big rigs and fuel

[cliford]

so im bored in class and was just surfing the web and found this interesting so i thought i'd share.

Starting in Dec. 2008, 30 meter long truck trailer combinations with a gross weight of 90 metric tons, 200,000lbs., will be allowed in Sweden. It's estimated that this will give a 20% lower cost and 20-25% CO2 emissions reduction compared to if the timber instead would have been transported with regular 60 ton truck combination. The braking distance, road wear, and traffic safety will be either the same or improved with the 90 ton truck-trailer.

so with this information why are all the tree huggers worried about all the emissions created and saying that we need all the emission test when if we make a lot of power and can pull more down the road were actually saving time money (improving the economy) and the the air. maybe im totally wrong here but just thought it was interesting.

[cliford]

guess i should have mentioned I'm not very familiar with how much emissions there doing on the big rigs. i know with my family business we just bought some new trucks before the new emissions laws kicked in. but our business biggest trucks are only rated at 26,000.

[Gear Jammer]

Originally Posted by cliford

guess i should have mentioned I'm not very familiar with how much emissions there doing on the big rigs.

They are doing alot. It is a shame all they are doing is messing up good truck motors. Damn tree huggers

[cliford]

Originally Posted by Gear Jammer

They are doing alot. It is a shame all they are doing is messing up good truck motors. Da** tree huggers

yea i just found this and was like wow, look how much they can do with that. number one if you increase the load buy a mere 10% for every ten trucks a comapany runs thats one less truck they have to run HUGE saving in fuel and wages and if you think of all the semis that run this would go a long way with emisions and money

[JK23112]

I drive trucks for a living -- large straight truck as well as a semi -- and I must say that 200,000 pounds would be WAY TOO HEAVY for our roads and traffic conditions in the USA.

Our state (VA) has a normal gross weight of 80,000 pounds for a five-axle tractor-trailer rig. We use tandem-axle tractors with 53-foot trailers. Our 32-foot heavy straight trucks go up to 52,000 pounds, but they only have three axles.

Large dump trucks can be up to 80k or more, provided they have the proper overload permit and enough axles. {That's the limit here, but other states have varying requirements and limtis.}

I know that some western states allow larger & heavier trucks, but I don't travel that far.


Even if it did mean lower emissions, I can't see our tree huggers pushing for larger or heavier trucks. Not gonna happen! If anyone here would want larger trucks, it would be the trucking industry itself - most likely to allow them to save money by needing fewer drivers. Doh!

[RRonning1984]

Because the "tree huggers" refuse to look at anything that helps the enviroment unless its on thier terms.

[Gear Jammer]

I know in PA a tri/axle dump truck can gross 73,280lbs. In NJ a tri/axle can gross 80,000. VA has some F-ed up weight laws.

[00strker]

85,500 here in ks

[JakeLewis79]

I drive a set of doubles 5 nights a week. In IL & IN we are licensed for 80k lbs, in MI we can have 115k lbs. Of course that doesn't mean they don't occasionally overload the trailers and tell us to just go around the scales.

[zipperhead93]

I drive a log truck here in michigan and our state allows 164000lbs. legally and i have hauled as heavy as 211000lbs on private roads here still getting 3.6 mpg.with my
Paystar 5600i
550hp cat turned up to 630hp
18 spd. trans
4.56 gears

And thats on 11 axles

61500 lbs empty weight with the loader and pup


o oooooo oo o o 96000 lbs on the lead and 68000 lbs on the pup.