Drive what you like. Many times I get phone calls from owner-operators asking me what truck they should buy. My answer is “What is your favorite truck, what would be your dream truck.” Many of us still prefer the long hood trucks, 359, 379, 389 Peterbilts, W900 Kenworths, Western Stars, and the Freightliner Classic. Yes, the fuel mileage is about ½ mile per gallon less than an aerodynamic truck, and that mileage can be made up by driving via the turbo boost gauge and slowing down slightly. However, if you’re like me, you want to love the truck, car, motorcycle, snowmobile or anything with an engine that you drive. Like the saying goes, “If you have no pride in your ride, don’t park it outside!” Once you decide on the truck of your dreams, then we’ll talk about the engine. Which engine do you prefer, what do you haul, type of trailer, and what part of North America do you reside and do most of your driving? Also, what’s the average speed you cruise on the interstates, and is this a farm truck and will it be in the fields? Tire size and gear ratios go together so be prepared to know what tire size you prefer. These are the questions I will ask you and then we discuss the horsepower and torque required. I personally like an unlimited truck, geared to pull the load in direct gear, have the 13 or 18 speed transmission, and have at least 700 horsepower. Horsepower properly used renders great fuel mileage, engine longevity, and will be appreciated by the driver of the truck. Lastly, we will talk about all of the items that will allow the truck and engine to be more efficient as opposed to a stock factory engine.
We had two Pete 379’s in the shop for service recently. JR Hillhouse owns the black 2007 Pete, Caterpillar powered and tuned by Pittsburgh Power. The horsepower is 736 and JR does 10,000 mile oil changes and the engine uses no oil. The truck has 1,155,000 original miles. When I ask JR how his truck is running, his reply is “She’ll do anything you ask her to do!” JR came to us bobtail from Houlka, MS. The tan Pete is owned by James Blissard, who happens to be 80 years old and loves to drive his Pete. Adam, our mechanic who does the Hawkeye inspection report on trucks, built this 6NZ Cat in 2016. There are 475,000 miles on the rebuild, a total of 1,526,000 miles on the truck. James is from Houston, MS, and he also bobtailed to us along with JR. This Pete also has 736 horsepower. When there are two friends that truck together you have to keep the horsepower the same, it eliminates the competition! They both run the Max Mileage Catalyst. Two great owner operators with two very clean, well maintained 379’s. Ya gotta love the 379!
For those of you who call for parts or service, please be aware that we get hundreds of calls every day and we prioritize customers who use our products or have their truck serviced in our shop. Pete and Ethan are on the radio show every week and are who most callers ask for. Please know we have other employees who are just as capable and knowledgeable that will be able to help you. In our engineering department we have 5 engineers who are all very experienced and capable to take your calls. In our parts and service department, we have Dan, Craig, and Eric who have spent years working in the shop as technicians and advisors. They are very knowledgeable about truck parts and how to install them, as well as our service department and how we can help your truck in our shop.. If you leave a voicemail, please be patient while we work diligently to return your call. We are a small company that works very hard to serve a large customer base.
Remote tuning, we have 102 remote dealers in North America so if your truck or tractor needs tuning, look on our website at the remote tuning map and find the dealer closest to you and give them a call and make an appointment. They in turn call our engineering department with the appointment and we will be available for you. We currently have 5 electrical engineers on staff. If your truck has electrical issues, get it to our shop, we can fix anything if it’s here. Electrical problems are hard to diagnose over the phone.
Max Mileage FBC now has a Winterized Mix. To make it easier for our Max Mileage users during the winter months, you now have an all-in-one winter mix that is formulated with Diesel Guard, a best in class antigel de-icer. Keep in mind that because the catalyst is mixed with the antigel, you will need more of the product and dosing will double by the current amount. For example you would normally need 4 oz for 100 gallons, but with the winterized mix you will need 8oz for the same 100 gallons. Speaking of Max Mileage, we have a subscription program on our website where you can get free shipping on Max Mileage when you sign up to have it delivered to your door every 30 to 90 days. We currently have 122 dealers in North America with the Max Mileage Catalyst in stock.