Because determining vehicle fuel economy can be done in a number of ways, resulting in different results, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) in 2009 formed its Fuel Consumption Test & Analysis Group.

Its purpose is to concentrate on data collection, testing and analysis for increased accuracy and confidence in truck fuel consumption results.

The group’s validation test work goes far beyond industry standards, says Tim Tindall, director of component sales, Detroit Diesel. Being a part of DTNA allows the group to do entire vehicle evaluations as they relate to fuel consumption.

The Fuel Consumption Test & Analysis Group’ fuel consumption test procedure includes dedicated drivers that run several established routes, he explains.

Moreover, data analysis encompasses a fuel flow meter and GPS tracking that allows the route to be analyzed in discrete increments of 150-foot blocks; 50+ channels of data per truck; proprietary code processes data and analyzes for potential test errors; data can be filtered by any parameter, depending on the test; and statistical analysis applied to the results.

“Our test procedure is the most complex, but it is the most accurate,” says Tindall.

The testing shows that the Cascadia with a Detroit Diesel DD13 or DD15 engine is the “industry benchmark” when its comes to fuel economy, he notes.