Anyone driving FH’s 430 engine with i shift? What fuel consumption are you getting? Some of our guys are struggling for 7mpg but the Iveco eurostar 430 is returning close to 9 on same work.
I was told by Volvo that the ‘I-Shift’ gearbox stops “idiot drivers” from having a hugely detrimental effect on fuel consumption, but that it will never beat a “good” driver with a manual box.
Maybe your boss needs to chenge the program for the I-Shift to a more economical one ■■
I would be pretty gutted at 7mpg though. Even running at 44T permanently you should hope for at least that.
And how many people never run for at least a short while empty, or light. ■■
Interesting question that!
I work alongside two drivers, who are getting around 8.6 to 8.7 mpg
out of FH12 460 6X2 units with ‘I’ shifts, these vehicles are on a ‘05’
plate. They run fully freighted at 44 tonnes for about 50% of their time.
I drive a the same motor,but with a manual gearbox which returns a steady
8.5 mpg doing the same type of work.
Interesting that you posted the question as I was going to ask a similar question myself.
The drivers using the ’ I’ shift setup, like the gearbox very much, one prefers using it more than an AS-TRONIC.
I find that the FH goes well,but you have to be really easy on the throttle to get reasonable fuel figures. Keeping an eye on the turbo boost gauge is almost a
necessity if you are trying for good fuel figures!
Do their cars run on diesel!!! 
What■■?..Its been done before!! 
Chef, c`est possible pour une petit plus sil vous plais ? 
Cheers, bullitt.
Our 420 FM12’s with I shift return about 8mpg as an average, some just over 9mpg.
Thats over a full run, 44t out and back empty.
HTH
I drive an FH12 with an I-shift and my average over the year is 9.2 M.P.G., i think its a a 430 to be honest ive never looked.
However i think the heaviest gross ive ever had is 38 tonne we normally run around 22-28 tonne.
I drive an 05 plate FM12 420 I-Shift, and average between 10 and 10.5 MPG.
Two drops in south London most nights. Run out at about 31 tonnes, and return at about 20 tonnes.
I wouldn’t get that if I ran on the limiter - it’d only be 9.0 - 9.5 MPG. Our assessors tell me I should be getting 9.3 MPG.
When I went for my new job interview, they were telling me that the company have bought FM with I shift because they were almost guaranteed high 9’s and the i shift was more economical than even there best drivers.
As I havent driven one yet, I am witholding comment but as it is bulk work, the trucks are always running at 44t
I think any modern truck doing 7mpg has a problem or the driver has a diesel car 
Plus Monsieur 
How accurate is the fuel consumption read out in the Volvos? I’ve got some figures that would make you guys turn over in bed. Our 52 plate B12M Volvos fitted with ZF automatic 5 speed transmission barely make 8.5 mpg - and this can drop to 7 mpg if heavy and doing one of our routes with lots of stops. All this for an MGV of only 17500 kg and only 340 bhp.
The previous company I worked for was buying I-shifts (better than Astronic because the shift is a lot faster), and apart from ESP cutting in at roundabouts all the time (we think because of the truck set up), they easily bettered 10 mpg although admittedly on much longer journeys and had the full 420 bhp available.
bullitt:
Chef, c`est possible pour une petit plus sil vous plais ?
Hey Bullitt…long time no hear…nice of you to appear with that one though…cant for the life of me understand what you mean though…plus what ■■
truckyboy:
Hey Bullitt…long time no hear…nice of you to appear with that one though…cant for the life of me understand what you mean though…plus what ■■
Truckyboy…Ask Russ
What goes around comes around as they say…If your weekended in Milan on trip money, so no nightout money and getting nothing extra for sitting there…well, c`est le vie and all that
By the way, I wouldnt mind betting your back behind the wheel of a SSC ,or something similar, doing distance work soon. Maybe your too long in the tooth to give it up yet. Heard Greece is still nice this time of year
What about Mr Bradford?? Dont think he would let you get away with 7mpg somehow
Cheers, bullitt.
flying_fenman:
I drive an 05 plate FM12 420 I-Shift, and average between 10 and 10.5 MPG……I wouldn’t get that if I ran on the limiter - it’d only be 9.0 - 9.5 MPG. Our assessors tell me I should be getting 9.3 MPG.
What speed do you run at if not on the limiter? I ask as there’s rumour of a fuel bonus being introduced at BB. Does a few mph less really equate to that much of a saving in fuel?
I run at 50 - 55 and my fuel consumption is 10.5 - 11.5 or better so yes I do think a few mph less makes a big difference. Running on the limiter means you are always fighting it.
We had a trial where half our fleet were limited to 52M.P.H. for 6 months and the other half were left at 56 M.P.H. the difference in M.P.G. was absolutely none so they put them all back up to 56 .
Fuel economy is down to the driver at the end of the day its nothing to do with speed or load its all down to how heavy the said drivers right foot is i am currently getting 9.2 M.P.G. but i know if i just eased offa bit when pulling away from junctions or roundabouts i could improve that.
Im sorry but i have to disagree, the load on the truck is going to have a big influence on the mpg, take a look at bulkers, hardly ever empty and rarely run less than 44t (or more), there is no way you could expect the same fuel return on something like that than you would for expample, a trolley running out to a store at about 32 ton and back in empty.
With all the fuel price increases, and working for a small family firm, I’ve been watching the mpg. My outfit, is a 380 daf 85cf, it doesn’t gross out much over 20 ton, but moving caravans has always been fuel heavy due to the drag factor, and gaps in the load. Previously I used to get 10.5mpg, now, with slightly lower speed and careful acceleration I’m being getting up to 11.5mpg. My unit has a RPC, and the catyliser is on its last legs(rotten, £1500 to replace), so we are derating the unit to 15 ton, and changing the cat to a standard box, handing in the RPC,so the road tax stays roughly the same. I’ve heard that cats can have an effect on mpg, so when its all done will the mpg improve without a cat?
Lots of good replies guys and gals. I did make a mistake though, the fh,s are 460’s,my eurostar is a 430. Can we keep the replies to auto boxes for the comparisonThe fuel returns are accurate on the fh’s as they have one of those dyno whatsit download machines that you put a card in.
From you experienced i shift drivers do you use the egine brake or lift of the gas and let it coast or eco roll as volvo call it?
I use eco roll as much as possible and the engine brake when it is needed.
I know that with my vehicle if I run at a faster speed than normal, on the limiter, the fuel consumption increases a fair bit.
I let it roll as much as i can i set the engine brake to position 1 and usually about 9/10 overspeed that way it rolls itself when it needs to depends on the road and situation im in ill let it roll quite high, on the odd occasion i,ll put the gearshift in to neutral and let it roll along.
One of our drivers swears that by keeping the turbo in the green when pulling away really helps with M.P.G. i have tried manual bow when pulling away and find that improves M.P.G. by changing up as soon as it hits the bottom of the green band.