Blacklidge Emulsions’ Fleet Scores 10% Fuel Savings with New Kenworth T880

Case Study: Blacklidge Emulsions, which produces a unique, patented product that holds asphalt in place called Trackless Tack™, has turned to Kenworth’s new T880 to meet growing customer demand and boot fuel savings by 10 percent.

The company’s product is used after a paving firm grinds off an existing pavement layer.  Trackless Tack is then sprayed on the remaining pavement and the product dries in 10 minutes, so vehicles and equipment traveling on the new surface stay clean of the hot asphalt.

What’s more, pavers can start laying the new road with fewer delays.

As the paver spreads the hot asphalt, Trackless Taack is activated and the bond between the foundation and new road is formed.

To meet increased demand and move raw materials to its production facilities, then finished products from those facilities to contractors and job sites, Blacklidge Emulsion recently put into service eight Kenworth T880s, joining 12 more company tractors.

The tractors were purchased through Truckworx Kenworth – Mobile.

“Kenworth’s T880 with the PACCAR MX-13 was the clear-cut winner in our evaluation of which tractor to order,” said Paul Johnson, director of logistics for Blacklidge Emulsions.”

He added, “A key for us was fuel economy since we run so many miles (120,000 miles per tractor per year on average).” To get real-world results, Johnson challenged five truck dealers.

“Let us rent one of your trucks and we’ll evaluate performance and fuel economy on a line-haul run from Gulfport to Tampa Bay and back (more than 1,100 miles round trip).”

Johnson provided key specs to the dealers – a 455-hp engine mated to a 9-speed transmission, and a mid-size sleeper. Each tractor was piloted by the same driver to eliminate driving variables.

A fully-loaded trailer was hauled from Gulfport to Tampa Bay, returning empty to Gulfport.

“The T880 was the runaway winner,” said Johnson. “It also beat all of our existing fleet tractors by that number or better. We calculated we could save $6,500 in fuel per year with the T880. That’s huge.”

Tags: Kenworth

Category: Vehicles