Box Truck Gas Mileage

[Goldenboy]

I was looking at a few box trucks today. A GMC cab over gas engine get 9 miles to the gallon. Diesel would get you 13. WTF. My Boo-Boo Bus gets 6. Do all box trucks get this crappy of gas mileage?

Golden Boy

 

[SDSinc]

I have three Isuzu cab over Box trucks, all diesel, two 99's and one 2007 and they all average about 9 miles a gallon. No way they ever get 13 miles to a gallon. Maybe the chassie and cab by its self!

 

[Shawn Forsythe]

Box vans are about as aerodynamic as a drag chute. Takes a lot of BTU's to move then at freeway speeds.

 

[John Watson]

I guess it depend also on the engine in it.

My cubes never got over 7, but my 97 1 ton stretch with the Titan engine gets 16-17 on the hwy even with my 120 gal water tank full, I get 12-14 around town

 

[ErikG]

Buy the Diesel and use Bio Fuel then you have done your part of being green

 

[SRI Cleaning]

There is a big difference in a van vs. a box truck. The van is much more aerodynamic. The box is not exactly streamlined.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I think we are getting 15-mpg diesel on our low cab forward.

It doesn't have a unit in it but it does have 40-60 air movers and 6-8 large dehumidifiers, along with various tools.

So I'm not sure how a unit would lower the mpg. It's been a great truck so far.

 

[floorguy]

I have an 01 with a 350 in it... i get 10 almost on the nuts everytime...yeah it sux sometimes, but the room and the crap i can put in that thing, more then makes up for it..

 

[Loren Egland]

It has been years since I checked because I draw gas from the tank for my truck mount too, but I remember going back and forth to a class in Sacramento, so I probably put on 150 miles round trip and I got over 15 mpg. My 10 foot box van is fairly low profile Grumman Olson box. It is a 1997 GMC 350 engine.

 

[Out of Character - 0]

The cab over diesel trucks are for low speed driving. Our 01 npr street sweeper averages 15mpg around town if it stays off the freeway and drives slow. Ont the freeway and keeping up with traffic 9-10mpg is it.

They aren't geared for freeway speeds, probably cause there 4 cyl.

 

[steve frasier]

I average about 12 mpg but it is better if I stay off the freeway or just drive at 55 but I have that Sammy Hagar feeling when driving

 

[Walt]

I must be heavy footed, I never got better than 10-11. Though mine is just a four speed. I guess then new ones are 6 speed. FMI is working on a computer interface to install on there trucks to improve fuel economy by educating the driver. It tracks how often and how fast you accelerate and the speeds you travel. Good information for a fleet.

 

[steve frasier]

I tried to learn how to drive mine. If it isn't going to climb an incline then I keep my foot out of it because all it does is burn fuel that won't create any better accleration

no faster then 55 on the freeway

for whatever reason it has ran better/better gas milage after a break in period