Our company is becoming obsessed with MPG lately, they complain about we’re only getting 5 - 5.5 mpg. 
Yeah, that’s because we do all urban work, with heavy plant trucks with small engines and not enough gears in the 'box! 
A question for the plant guys, What would be the ‘ideal’ plant/hiab wagon? Drive (8x4/6x2 etc), engine size, gearbox etc?
Always the drivers fault! 
Never the TM’s saying ‘that truck will do’.
Mines a hiab axor 6x2 with just a 4 over 4, nothing fancy. Considering the engines also running when stopped (hiab) and it has a 2 position throttle pedal 
it still does 7.2 mpg.
Gembo:
Mines a hiab axor 6x2 with just a 4 over 4, nothing fancy. Considering the engines also running when stopped (hiab) and it has a 2 position throttle pedal
Very very underated truck , plus a decent driver !!! .
Gembo:
and it has a 2 position throttle pedal
An honest driver on Trucknet ■■
We’re the same, I return the highest mpg, but I have the longest run and most of it is m/way & d/c. Strange that my 6 yr old manual LF does a lot better than the new auto Eurocargos (that the lease co said are more economical) on the same run (15.6 vs 13.8mpg). The other bane is idling time, if they changed the soddened pollen filters we wouldn’t mist up as bad and clear the flippin screens quicker on a damp morning, and what part of “the starter motor was u/s” so I couldn’t turn it off till I got to the workshop (still completed my drops) don’t they understand■■?
Goldfinger:
A question for the plant guys, What would be the ‘ideal’ plant/hiab wagon? Drive (8x4/6x2 etc), engine size, gearbox etc?
I think I’ve almost got it.
Obviously depends on a number of factors, but for the work we do this is almost ideal. We were looking at buying a new vehicle when this came up for sale, chassis wise it’s what I’d have put on a wish list and hoped for, realistically I’d have ended up with a distribution chassis and having to battle for a 400 engine and a G Cab.
To carry 13t excavators you really need an 8 wheeler, whilst they can in theory go on a 6 wheeler with no crane you are most likely going to overload the front axle. I’ve got a 23t/m crane and can still carry 15.5t
The construction chassis is great, loads of ride height for rough work which is so much better than a boggo distribution model. We’ve taken the front underrun bar off as it just gets in the way, got to put it back on soon for the MOT 
Having had an 8x4’s and 6x2’s I’d say that an 8x2 is a better bet, lighter and more manoeuvrable and I’ve not got stuck with it yet.
Powerful engines are worth the extra, easier to live with and working less hard. I had a 6x2 with a 420 which was like a rocket and did 10mpg. I’ve had 4/4 and 3/3 with splitter boxes and found that the 3/3 splitter box was a good combo for this work, currently I’ve got the Opticruise box with clutch pedal and although it’s not 100% does make life easier.
If I was given the task of speccing another vehicle I’d deffo go for the same chassis configuration although I’d recommend a 480 and have a drawbar trailer too. The body on mine is an Andover, in my opinion the best plant bodies but this is a bit no frills for my liking. Fold flat ramps, twistlocks and some decent toolboxes would have been handy.
I average 7.3mpg, and that is a very varied workload that determines that figure. Urban, motorway, site, Hiab, PTO, idling and generally driving it how I want to. Fortunately at present no one is hassling me about fuel figures so thats that.
Goldfinger:
Our company is becoming obsessed with MPG lately, they complain about we’re only getting 5 - 5.5 mpg.Yeah, that’s because we do all urban work, with heavy plant trucks with small engines and not enough gears in the 'box!
If you’re getting under 6MPG its cos you can’t drive for toffee, even worse if you’re running a rigid.
8wheels:
Goldfinger:
A question for the plant guys, What would be the ‘ideal’ plant/hiab wagon? Drive (8x4/6x2 etc), engine size, gearbox etc?I think I’ve almost got it.
Thats a nice motor, wana swap??
As you say, with plant and only one front axle, its easy to go over weight on the front. I know someone who found that out the hard way with plant machinery. I don’t move plant myself but accasionaly move containers and accom’ blocks etc as the hiab is right on the arse end. The one thing i wish i had that you have is that lift axle. A 6x4 double drive is a pain in the arse to manouver in tight spaces, i’d trade a driven axle anyday for a tag. Mine is nearing renewal now at 5 year old but il doubt il have a say in what i get next unfortunately.
The 8x2 is handy but you still need as much space as my old 8x4 a lot of the time, it’s no use squeezing in somewhere tight with the tag lifted if you can’t get out with it down. A rear steer 8x2 would be really handy.
8wheels:
The 8x2 is handy but you still need as much space as my old 8x4 a lot of the time, it’s no use squeezing in somewhere tight with the tag lifted if you can’t get out with it down.
Methinks there’s a story to tell here 8wheels ■■? 
No if in doubt I drop the tag and use all the wheels when I’m empty.
Although one of my first runs on an artic I got in a muddle with a rear steer axle that steers only when going forwards, couldn’t get around the corner and because the wheels were steering at an angle they wouldn’t lock in the straight position to reverse. All they did was work against you, got around that by lifting the trailer height right up, pulling the lift axle valve to relieve the pressure on the tyres and they snapped back into alignment.
I’m far from perfect but I’ve spent a few years learning exactly how to get this work done.
Stand by tomorrow when I get stuck on site and can’t get out.
Conor:
Goldfinger:
Our company is becoming obsessed with MPG lately, they complain about we’re only getting 5 - 5.5 mpg.Yeah, that’s because we do all urban work, with heavy plant trucks with small engines and not enough gears in the 'box!
If you’re getting under 6MPG its cos you can’t drive for toffee, even worse if you’re running a rigid.
Here we go…
Yes, it’s a rigid - '06 plate 8x4 Volvo FM380, cheese wedge plant body including twist locks, fitted with a PM50 crane.
If you know Newcastle and it surrounding areas, our depot’s in the ■■■■ middle and anywhere we go out of the depot, it’s uphill or on an incline that makes the truck work harder, very little D/C or S/C work, nearly all ‘town’ work.
Even looking at the other trucks, this time on I-shift (container carriers only), they’re only getting 5.8mpg ATM.
8wheeler 380 auto and running a PTO: Could be your answer as Cemex Kidlington had an FM9 380 mixer that was crap on fuel. The engine was always struggling. We had a simialr problem speccing 7litre 320 engines in our 2 Volvo FE 6ws. Slow and no better on fuel than our 12litre Cat powered Fodens.
Sorry, forgot to say mine’s a manual (4 over 4), the other truck mentioned is the I-shift… 
Just reading the article in the T&D about the FMX tipper, any idea what the mpg would be on that? There was no mention on what it was like…
According to an article on what appears to be the same truck in another mag, it’s 7.5 - 8.5 mpg on main roads and down to 7 mpg on the lanes.
I don’t believe in MPG figure too much. There are too many variables that can have an adverse effect on fuel figures which the driver has no control over. Load, terrain, weather, even bad route planning from the transport office. The boss should just be monitoring the driving style of the driver through telematics, to find out if there is too much harsh braking, excessive idling, thrashing the engine. If all of that can be reduced, lower fuel usage will come with it.
4 over 4 on an 8w sounds a bit suspect; Our FEs have this and 80kmh is the absolute maximum speed you can get without going out of the green band.
NathanB:
4 over 4 on an 8w sounds a bit suspect; Our FEs have this and 80kmh is the absolute maximum speed you can get without going out of the green band.
But that would be a result of the final drive ratio (in the diff/s) rather than an inherant problem with an eight speed box
~ Craig
Craig 111:
NathanB:
4 over 4 on an 8w sounds a bit suspect; Our FEs have this and 80kmh is the absolute maximum speed you can get without going out of the green band.But that would be a result of the final drive ratio (in the diff/s) rather than an inherant problem with an eight speed box
~ Craig
Funny you should mention that; They were changed because before they wouldn’t pull Gary Glitter out of a playground…
Conor:
Goldfinger:
Our company is becoming obsessed with MPG lately, they complain about we’re only getting 5 - 5.5 mpg.Yeah, that’s because we do all urban work, with heavy plant trucks with small engines and not enough gears in the 'box!
If you’re getting under 6MPG its cos you can’t drive for toffee, even worse if you’re running a rigid.
This person (Conor) is a complete and utter pratt!! never anything constructive to say, just abuse and negative comments all the time, a failed driver himself he has the gall to slag of other drivers, a man who could not make it as a shunter at ES in Goole, where is name is mud.