[Gay State Conservative]

I just bought my third diesel a week ago.I loved my previous one but I totaled it...or,to be more accurate,the insurance company totaled it for me (it looked fixable to me).My new oil burner is rated at 45mpg highway and I've seen many reports claiming 50mpg...which is believable because my previous one easily got 39mpg while being rated at 33mpg.

Seems to me that they could improve the mileage of big rigs either by tweeking the engines or the transmissions.

[jazusamo]

Truck engine manufacturers have been trying to improve mileage forever but when the GVW is 80K lbs there’s only so much they can do, in my view.

[Repeal The 17th]

“...they could improve the mileage of big rigs
either by tweeking the engines or the transmissions...”
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Gee, they probably never thought about that!

[Atlas Sneezed]

Seems to me that they could improve the mileage of big rigs either by tweeking the engines or the transmissions.

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Sure, all those experienced engineers for truck manufacturers trying to compete to sell to truckers whose fuel cost is the biggest profit concern they face just never realized that those obvious “tweeks” might be a good idea.

(Sheesh! Are you related to Obama?)

[Abathar]

"Seems to me that they could improve the mileage of big rigs either by tweeking the engines or the transmissions."

I work in the field, in the air induction end of it, and I can assure you that "tweeking" to get even 1/20 mpg would be cause for raises and parties like you can't believe.

Trucks have to meet an exacting standard that are set by the fleet owners already. The large fleet owners know that even a tiny MPG change can make big differences in the bottom line at the end of the year, but they also have to get X amount of weight up X grade while going X fast. They are always going back and forth with the different manufactures beating them up on this. Truck makers know this, they know umpteen millions will go to whichever manufacturer can prove they can do it cheaper with comparable maintenance costs. The market is already trying to do what he is demanding, and this idiot is too stupid to understand that.

If Obama even had a vague idea of the amount of money being spent to do what he is talking about here he wouldn't be the laughing stock of the industry he is today for saying this.

[Neidermeyer]

The biggest gains recently have been in “automated” computer controlled transmissions , aerodynamic aids (under the trailer), superwide single tires to replace tandems and driver comfort systems that don’t require the engine to idle.

I used to get 7.2==>7.5 mpg with a 425hp cat/9spd Peterbilt...

A “locomotive” powertrain ,, big electric motors with a mid sized diesel generator would save fuel ... can it be done without adding too much weight?

[Idaho_Cowboy]

Seems to me that they could improve the mileage of big rigs either by tweeking the engines or the transmissions.

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Like Hillary said: 'businesses can always cut costs'. /sarc