Saving Fuel Drafting a Freightliner????

[AKaiser]

I will speak for myself as well as many other truckers on the road. The reason we do not like being tailgated is because as a DOT driver, with a CDL, we are/will be scrutinized, taken out of service, as well as our rigs will be searched mechanically with a fine toothed comb for ANYTHING, whether or not it has/had anything to do with an accident, if there is a fatality or major injury. If people were willing to take responsibility for their actions, fine, tailgate me, but I am willing to bet that if one dies or is crippled after a major rear-end/tailgating accident, the truck company will be getting a call from the injured parties lawyer about a lawsuit...

If I was the truck company, I'd play hardball. They were breaking the law. Everyone wants to avoid being the badguy. IF they want to play the sympathetic jury game, countersue. Sure that might look bad in front of a jury, but if it never goes to court, it won't matter. That knucklehead caused damage and downtime, lost income to a company due to said knucklehead's gross negligence in violation of traffic laws that were designed to protect same knucklehead. That might not be as easy for an owner/operator, but it would get the message across. Bottom line, people shouldn't be able to profit from their/their family member's stupidity. Besides, who really profits? Lawyers #@$%! When this country stops letting people make money off their own stupidity by suing people for their own/family member's screwups, we'll be better off.

 

[AKaiser]

i wonder if now after the mythbusters showed a 20-40% mileage improvement from drafting it will become more common to drive up the butt of a truck, atleast from those who didn't know it was possible

They should also show video/still shots of what happens when you can't react to a possibly deadly situation while "close drafting. "

 

[DZink24]

If I was the truck company, I'd play hardball. They were breaking the law. Everyone wants to avoid being the badguy. IF they want to play the sympathetic jury game, countersue. Sure that might look bad in front of a jury, but if it never goes to court, it won't matter. That knucklehead caused damage and downtime, lost income to a company due to said knucklehead's gross negligence in violation of traffic laws that were designed to protect same knucklehead. That might not be as easy for an owner/operator, but it would get the message across. Bottom line, people shouldn't be able to profit from their/their family member's stupidity. Besides, who really profits? Lawyers #@$%! When this country stops letting people make money off their own stupidity by suing people for their own/family member's screwups, we'll be better off.

Unfortunately, that will NEVER happen in this country. It will always be the "other" guy's fault...

 

[AKaiser]

Unfortunately, that will NEVER happen in this country. It will always be the "other" guy's fault...

Only if we let it. We still have the vote, last I checked. If we let either party think they can run rough-shod over us, they will.

 

[NoSeeUm]

What did the Mythbusters find out?



Jim

 

[MA2LA]

I would venture to guess that the truck would get slightly better fuel economy. The vehicle behind is probably affecting the turbulence behind the truck, causing the low pressure area to be smaller (and of higher pressure), reducing drag for the truck. Just a guess.

the lead truck will use less fuel and its egt and boost needed for a given sped are reduced. I've seen it first hand when my 4x4 club travel, heck the 4cyl jeep fight to get behind the enclosed trailers like mine since half the time the poor things can't keep up.

 

[RJWEST]

Have drafted, But only after a talk with the driver on the CB,

With The Instant MPG read out on a laptop computer, drafting works,
1-2 mpg , varries with wind conditions ( big + differance with a headwind )

A spot just where the drivers mirrors disappear from view is where the
MPG increased, Driver could still see my truck even though I could not see his mirrors.

Works ok with light traffic and a co operative driver,,
They even take care of road hazard warnings for you.

 

[AKaiser]

I watched this the other night myself. Did you guys see the one about tire carcasses ripping off guys heads? I think their final test procedure was flawed. Most times, a tire is not going to collide with a side window at a 90 degree angle full force and go straight and true at your head, but more likely a glancing blow that will break the window and most likely bounce off. They should've tied that in with the drafting, and showed the "alligator" messing up the front end of a car, though.

 

[WDixon27]

it will also be tumbling bleeding off energy instead of going arrow straight

I watched this the other night myself. Did you guys see the one about tire carcasses ripping off guys heads? I think their final test procedure was flawed. Most times, a tire is not going to collide with a side window at a 90 degree angle full force and go straight and true at your head, but more likely a glancing blow that will break the window and most likely bounce off. They should've tied that in with the drafting, and showed the "alligator" messing up the front end of a car, though.