Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/328674
6 FIRST CLASS J ohn Daniels will take every pound of weight-savings and every fraction of a mile per gallon he can get. And thanks to Peterbilt's Model 386, PACCAR's MX engine and other lightweight components, he can get a lot of them. In fact, there are times when Daniels' Long Haul Trucking flat- beds can carry 50,000 lbs. of customer cargo. "The big reason we run Model 386s is they're lighter than comparable equipment out there," says Daniels, whose Albert- ville, Minn.-based firm celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. "We have to be a little low on fuel, but we can scale 50,000 lbs. with them, and we're pretty happy to be at that level. "Weight has always been very important to us. Our trailers are all aluminum, aluminum crossmembers, aluminum fifth wheel, aluminum brake drums, wide-based single tires — there are all kinds of things we do to keep our weight down." Loyal to Peterbilt There are other numbers that have kept Daniels a loyal Peterbilt buyer throughout his career — namely, fuel economy and resale value. While Peterbilt aerodynamics play a big role in keeping Long Haul's fleet fuel efficiency averages at about 7.4 mpg, Daniels says it's important to have motivated drivers involved too. To that end, he pays a fuel economy bonus, and it's paying off both for him and the drivers. "We had one guy come in with a load he took from Georgia to Minne- apolis," he says. "He was running light — he carried about 34,000 lbs. — but his fuel economy was 8.3 mpg on that trip. That's pretty impressive." Daniels had run a tra- ditional conventional fleet for years, but it didn't take him long to be sold on aerody- namics once he made the switch to Peterbilt aeros around 2003. "We picked up 1 mile-per-gallon right off the bat," he says. Another important return comes at resale time. Daniels specifies Unibilt sleepers on most of his Model 386s, but when he's ready to replace the trucks at about 500,000 miles or three and one-half to four years, he finds a willing market from local gravel haulers, who remove the detachable sleeper. And the price is always right, Daniels reports. "We've seen comparable trucks bring $15,000 to $20,000 less than ours in the resale market, and the only difference in the spec is the logo on the hood," he says. "We turn 15 trucks a year, and when you figure out the difference, it's a lot of money. It's been an important part of our success. "And I've heard some say that you pay more upfront to get more in the end, but I wonder about that. We've had some other manufacturers make a run at us. Peterbilt is always very comparable in price." "It's like a clique we have, the drivers who run Peterbilts. It's part of our culture..." — John Daniels, President Weight savings, fuel efficiency drive Long Haul Trucking