Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/535950
46 | Overdrive | July 2015 Super achievements T ested against a 2009 baseline truck, Peterbilt's SuperTruck yielded an 86 percent gain in freight efficiency, which combines fuel efficiency and payload weight. That performance easily beat the goal of 68 percent set by the U.S. Department of Energy. The truck was built in partnership with Cummins and funded partially through a DOE grant. It achieved 10.7 mpg, running with a combined gross weight of 65,000 pounds at 64 mph. The truck averaged a 75 percent increase in fuel economy and a 43 The increase in fuel economy for the Peterbilt SuperTruck would save about $27,000 per year versus a comparable 2009 truck. U.S. Xpress drivers found that the skirt portion covering the rear trailer axles was impractical, so Peterbilt made that section of the skirt an independent panel that can be lifted when the driver wants to move the axles or needs to access the tires. Cutting-edge truck based on Model 579 surpasses program's goals BY JASON CANNON