Why? Just... Why???

BigBob, are you still car hauling?

The truck in your avatar, what is it’s wheelbase? What is the total vehicle length? The average truck is probably 72ft. With all of this talk about function over form and not being able to maneuver in the northeast, you have to be laughing inside.

I worked for a company that pulled blast resistant building out of Houston and ran them all over to ever oil refinery. 14ft tall, 12 ft wide, 90ft long total vehicle length, and 93000 gvw every day of the week. With a hood. Going into refineries that were built for tankers. Ask those tanker yankers about the refineries being tight. If you are backing into a dock, you do not know what tight is.

The mega carrier training has you guys thinking that all drivers are equal. You guys who have trouble backing a box with a 230wb truck, when you see someone with a big wheelbase, assume that he is much better than average until he proves he’s not.

 

Running across 78 in PA at night, I typically see at least a few people running a clapped out Volvo or Crapcadia with probably $5000 worth of LED headlights and driving lights and fog lights, all lit up on a crystal clear, full moon night.

And I ask Why Just......Why?

 

So am I but somehow I never see them.
If they are, they are well upkept.
So I ask you why ...just why did you say what you just did say?

 

I personally hate the look of a truck in general.
I could not live in a neighborhood where you're allowed to park your rigs on the street. The very thought of me looking out the window and seeing any semis makes me sick. If a neighbor was a truck owner and would violate the code of parking his rig in front of my house, he would have to deal with my becoming mad because of that. I want the area where I live to be free of the trucking malaria that I breathe every day for the last 2 decades.

@Dino soar ... why just..why?
Poeple who do it have a different aesthetics upbringing and that's their way of manifesting it. That's their strength demonstration. Their statement of who they are and what matters to them. That's all right. I respect that, even though I was never impressed.

 

We were all raised differently. I am thankful that my dad could park the truck and trailer at our house. I spent countless hours crawling all over that truck and pretending to drive, and later my time was spent polishing wheels and fuel tanks when I was older. And now I’m thankful that I own a house and have room to build a shop. I can’t imagine living in a neighborhood.

Some people enjoy trucking because it’s in our blood. Yesterday going across Ohio I got some waves and thumbs up from a crew harvesting along the turnpike and it made my day. So I guess that’s my rambling answer to why.

C’mon guys, let’s see what you’re driving.

 

Call it ahs for always hitting sh...t

 

Not currently hauling cars but was up until about 3 months ago. I believe the one in my avatar is 290” or 300” but it’s a guess. The last truck I was in was a an 80’ unit. Of course that’s before you add the overhang for the cars in the front and back. Most car dealerships in the northeast are quite the challenge to get in and out of especially maneuvering between millions of dollars of cars and trucks and of course customers looking to buy. And also you have to be sure while watching the obstacles you don’t hit a building or a power pole or another truck with the overhang. I don’t think driving a long wheelbase is such a big deal. You get accustomed to what your riding in. It takes a little more attention to detail but of course we are all professionals so that should go without saying.

Oh I forgot to mention being 5” off the ground just adds to the good times! The heavy haul guys know what that’s all about.

 

My last ride.

 

You might have looked, but did not see.
Usually they're pulling rail containers outta Jersey, or trash haulers. And while they're evidently maintained well enough to pass DOT inspections, they just have a look about them. Fenders with duct tape, zip ties holding the fairings from flapping in the wind. We've all seen such trucks. But the LED headlights, fog lights, driving lights probably cost them some nice coin. You'd think they could invest some of that money into bolts, screws or whatever holds the fairings on. Or even just a simple trip to the streakin' Beacon.

At the end of the day, hey, it's their truck, their money. They can do as they please. And I can wonder about such things and grumble about it as I please