Lightweights

Discussion in 'Prime' started by nkdc78, Sep 19, 2012.

  1. ironpony

    ironpony Road Train Member

    17,502
    12,015
    Sep 23, 2007
    Ask my GPS...
    0
    Interior pics... not a lot of them the way Prime has their trucks set up. Most owner/ops aren't going to spec a truck the way we do, and the manufacturers want their product to look like rolling mansions.

    As for specifications... well, most class 8 trucks are specified by individual carriers or owners, so there's not really anything that you can call a "standard" truck. This is because what works for one application is incredibly inefficient for another situation - plus its almost impossible to get two drivers to agree on what the price of a free cup of coffee is.

    Most trucks GENERALLY* are a comprimise between lots of speed, lots of pulling power, and lots of fuel efficiency - you only get two. A speedy truck that can pull a lot won't be fuel efficient. A fuel efficient truck that can pull a lot won't be speedy; this is Prime's comprimise. Don't expect to get a lot of fuel efficiency in the 60's out of our trucks, and plan on pulling lots of 40,000-lb plus loads. There's another ingredient... the driver. The industry estimates that the driver can account for up to 30% in fuel efficiency just through driving technique.

    That's something you guys need to work on, especially in the reefer division because our aerodynamics are such that we can get some great efficiencies. Tanker and flatbed... not so much.

    If you want to know more about the trucks google...

    Freightliner and Detriot Diesel for Cascadias,
    Peterbuilt and Cummins for 386's and 387's,
    International and Navistar for Prostars,
    Kenworth and Cummins for Kenworth whatevers... don't get your hopes up there. Prime is a Freightliner shop, and they only order Kenworths when there is a major production kerfuffle at the other manufacturers.

    Eaton is a good place for transmission info, as is Michellin for tires.

    * There are exceptions (like U2's old Century) and remember you can't get us to agree on what that free coffee costs!
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2012
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. MsJamie

    MsJamie Road Train Member

    Ooh, I like the antenna mount, er, bumper guard mounted on the front... :biggrin_25525:
     
  4. DragonTamerBrat

    DragonTamerBrat Road Train Member

    2,742
    985
    Jun 6, 2011
    0
    Deer guard...one of those would have come in handy last month...:biggrin_25513:
     
  5. sj3mark

    sj3mark Bobtail Member

    3
    0
    Apr 28, 2012
    Sudan, TX
    0
  6. getn2it

    getn2it Light Load Member

    169
    25
    Jul 3, 2011
    houston,tx
    0
    Hello, i am a company driver with prime and i started out with the LW cascadia. i am 6'4" and skinny but the truck really isnt that bad if u dont have a lot of items. i could stand, spin around in a circle, and sit/lay on my bed.... they're that small, u can reach behind u while driving or sitting and feel your bed. it worked for me because i dont take much out with me when i go and i usually come home every 3wks, but if you're talking about a month out at a time, u should work your way into a fullsize truck.... they make it seem hard to do but this trick worked for me... Take the class to become a TnT trainer and tell your fleet manager that you have a friend thinking about coming on with prime in a few weeks, that you need a full-size) that trick worked for me and my few friends that i hae with prime.... once you're in it they wont say anything. i did 4 months in the lgihtweight and i've been in my fullsize now for 4 months and the only thing i miss about the LW is making the extra 100-250$each week, other than that... it really isn't worth it.
     
  7. heavychevy

    heavychevy Light Load Member

    75
    33
    Dec 2, 2011
    tacoma, wa
    0
    I made this awesome overhang of an entertainment center from a table I bought at walmart. And I can still lift my bunk.
     
  8. PChase

    PChase Road Train Member

    1,334
    613
    Sep 16, 2012
    Show Me State
    0
    i saw only a couple of ladies in my group today, which one was you?
     
  9. MsJamie

    MsJamie Road Train Member

    None of them, unfortunately. I'm still on the waiting list.
     
  10. n1xrf

    n1xrf Light Load Member

    166
    32
    Jul 18, 2011
    somewhere in the USA
    0
    I will say the lw cascadia looks.like it has a bunch more.room inside over the lw pete. I just got.issed a lw pete today and its gonna be tight in there.
     
  11. heavychevy

    heavychevy Light Load Member

    75
    33
    Dec 2, 2011
    tacoma, wa
    0

    oh it does! I had a lw pete as a loner, and man was it small!
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.