shuttlespanker:
instead of putting your foot to the floor on the throttle when accelerating, try just putting it half way
you will feel the difference on the smoothness of the gear changes for a start, instead of revving the ■■■■ off the engine between gear changes, it will keep it more in the green band and change gear earlier
This is what I found too. I used to be a foot to the floor chap until I gt this lorry, if I floor this from a standing start it annihilates my fuel consumption. So it’s gentle gentle, well unless some bloke in a V8 Scania is trying to race me and needs bringing down a peg or two Anither thing, don’t use resume on the cruise control, it just causes the truck to use all the power it’s got getting up to speed. Ease it up to the limiter. I’ve found driving in ths steady way makes for a very calm relaxed drive. No more hurtling about for me. In fact if I’m not in a hurry I even tend to set cruise at 85
I find at 85 kph it can be more relaxing as you ain’t on and of the brake and accelerator as you fight all the other trucks with .2 kph different top speed.
shuttlespanker:
instead of putting your foot to the floor on the throttle when accelerating, try just putting it half way
you will feel the difference on the smoothness of the gear changes for a start, instead of revving the ■■■■ off the engine between gear changes, it will keep it more in the green band and change gear earlier
I think that matches the idea of using plenty of progressive short shifted upshifts keeping the engine speed as close to it’s peak torque engine speed as possible.In which case throw the I shift in the skip and put a proper box in it.
switchlogic:
When they turned my 440 down to 84 kmh I was annoyed till I realised how relaxing it was! Was great never having to leave the inside lane!
Until they work out how many miles you’ve lost over the course of the year,let alone the life of the truck,considering that a truck’s productivety and therefore what it earns is based on tonne/mile of freight hauled.The gross weight is a limited constant which just leaves mileage.
switchlogic:
When they turned my 440 down to 84 kmh I was annoyed till I realised how relaxing it was! Was great never having to leave the inside lane!
As mine always run double manned on euro work that equates to a day a week lost which equals in real time to nearly 2 months per year, add that to the missed ferries and having to wait up to 11 hours for the next one it could easily escalate into a full 2 months.
Maybe doing long distances across Europe couldn’t see it making much difference round the uk. Hit a couple of sets of lights on red and you would lose more time.
Carryfast:
Until they work out how many miles you’ve lost over the course of the year,let alone the life of the truck,considering that a truck’s productivety and therefore what it earns is based on tonne/mile of freight hauled.The gross weight is a limited constant which just leaves mileage.
that is a very narrow view on things. for example, you start driving at 10am, if driving on the limiter you’d be at the drop an hour after they’re closed anyway, so why not save wear and tear and fuel?
kr79:
Maybe doing long distances across Europe couldn’t see it making much difference round the uk. Hit a couple of sets of lights on red and you would lose more time.
Not if the job involves the majority of the running time on average being spent on motorways.90 kmh is bad enough compared to 60-65 mph let alone 85 kmh.In reality it actually means more time lost here because there’s even more chance of hold ups in which case slower running just reduces the wagon’s productivety even more.The fact is,assuming that there’s enough work,the speed/fuel consumption equation has already been proved to show 50-55 mph running speeds don’t work.Which is why North America isn’t subject to a blanket 55 mph speed limit for trucks.
Carryfast:
Until they work out how many miles you’ve lost over the course of the year,let alone the life of the truck,considering that a truck’s productivety and therefore what it earns is based on tonne/mile of freight hauled.The gross weight is a limited constant which just leaves mileage.
that is a very narrow view on things. for example, you start driving at 10am, if driving on the limiter you’d be at the drop an hour after they’re closed anyway, so why not save wear and tear and fuel?
In many cases getting there an hour earlier means being able to leave there an hour earlier for the next job.
8.5 is about on the money for a 480 FH, unless your running around with about 6 ton in the trailer.
The fact that you are interested at all is to your credit.
I’ve had drivers work for me who have openly told me that they don’t give a toss what the mpg is.
If the boss is keen on good mpg,I hear the 440 man is outstanding,but then again they don’t get called German bedfords for nothing.
One thing I do with mine (a 56 plate 520 is knock the cruise back 2 or three clicks and that helps.
I have a FH480 xl on a 57 plate and I average around 7.9 - 8.5 mpg measured on the units ecu , but the work is rarely consistent enough to compare 2 identical runs. I run at 3 clicks below the limiter, with overspeed set at +5kmh. I use the eco roll to almost full advantage without getting overspeed warnings:
Going over the brow of a hill,
Knock the CC down 2 clicks. Eco-Roll kicks in, momentum takes the truck to 90 and the exhaust & engine brakes kick in to stop it going over 90 kph (sometimes it’ll need help of the disc brakes).
Near the bottom of the hill (with less than 30 seconds of roll time)
CC back up two clicks, this maximises roll time, speed may go up to 92 (or if your not afraid of a nose bleed you can get up to 60 MPH), if the hill is steep up the other side you should have already pressed the ‘P’ button.
Going up the other side.
If steep, knock off the CC and use the pedal with ‘P’ and in Auto (manual can be used but I very rarely need to), if not steep then leave in Auto & ‘E+’.
You can also adapt this technique when not using CC.
I’ve also found that other than on motorways/trunk roads (ie not on cc) the brake blending is very biased to using the discs when set to ‘A’ so I use the stalk a lot to scrub off speed.
The 480 is a beast and needs a gentle right foot, I’m no expert but I’m getting better, even fully freighted I rarely need more than 1/4 pedal to get going, more than that is just making noise (and using fuel). I never ever need full pedal, I’m scared of tearing the tarmac out from under the wheels.
But was the stack filter changed at the last service? Also has it been laser aligned?
I did a full service (inc stack filter) and had it laser aligned tracked in the same weekend and the following week I seen a massive differance in the mpg
switchlogic:
Anither thing, don’t use resume on the cruise control, it just causes the truck to use all the power it’s got getting up to speed. Ease it up to the limiter.
^^^Another good point.
Another tip is when ascending a hill freighted up and speed is lost, reset the cruise to the speed its settled at, and then slowly accelerate when the brow of the hill has been crested, and if its downhill over the other side use can be made of gradient to regain speed instead of useing fuel.
ROADRANGER:
The fact that you are interested at all is to your credit.
I’ve had drivers work for me who have openly told me that they don’t give a toss what the mpg is.
Yes i like my boss and my job and i don’t want them thinking i’m some sort of heavy footed idiot who doesn’t give a toss.
There is a couple of warning lights on the dash that flash up so il post them during the week to see what the opinion is on them.
I just want to do right right by the fella im working for,I know money is tight so i want to do my best
When i was at freightliner they put a chart up every week with fuel figures and i was always middle of the chart, one thing i do admit too is i like to work the truck and try and get the work done and generally i do seem to do a bit more than others.
One other thing is i asked in this forum because its an owner drivers forum therefore i respect whats said by you all as i do like to work the truck as if it’s my own.
MADBAZ:
I have a FH480 xl on a 57 plate and I average around 7.9 - 8.5 mpg measured on the units ecu , but the work is rarely consistent enough to compare 2 identical runs. I run at 3 clicks below the limiter, with overspeed set at +5kmh. I use the eco roll to almost full advantage without getting overspeed warnings:
Going over the brow of a hill,
Knock the CC down 2 clicks. Eco-Roll kicks in, momentum takes the truck to 90 and the exhaust & engine brakes kick in to stop it going over 90 kph (sometimes it’ll need help of the disc brakes).
Near the bottom of the hill (with less than 30 seconds of roll time)
CC back up two clicks, this maximises roll time, speed may go up to 92 (or if your not afraid of a nose bleed you can get up to 60 MPH), if the hill is steep up the other side you should have already pressed the ‘P’ button.
Going up the other side.
If steep, knock off the CC and use the pedal with ‘P’ and in Auto (manual can be used but I very rarely need to), if not steep then leave in Auto & ‘E+’.
You can also adapt this technique when not using CC.
I’ve also found that other than on motorways/trunk roads (ie not on cc) the brake blending is very biased to using the discs when set to ‘A’ so I use the stalk a lot to scrub off speed.
The 480 is a beast and needs a gentle right foot, I’m no expert but I’m getting better, even fully freighted I rarely need more than 1/4 pedal to get going, more than that is just making noise (and using fuel). I never ever need full pedal, I’m scared of tearing the tarmac out from under the wheels.
^^^this^^^
Cruise is good when you’re on the level, so is an I shift, but if the lorry has to work, so should the driver
Sensible use of both pedals and using the momentum of the lorry will pay dividends in fuel use and improve journey times. The i shift and all the other computers are very clever, but they can’t see what’s happening on the road, so they do what they think is right and if you’re on cruise that will be to get the speed to the set speed asap, so it will throw as much fuel as it thinks it needs to the injectors, whereas if you know you’re going to start on a downhill stretch you could let it roll at 5kms under the cruising speed until you crest the hill and let gravity get you up to speed and gravity costs SFA
You mention the Ardennes, well that’s rolling hills, so don’t use the cruise here, it will use far too much fuel
Anither thing, don’t use resume on the cruise control, it just causes the truck to use all the power it’s got getting up to speed. Ease it up to the limiter. I’ve found driving in ths steady way makes for a very calm relaxed drive. No more hurtling about for me. In fact if I’m not in a hurry I even tend to set cruise at 85
