This afternoon, I drove a Cascadia Evolution " I " from Beaumont, TX to Dallas in preparation for the upcoming Great American Truck Show. This truck had slightly different specifications than the new truck I have been driving recently. As many of you know, my truck is a 6x2 with a 2.28 axle ratio. The truck I drove today has the same engine with 400 hp/1750 lbft followed by the DT12 automated manual transmission direct drive. It’s different as it has a 6x4 rear axle configuration with a final drive ratio of 
2.41. Also, the trailer was different than my own trailer which has a NoseCone, Trailer Tail, side skirts, wheel covers, flow thru mud flaps, plated cross members from the skirts to the rear of the trailer, covered rain gutter and of course the relocated trailer license plate. The trailer I pulled behind the truck today had only side skirts and wheel covers. Both trucks were also equipped with wide base single tires on the truck and trailer.
The majority of the route today was on US routes and state routes. These roads can be best described as lumpy as they were in need of much repair. US routes and state routes are 
not graded level as are the interstates. When I arrived in Dallas, the fuel mileage according to the dash display was 8.1 mpg with a GVW of 71,400 lbs. If the dashboard readout is the same as my own truck then the fuel mileage would have been 8 mpg flat as figured at the pump. I state that because my normal display is usually within one tenth of my actual mileage figured at the pump. I was pleased at how the new engine performed with the 2.41 rear axle ratio and I knew it wouldn’t be able to match the fuel mileage of my regular ride. It was nice to test this truck with a more mainstream driveline and I was quite pleased with the result.