Horrible Fuel Economy & High Diesel Prices...Getting Old!

[steved]

I would agree with you except, why do they jack the price up when they "expect" a storm to hit? Why do the prices go up BEFORE the holidays that are the most traveled?? Why do prices for heating oil and all forms of heat go up during the winter months?



The oil companies know they have us under their thumbs and use every excuse known to increase prices.



I agree we have had cheap gas, but there is really no reason for the fluctuation in prices... the only reason for a fluctuation is from an actual cause, not an expected or probable cause. I watch my gasoline go up $0. 59 PRIOR to katrina hitting... then it went up even more when Rita hit... and they give false information... listen to the news... one oil company clained only minor damage to the gulf coast... another claimed 99% of the platforms were destroyed... who do you listen to, especially when the news feeds us what they want us to hear. One staion reported only minor damage to one refinery, another reported almost all of them going to be down for months.



I'm sorry, but china didn't wake up two months ago and buy millions of cars and then decide that they need gas for those cars... it was a gradual thing and the oil companies feed the news what they want us to hear.



steved

 

[Turbo Kidd]

ALL GOOD POINTS! The bottom line here is fuel is going up, will continue to go up, and will eventually cause more wars..... However, we are all on the same team, and when we bring politics into the equation people will disagree. What can I/we do to squeze the best fuel economy out of our rigs? I hate to switch gears here, but that is why I started this thread.

Thanks Again!

 

[steved]

As I stated... air filter/intake, exhaust, and a small box or RokkTech sensor... run below 2k RPM if you can. Hopefully you have 3. 73 and not 4. 10s like myself.



I'm leaning towards DynaTrac's hub kit... after I buy a FASS. The hub kit eliminates turning the entire front drivetrain all the time (including the tcase), so that has to save some mpg right there... but the kit is around $1800 without the group buy... which I don't seem able to find out if they are still honoring it.



Not much else other than maybe a GearVendors overdrive... but they are $2500+.



steved

 

[DOUGMartin]

I dont know about any one else but my mileage has gone up. In the last month i have noticed my tank is lasting longer than before. I havnt had a chance to calculat it yet thow. I heard they were going to forgo some of the emisions standerds for a while Im wondering if this has anything to do with it.

 

[steved]

I dont know about any one else but my mileage has gone up. In the last month i have noticed my tank is lasting longer than before. I havnt had a chance to calculat it yet thow. I heard they were going to forgo some of the emisions standerds for a while Im wondering if this has anything to do with it.

Enjoy it, as soon as winter "gets" here, they will winterize the fuel and it will go down! Mine usually drops between 2 and 3 mpg just from the winterized fuel... think they are already changing over in Ohio as I got some really poor fuel mileage from places that sell a lot of fuel.



steved

 

[DaveK98]

What does the mixture that you guys recommend do?



Where do I get the powerclean.



Thx

 

[RMalone]

Powerervice and Marvel Mystery Oil seem to make my truck just run a little quieter and smoother. Powerservice actually cleans injectors and the rest of the fuel system along with reducing the harmful effects of water in the fuel. As far as I know MMO is just a high quality lubricant. I really dont know if adding the MMO makes a significant difference or not. I only see about 1mph increase in mph with the mix, at todays prices it still pays for itself. And besides anything you can add to protect the cp3 fuel pump and injectors is alright in my book.



I have seen powerservice at walmart, and most autoparts stores along with tractor supply company. MMO is all over if ya look.



Mind you there are several other products on the market that will do the job i. e. stanadyne, primrose, powerclean(I think that company makes stabil) and some others I don't remember. Anyway I'm no expert but I do believe in using a fuel additive.

 

[jwduke]

Howes works pretty good, too.



I hope the oil companies are happy, they are ruining the economy!

 

[barbwire]

.

I can't believe how many of you are oblivious to the above, and whine about the 'oil companies' screwing us. """Its just not true""". If there were say 5 major oil companies in the USA, wouldn't you think one would lower prices significantly to sell more fuel and make a bigger profit?







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Oh, yeah!!!!! Then Why do we keep hearing about the oil companies making """"""" RECORD PROFITS""""""""?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RMalone]

H. Bach I agree with you to a point, it wouldn't be good for the government to control energy, however in a society that depends on energy the way we do, letting the market control prices without restraint is like playing russian roulet. The rapidity with which prices for energy have risen make it impossible for the market to make rational decisions.



I do agree that if there is a trucker strike, the only consequence will be higher shipping costs on all goods. The big boys have fuel contracts and deep enough pockets to absorb the short term, and the net result of a strike would be less Supply of shipping services and a higher Demand for said services, all of which leads to higher prices.



Right now is when the oil industry (or if need be government, yuck) needs to stabilize prices, and keep their cash cow alive. Remember its not a diesel issue but an energy issue. The economy and all us CTD'ers can absorb higher energy costs but they must come gradually enough, whats going on now is economic genocide.



Alright genocide is way too strong a word but you get my point... I hope! In the mean time I'm still spewin' smoke. Take care of you and yours.



Rick

 

[hasselbach]

For those of you old enough to remember, adjusted for inflation, gasoline and diesel today is actually cheaper than it was in the 1970's. Even at $3. 50 a gallon, that equates to about 42 cents in 1975 dollars whereas the average price of gas in that era was over 50 cents. Still pretty cheap compared to what others pay.



And for those that complain about oil companies making record profits, so what? Are you telling me that a business has to forgo making a profit just so you can't buy that new jet ski this year (or whatever hobby you partake in). If someone felt you were overpaid, and should be paid less so their products would be cheaper, would you agree to cut your pay?



If I owned gas company stocks, I'd be ****** that my return on investment (ie the money that I paid for the stock) was reduced because the oil company felt like they should allow me to pay less at the pump.



Yeah, maybe the oil companies are making profits right now. . But do you actually understand the risk of oil exploration and the huge amounts of capital required to find oil and refine it???



Come on, either get more schooling and invest in a career to allow you to make more money, or sell your trucks and buy a Yugo to match your lifestyle. Forcing companies to forgo profits never works. Prices go way up due to lack of supply (like if the oil companies cant make a profit, then they wont drill, refine and sell it, less on the open market means really high prices)

 

[RMalone]

Yeah well most industries don't influence every other industry the way energy does. What about natural gas H. Bach should we let the market control prices completely. If so then you live somewhere quite warm or you dont mind old people on S. S and kids in the projects freezing to death. And you know what I swear you sound like you either draw a check from big oil or are heavily invested in that sector of the economy. As I said its not just diesel its the whole damn economy and ALL energies.



Ps when havent the oil companies made a profit? oh thats right they have ALWAYS made money. I have no problem with them making money, just dont make it sound like the poor oil companies are being picked on because that is a load of crap.

 

[barbwire]

For those of you old enough to remember, adjusted for inflation, gasoline and diesel today is actually cheaper than it was in the 1970's. Even at $3. 50 a gallon, that equates to about 42 cents in 1975 dollars whereas the average price of gas in that era was over 50 cents. Still pretty cheap compared to what others pay.



And for those that complain about oil companies making record profits, so what? Are you telling me that a business has to forgo making a profit just so you can't buy that new jet ski this year (or whatever hobby you partake in). If someone felt you were overpaid, and should be paid less so their products would be cheaper, would you agree to cut your pay?



If I owned gas company stocks, I'd be ****** that my return on investment (ie the money that I paid for the stock) was reduced because the oil company felt like they should allow me to pay less at the pump.



Yeah, maybe the oil companies are making profits right now. . But do you actually understand the risk of oil exploration and the huge amounts of capital required to find oil and refine it???



Come on, either get more schooling and invest in a career to allow you to make more money, or sell your trucks and buy a Yugo to match your lifestyle. Forcing companies to forgo profits never works. Prices go way up due to lack of supply (like if the oil companies cant make a profit, then they wont drill, refine and sell it, less on the open market means really high prices)

A person can only spend so many millions reasonably, after that, it is nothing more than GREED! JMO

 

[Ereynolds72]

A person can only spend so many millions reasonably, after that, it is nothing more than GREED! JMO

Are you kidding?

 

[PKitzman]

It's a free country... start your own oil company and get filthy rich. There is a reason why there aren't oil refineries and wells everywhere. They aren't cheap or quick to build. I guarantee the oil companies are running flat out pumping and refining every last drop that they can process right now. ( I know this for a fact since a buddy of mine works at a Valero refinery) The reason they are running so hard right now is that there is such a big profit for every gallon that makes it to the pump. Do you really think their is a room full of all the big oil company execs that agree to cut their production by 15% to create this shortage? Or do you think that they all sit around and decide that this week they will only sell for $XXX price. To a certain extent this is true if you consider OPEC, but it isn't true if you only look at US oil.



Yes, they are reaping HUGE PROFITS right now, but a lot of that money will go back into exploration and capitol investment in upgrading their current refineries and new oil exploration.



Individual stations can gouge all they want in my opinion. I don't mind driving up the street to a station that's selling it cheaper. It's 100% supply and demand (minus OPEC). As long as there isn't collusion the capitalistic market place fixes the correct and fair price.



If you don't like the price of diesel I suggest using more biodiesel or better yet make your own biodiesel. Switching to a gas engine is silly since the prices will likely flip flop next summer and you'd be bellyaching on some other forum about unleaded prices. The real answer to diesel prices will eventually be biodiesel.



The US uses ~ 50 billion gallons of diesel per year. This year the US will produce ~120 million gallons of biodiesel. This is a drop in the bucket compared to the total diesel consumption, however the biodiesel production in the US has been skyrocketing at a rate where it is DOUBLING EVERY YEAR for the past several years. Of course there are many factors that come into play here (soy oil costs, future US energy policy i. e. tax credits, world demand, etc... ), but I would estimate that in about 2-3 years the biodiesel production volume will be significant enough to start really affecting the diesel prices. It will eventually get to a point (5-10 years) where diesel will be a byproduct and unleaded gas is going to be sky high (comparatively).



Don't get your hopes up that diesel will be $1/gal in 5 years because that will NEVER happen. The break even point for making biodiesel from soy oil is somewhere in the $2-3 range so I wouldn't expect it to ever drop much below $2/gallon. There is a new process that I've read about in a couple different places where biodiesel can be made from the entire plant (roots, stems, leaves, etc... ) rather than just the oil from the plant. If this process takes off it could really change the diesel landscape.



I'll get off my soapbox now, but instead of *****ing about diesel prices do what YOU can to conserve and use Biodiesel whenever possible.

 

[barbwire]

Are you kidding?

no

 

[RMalone]

Its not just diesel!! it's ENERGY in every form. Are you really going to tell me that in one year, production and demand have created a 80-200% increase in energy prices? Bull****. I have no problem with costs reflecting supply and demand, the problem is how fast the increases have come, if it were just diesel we could all handle it, we wouldn't like it but we could cope. It is electric, natural gas, diesel, and gasoline all increasing very fast. Market economies ebb and flow, we have now been hit with a flood of price increases and the economy is going to suffer. Remember the early 70's it took until the 90's for the economy to recover, and hell in the 70's someone straight out of high-school could go to a factory and get a job that would support a family, those days are gone, times are going to get real tuff, real soon for a large segment of the population.



Of course the oil/energy companies should make a profit, why would they be in business if they couldn't. But energy isn't poptarts you don't have a choice but to use energy it is inextricably linked to our economy. So great the energy companies will be rolling in cash and the rest of society will be in shambles, but at least were pure capitalists, we have that going for us!!



And before anyone calls me a liberal, I have voted straight ticket republican my whole adult life. Besides why are you guys worried about goverment messing with big oil? It seems given the whitehouse they are one in the same anyway! Buuutttt he's still better than the alternative. Have fun boys Im done with this thread.

 

[LDobie]

Wow, these arguments about old people freezing to death and eating dog food etc etc (actually was told that by a College History Prof ) is bogus, on the whole, its nothing more a knee jerk emotional reaction. Sure there are some people out there who have no one at all to help them out at all, but for God's sakes there are so many community and gov't programs out there. For the average old person on a tight budget to freeze to death IS A CRIME COMMITTED BY THEIR FAMILY!! You can't tell me that collectively their family and friends can't come up with $100 extra a month for the increase in heating costs???



The economy isn't going to tank, Gasoline prices are down about $1 from their Labor Day peak. We've survived 2, possibly a 3rd devestating hurricane. Everyone I know is making more $$$ and doing better than they ever have. Its America, Capitalism and hard work and opportunity will always pull us thru, sure there are hiccups along the way, but we've always pulled through!!

 

[Jumbo Jet]

Everyone I know is making more $$$ and doing better than they ever have.

Yeah, me too! But I would like to spread some of it around instead of giving so much of it to Exxon, Shell, P66, etc. How about some left over to buy that Harley - or maybe a nice Christmas for the kids.



Collusion is alive and well. Otherwise, when the Exxon station rose their price to $3. 19, why did the Valero station HAVE to do the same? Do you think their costs to produce are nickel for nickel. NO! It's collusion. My service station is conserving as much as they can. They make me bring my own jar of vaseline when I fill up!

 

[TSpecht]

It's not necessarily collusion. If you own a station, and the station right down the road raises their prices, why wouldn't you also raise yours? What are the customers going to do if they need fuel? Chances are they're buying from one of you, especially if you're the only couple of stations in the area. You may as well see what the market will bear, since chances are you'll be able to sell just about the same amount either way as long as you're competitive with the other station. On the other hand if they're in contact with eachother about the situation and conspiring to keep their prices the same that's different. Granted I'm not a big fan of fuel prices, but even where they're at now, life will go on.