By increasing my average fuel mileage from 6.5 to 7.7, I will save $6617 each year on my 75k mile operation. I came up with these numbers using a fuel cost of $3.68 a gallon which was the national average in October 2014. I buy fuel much cheaper than that so my actual savings are even greater.
Using the same variables (1.2 mpg increase)
- 1 truck that averages 100K miles a year saves $8825.
- A 30 truck fleet saves $264,750
- A 300 truck fleet saves $2.65 Million
- A 12,000 truck fleet that travels 1.2 Billion Miles a year saves $106 Million in fuel!!
I attribute that increase to the 2013 Cascadia Evolution with the DD 15 and the DT 12 automated transmission. I was previously in a 2010 Cascadia with a Eaton 10 speed manual and ran the same routes, pulled the same trailer and drove the same way. So the 1.2 mpg increase that I got can be attributed directly to the truck.
If you're currently in a classic style truck with no significant aerodynamics, your increase in fuel mileage will be even greater. I know drivers now who pull flatbeds and get around 5.5 mpg. If they increased their fuel mileage to 7.7, they would save $19,116 in fuel each year. The savings in fuel alone could pay for a brand new Evolution in less than 8 years.