Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
[quote user="vsmith"] Rant.....on!Ya know this might be a silly question, but while I feel really bad for the plight of the average trucker, my bro-in-law is one, I am very puzzled: Experts have been saying now for years that oil was going to go nowhere but up in price, and for the last 3 or 4 years the writing has clearly been on the wall that gas and diesel were going to go nowhere but up, some car manufacturers read the writing and began producing hybrids and other higher fuel efficiency models, now I have to ask:Why haven't truck manufacturers done the same? Seams like there still making the the same metal bricks Smokey chased the Bandit around in 30 years ago?Isn't it logical when crude goes up because of demand from India and China, gas goes up, diesel will go up also, regardless of how much emission controls or special formulas, it just wouldnt go up quite as much but it would still go up no matter what.So is it that the truck manufacturers are just collectivley too thick to get it? I havent seen any significant advance in diesel trucks since the widespread adoption of turbochargers, even those mostly boost HP not necessarily economy, the basic design and construction of the semi-tractor hasnt really changed since the 1930's!!!!! I know this cause I have pics of the truck a relative of mine drove back in the 30's!Why are people are still buying SUVs despite the predictions of $4+ a gallon gas this summer, I hate to say it but this isnt a surprise to me, nor is it a shock, these prices have been anticipated for several years now and anyone with there eyes wide open could clearly see it coming, yet as a nation we have collectivly continued down the garden path blithly ingoring the facts that were plainly in view. Blind faith can do that I guess.If someone as thick as me could see that when gas hit $3.50 a gallon back in '06, that it was time to hang up the pickup truck and get a gas sipper cause they werent ever going to be under $2.50 a gallon again, you'd of thought someone, somewhere would be thinking, "Hey maybe we should begin research into designing more fuel efficient trucks"? Guess not. Too hard to think outside the metal box?Maybe its time for more aerodynamic trucks, better engines, and smaller local delivery trucks, Biodiesel? Hybrid truck engines? time to start thinking outside the same old same old....someone enlightne me?PS - Were going to see alot of airlines drop like flies this summer. If the trucks are hurting now, how long before the RRs start feeling the pinch. Rant off, back to reruns of BJ and the Bear...[swg][/quote]When auto companies pursue fuel efficiency, whether being mandated by government or on a voluntary basis, the greatest gain comes from making the vehicle smaller and lighter.  When the cargo is only a handful of humans, there is a lot of vehicle weight and size that can be removed while still getting the job done.  Of course, the smaller the vehicle, the more dangerous and uncomfortable it is.  Unlike private automobiles, which can shed weight, trucks are solely intended to move weight, and their fuel economy limitations run right up against the laws of physics. There is no widespread failure to research fuel efficiency, contrary to a widespread belief that there is.  The limitations of physics are formidable, and research does not guarantee a magic bullet breakthrough in fuel efficiency.  Nevertheless, the reward for such a breakthrough is astoundingly high, so there is plenty of motivation to do research for the breakthrough.So this is not a matter of research being asleep at the switch while fuel prices have risen according to prediction.  Moreover, I speculate that it is highly inaccurate to say that truck fuel efficiency design has not changed since 1930.
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag