-4mpg most of the time. They did pay a weekly bonus to the drivers however if they didn’t have any tacho infringements. Heavy haulage is a little different to regular curtainsider/boxvan haulage. You cannot just pull into the nearest lay by when you are 5m wide or 30m long when your hours run out.
couldnt care less, i run 50-64 tonne gross most of the time on hilly roads, with a top speed on 106 on the flat and unmentionable going down hills, we fuel up every second day i just have to make sure i get the 2 days out of it 
I dont care i dont pay for it and with the state of the roads congestion and supermarkets fining the firm £1000 for been late. id rather have a good get there on time record and seen as fuel economy is at the back of our firms mind ill keep going hell bent to make the booking times.
The Company carres,so i don’t have to 
We did,Years ago,but we get paid for it :-!
We got 70% of the Saving,as the Company had to theres 30% an also higher Re-Sell Prize for the Units.
couldnt care less worked for monarch at tesco hit the 10 every day top fleetboard didnt even get so much as a well done thanks was treated like something they stood in anyone else had the same experience ■■?
A few years ago I worked as a shunter, when I started I was told that the motor was only doing 3.5mpg and could I try to impove it? The company posted fuel figures every week and over a few months my figures kept improving until I had overall returns of 5.9mpg. We had a fuel bonus which was paid out at xmastime and several of my fellow drivers thought I shouldn’t be included in the payout as my mpg was so bad!! My reply
was if your mpg improved at the same rate as mine had the bonus would be a lot bigger! Then of course the cry was “I get all the heavy work” so my figures are bound to be down. As usual with drivers they are there own worst enemy as the ones that moaned were in the mediocre mpg band and the top performing lads kept quiet and got on with the job. Yes I still feel a twitch between the shoulder blades if I meet these blokes now. regards kevmac47
I drive a different truck almost every day and my employer never comments on fuel consumption. His only concern is that the job gets done and the sooner the better.
He runs 14 trucks for the delivery of his own goods so I can only assume the profit on his goods makes the fuel consumption un-important.
mcg82:
although its part of my job to get good mpg figures, it also keeps the boss off my back. when i get back to yard i just want to get home, not given a lecture on how to drive, so my view is, good mpg = less grief.
My Company pays me for the Time i get lectured 
fuel consumption awareness = efficient use of the companys’ resources . ok fair enough… interesting to see CM fielding this survey to employed drivers. ( Drivers av. hourly wage = two bob and a conker)
Pity CM would only draw the usual “gallic shrug” should they survey our (extremely) well paid, shirt-tail lifting government repesentatives signing our lives away in Brussels who dont give a stuff about the UK diesel price compared to our european brothers …when considering the efficient use of a companies resources and their competitiveness in the 'free; european market… ( price-setters wage= £********************************************** ?)
To the average joe, it’s enforced profiteering funding by the UK haulier as a bi-product of a deliberate Brussels bias against UK haulage competitiveness in our ‘new europe’. Sorting that out will help far more than just surveying how heavy our boots are … n’est pas CM ?
One thing that always gets me - not so much with fuel figures as such - with the general thoughts of ‘green house gasses’ ‘co2’ and other such bullcrap, is the ever increasing number of 7.5t zones - with miles divert round a perfectly good road because rich ■■■■■ face doesn’t want trucks past his house, speed bumps - causing significant slowdown / speed up MUCH lower than the signed speed, and traffic lights at night + FAR TOO MANY roundabouts.
If the ‘green issues’ were true (which I don’t belive), then why do so much to cause MORE fuel usage, MORE co2 release and MORE wear and tear on vehicles (tyres, brakes etc)■■ Are they trying to kill the planet? Or do they just KNOW it’s ■■■■■■■■ and are profiteering from it all with increased taxes et al
waynedl:
Or do they just KNOW it’s [zb] and are profiteering from it all with increased taxes et al
Yes
Obviouly they failed to notice that the world had had at least 2 ice ages in history and that we aren’t still in one.
i.e. It has warmed up twice before long before any industrialisation.
Yes I still do care.