Doing it on the cheap
Page 18
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• Econocruise, sponsored by Commercial Motor, ran its round-Britain economy drive earlier this summer.
The test rig was a Seddon Atkinson 301 6x2 powered by a Cummins 10/290 diesel and pulling a Crane Fruehauf tandem axle trailer (38 tonnes). The engine was fitted with the latest Econocruise EMA control unit with multicruise facility.
Eight drivers working in pairs drove the rig non-stop round a test route extending from Heathrow west along the M4 to Bristol, up the M5/M6 to Carlisle, via Glasgow to Edinburgh and south along the A1/M18/M1/M10 to the M25 and so back to Heathrow. In 102 hours the team covered four and a half laps; a total of 7,405.4kms (4,601.6 miles). The average speed was 70.8km/h (44mph).
As previously reported, Gordon Roberts, transport manager of SGB Imports, Larbert, correctly predicted the average fuel consumption of 35.941k/100km (7.86mpg) to win the Econocruise Economy Drive competition and a flight in Concorde.
To ensure fair play, CM's technical editor Bill Brock witnessed the start and finish together with the registration of fuel meter and tachograph readings, and Gary Baker of the FTA adjudicated. The FTA held the fuel consumption and
mileage results until after the closing date of the competition in mid-August for judging to take place.
The same vehicle, part of the Bartrum Haulage and Sto
rage fleet from Eye in Suffolk, was checked during May doing general haulage work. In loaded and unloaded conditions it returned 39.21it/100km (7.2mpg) — nearly 10% down on the test result. The Commercial Motor road test figure for the same model vehicle pulling the same trailer was 40.21it/100km (7.02mpg), about 12% down on the test result. Now back in service the rig still has the Econocruise EMA cruise control fitted. During July and August it achieved 33.81it/100km (8.35mpg) and 31.71it/100km (8.9mpg) respectively on general haulage work — 16% and 23.5% better than it achieved carrying out
similar duties in May.
Philip Bartrum comments; "The 9-10% improvement on the test run was a good return and quite believable but to find myself with the kind of improvements we had in July and August was a revelation."