M2 106 Delivers 20% Increase in Fuel Economy for Mitlyng Bait Inc.

Medium duty trucks often travel long distances. Whether they’re hauling goods, foods and beverages, or in the case of Steve Mitlyng, live fish, one thing is for certain: spec’ing the right engine can make a world of difference.

Mitlyng Bait Inc. raises, traps and hauls live fish all over the Midwest. Based in Watson, Minn., Mitlyng travels as far as 18 hours away, to Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois and Ohio. The company has been in business for more than 40 years, but owner Steve Mitlyng just purchased his first Freightliner truck two years ago.

He chose a Freightliner M2 106 flat bed with tanks on the back to transport the live fish and bait in water. “I heard so many good things about the Cummins motor from friends in the trucking business, so when it was time to buy a new truck, I went with Freightliner,” said Mitlyng.

His business doesn’t put a lot of stress on his trucks. They mostly drive on highways, but considering the long distances they have to travel, fuel mileage was an important factor.

“The fuel mileage is 20% better,” said Mitlyng. “I get 10 miles to the gallon, whereas previously I was getting eight miles to the gallon. We currently have more than 200,000 miles on a motor, and we’re planning to hit 500,000 miles.”

The M2 106 has the option of a Cummins ISB or ISL engine. The ISB is the lightest engine in its class, and the ISL has the largest power/torque ratings in the medium duty market. This truck is available with Eaton Fuller automated-manual transmissions, and Allison automatic transmissions.

The Freightliner M2 product line also has the option to spec the Detroit^® DD5^® medium duty engine, which was designed with environmental friendliness, economy and performance in mind. Learn more about Freightliner medium duty trucks here.