Some folks are fortunate enough to do what they love for a living. I consider myself one of those people. But as I listen to John Penn talk about his 2019 Freightliner Cascadia, I wonder if he’s not a level or two above me. Penn is so keen on freight delivery that he won Overdrive‘s 2025 Trucker of the Year award, and it’s a joy just listening to him talk about all he’s done to get the most fuel economy out of his big rig.
See, Penn runs JP Transport out of Orleans, Indiana. He mainly delivers furniture to retailers across the southwestern states, from Texas to California. In a recent video interview with Overdrive, he explained that he’s averaging 10.46 miles per gallon over 216,000 miles on this particular truck. That might not impress you if your daily is a Prius, but for a semi, it’s exceptional.
It should be said that there are tons of variables that allow some trucks to get double-digit fuel economy while others are lucky to get six or seven mpg. Working to Penn’s advantage is his consistent setup, one that’s more aerodynamic than many on the road. He notes in the video that he has made a handful of modifications to his box trailer since buying it in 2015, including a Transtex Edge Elite Aero kit. That alone is estimated to save 12 gallons for every 1,000 miles.
There’s a lot to consider when it comes to aero, as Penn explains. He said he looks at rain spray underneath the trailer to identify how everything is flowing. Dirty air is the enemy, and pretty much every tweak he’s made was meant to address that. From trimming the mud flaps for better streamlining to relocating his license plate to the trailer’s bumper, Penn doesn’t worry about any alterations being too minor or trivial. Even with a stout 455-horsepower Detroit DD15 engine, he wants to do all he can to spare it.
“The easier this truck can pull a trailer down the road, the longer it’s going to last,” Penn said. “You can take that from the engine, the transmission, the rear end—even the tires. Everything that’s rolling easy will last longer.”
Penn’s driving style is also focused on max efficiency. When asked about speed, he said he goes “as slow as possible, as fast as necessary.” This ol’ boy doesn’t even idle his truck to run the HVAC when parked because of the cost of diesel and the wear on his truck’s emissions system. According to him, “only a time or two” has he needed more than a good crosswind to keep cool in the sleeper.
While I’m not sure I could live like that, Peen obviously does, and that’s just part of what made him Trucker of the Year. It’s a badge of honor, to be sure, and he seems to wear it with the subtle pride of a true professional. Some drivers are simply different from the rest, and I believe he fits in that category.
Every modification for 10+ MPG: Inside Trucker of the Year John Penn’s 2019 Cascadia
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