is it more efficent to haul stuff in the back of a truck or pull it in a trailer?

Question

looking at Gas Mileage. Which would be more fuel efficient hauling 1000lbs in the bed of a truck or put that 1000lbs in a trailer and pull it with the truck?

Answer 1

I'd have to say hauling the 1000 lbs in the bed of the truck would be more efficient because if you hauled a trailer filled with 1000 lbs worth of stuff, the truck would be pulling the weight of the 1000 lbs PLUS the weight of the trailer instead of just the 1000 lbs you'd be hauling if you had the stuff in the truck bed.

Answer 2

At the moment you're hauling that half-ton, it's probably more efficient in the truck because you're using six wheels, with the concomitant increase in rolling resistance (six wheels versus four) plus the weight of the trailer.

However, unless you haul those 1000 pounds all the time, driving a truck with bed and suspension and running gear capable of hauling the weight will be less efficient because it'll be heavier than you need *most* of the time.

Answer 3

This is a tough one, it's actually more of an aerodynamic questions that anything.

Mythbusters did an episode where they set out to see if it was more gas effiecent to drive with the tail gate down or up. Driving with the tailgate down actually increased drag on the pick-up and caused it to consume fuel faster than the identical truck driven with the tailgate up. It was later revealed that the closed tailgate creates a locked vortex flow that created a smoother flow of air over the truck. With the tailgate down, the trapped vortex was dissipated and the drag increased.

How this relates to your question is what are the dimensions of the 1000lbs????

Is it going to be more aerodynamic to tow those 1000lbs or put it in the bed.

Answer 4

Haul stuff in the back of your truck--it's easier (why mess with a trailer, if you don't need to?) and more efficient.