Tier Four Trucks

showcrop · Jun 15, 2016

There was an uproar when Tier Four was announced, and sales of new trucks was off when it took effect, but what has been the end result? The 2013 that I drive occasionally has had zero issues with the system. The truck is automatic and it will get 5.8 MPG if driven moderately. I realize that 5.8 is a big drop from 6.5 but I think that the auto makes up for higher fuel bill with higher productivity.

jon f mn · Jun 15, 2016

Fuel milage for over the road trucks went up quite a bit with the 2012 trucks. Darts fleet average went
from around 6mpg to 7mpg. I get about 7.5 now, but I've increased my speed from 65 to 70 this year. Was
a bit higher than that last year.

paul · Jun 15, 2016

What is the payoff for the decreased mileage, greater initial expense, increased complexity, and more repair bills?

If it 'saves our planet' well then sure, its a good thing.

If it changes our pollution index from 1.75 to 1.73? Then we are spending a whole lot, giving away a lot of manufaturing jobs, and becoming a
weaker country, for negligible gains?

The automatic can be designed into any truck, so that is a seperate issue.

On farm tractors, the emissions are terrible. In a cold climate like mine, they are horribly terrible. Chore tractors on a livestock farm will run 5-20
minutes twice a day. That is not terribly efficient, but it is the job that needs to be done. With the emissions, you end up high idling the tractor
once a week for 1/2 hour for the emissions to run often at the worst timing, seems like quite a waste.

A trucker probably likes it, you don't pay the bills (assuming not independent if you are rotating trucks from your employer) and we are
garenteed more trucking from our ports as manufacturing in this country is shut down, more imports?

Paul

Brendon-KS · Jun 15, 2016

Depending on the technology used for by the engine manufacturer going from Tier 3 to Tier 4 could
actually increase the efficiency. The Tier 4 engines that utilize SCR/DOC are literally Tier 2
engines with exhaust aftertreatment added. These engines were stripped of the EGR systems which
allowed them to run more efficiently but created more NOX. The SCR/DOC was then installed
downstream of the engine to clean things up. My experience is with farm equipment but many over-
the-road engines use the same technology so the principles are the same. We have many customers
reporting a noticeable drop in fuel consumption with the new models compared to the older Tier 3
machines even though the power and capacity was increased. Of course, you do have the expense of
another consumable (exhaust fluid) but this cost is small compared to what is saved by using less
fuel. But, there is no denying the fact that the emission control systems are expensive and have
added a lot to the selling price.

jacksun65 · Jun 15, 2016

Lol with my 2002 volvo N14 500hp auto shift 10spd I was getting 8 to 8.5 mpg. Grossed
out I would drop to 7.5

casecollectorsc · Jun 15, 2016

My 1998 Ford would get 6.5 pullin 80000. Lite loads would run 7.5-8.0......460hp N-14 Cummins.

JD Seller · Jun 15, 2016

The fuel mileage went up but the cost per mile of operation went up. The maintenance cost are higher. also these engines will not be million mile engines. They are getting 500-600K and needing engine work done. Many will need injectors and fuel system repairs long before that. Add the cost of particulate filters and you have a higher per mile cost of operation.

jon f mn · Jun 15, 2016

I hope your wrong there, my truck is near half million miles now and I wouldn't want to have engine problems this soon. I've had some issues not related to the engine, but so far no engine or exhaust issues. Dart has some 2012/13 trucks like mine with 700,000+/- miles with no significant engine engine or exhaust problems so far. They run both Volvo and Freightliners those years. The 15/16 trucks are now Kenworths and Freightliners and they have been good so far too. Dart is now selling off the 2012 company trucks right now and updating to new trucks.

Tier Four Trucks

showcrop

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jon f mn

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paul

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Brendon-KS

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jacksun65

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casecollectorsc

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JD Seller

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jon f mn

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