Mid 90’s Kenworth w900L??

One that keeps an eye on the gauges and can recognize when something is getting hot or low on pressure. One that hears and feels how the truck is running and treats it with a level of respect or concern as if it were their own.

One guy will drive the ujoints right out of a truck and destroy thousands of dollars of parts in the process while ending up stranded on the side of the highway where another driver would notice something doesn't feel right when the let off the pedal. Feeling that slight vibration and saying something about it can be the difference between a good and bad driver in my opinion.

 

Thanks for that now I really know. I’m in a situation now. I noticed the temp gauge a bit warmer than normal and pull over to inspect. Sure enough the coolant tank had a lot of pressure in it… and fluid was bubbling out.. I

 

move added water ran it without cap and still was spewing fluid

 

I'm an owner op who's been running a 95 W900L for about 7 years now and I wouldn't want to put a company driver into one of these old trucks. With these old E model CAT's if they're turned up at all and you lug them during the summer you can easily push the EGT's over 1200 and blow the motor/turbo. They always have some issue going on and if the driver doesn't notice it and have you fix it in time they can wind up on the side of the road.

I've only had to be towed off the side of the road once in 700,000 miles, but all of the space in my side box and cubby boxes is dedicated to spare parts and tools that have kept me going over the years because I have the knowledge, ability and willingness to fix things myself.

I've changed fan belts with a load of lambs on during the summer.

I've changed a 1/2" plug in the oil cooler when it sprung a leak and drained all my coolant out 20 miles from Battle Mountain,NV on a Sunday. Napa wouldn't bring the plug and coolant to me and didn't even want to let me pay over the phone until I talked them into it and then after managed to talk a car tire repair guy into picking up the parts at Napa and bringing them to me for $200 cash.

I've changed an oil pressure sensor that started leaking oil on a trip by calling up the local KW dealer and having them stop by the truckstop I was broke down at on their delivery route that morning to drop me off the part.

I've changed a couple of blown out coolant hoses on the road over the years and at this point I actually carry 12 gallons of coolant with me so if the lower hose blows I can repair and refill the system.

These are just some of the things that have slipped through the cracks as I have a great shop that between us we have caught and repaired many many more things before they became breakdowns on the side of the road.

The point of all this is to say that this is what it takes to successfully run older equipment and when you consider the kinds of guys you see out here driving trucks today I don't think it's reasonable to expect you'll be able to find drivers capable and willing to do all of the things us owner ops running the old iron do to make it work.

 

One that can do the job. Doesn’t require hand holding and who can fix or problem solve basic issues or even relay bigger ones to a shop that would understand
That’s just a few but most good drivers don’t usually go looking for a job as they’re happy where they are or someone already is scouting them

 

Trooper Tim (cant remember his last name) that use to be around Calais Me. border crossing would jump up on the step, OPEN your door and scream "I am seizing everything in this truck".
Then go thru the garbage bag looking for receipts. I had a receipt one morning for a fax I sent to the broker, and the time line didnt add up. I said it could be their cash register at the Irving, he didnt care. Made me rewrite my book, which put me out of time, escorted me to a parking spot and I spent 10 hours there.
He is legendary for crap like that. I had a friend EAT a receipt after that. Just so he couldn't get it.
They can do what ever they want, and know we wont pay a lawyer to sort it out as it's too expensive.

 

Some of us cranky old farts would fight it just out of principle........that, and we are just cranky old ######## that enjoy the scuffle!

 

This guy is or was, haven't seen him in a while, legendary. He NEVER looses in court, he didnt write me tickets that dat, just put it all on an inspection and put me out of service.
I bought a new crapcadia in 2010, dealer is 3 hours from home. I got a ride up to pick up my truck from a friend who runs a day cab for a different company.
He pulls me in the next day, goes thru my logs, asked how I got from home to the dealer. Said I copped a ride from a friend. He said that was all on duty time, even tho I'm not employed by that company, not insured on their trucks, it was a day cab, didnt matter. it's on duty, which put me OOS.
###h0/e. Deluxe.

 

Another "Tim" story.
I went to Florida one winter and bought a used Miata convertible for my wife and drove it home.
I had sold a car and took the plate with me. In Nova Scotia, your plate stays with you from car to car. If you have a plate your moving from your sold vehicle, or traded vehicle, you put it on your new one, it is your temp permit. You have 14 days (may be 30 I dont remember) to get to RMV and get it switched. You have to have valid insurance.
So, I pull up to do the US customs exit and hes there harassing drivers in customs parking lot, comes over and asked why I'm on the commercial side with a car. Then parks me, makes me remove the plate, I have to call a tow truck to tow it to canada customs. He says ANY temp permit from any province or state would have reciprocity in maine, but my plate is not a temp. I argue with him it is, he says no.
Hes an ex marine jar head and you do not get a word in edgewise. He is an ignorant f%$#er.
So, I stop into RMV at home and get the book that says our plate IS your temp, I see him next time thru and give it to him, with the highlighted parts. He threw it on the ground and sold no. It's not a temp.

I, and many canadian drivers he preyed on at that crossing, PREY he dies a long drawn out painful death with ball cancer, or something worse. No need.

 

I had a 1996 w900 and now a 2000 379 both with detroit series 60. I’ve also owned a 2017 t680 and 2016 cascadia for 2 years so I’ve done the newer and older truck thing.

I think you can succeed anyway you cut it if you do your due diligence, and keep up with repairs as they show up, and constantly do very thorough inspections. I’ve never been towed once in 15 years.

The story a few posts ahead is funny to me because I had my heater core blow on my very first trip with the w900. I went through about 7 Uber drivers before I could convince them to pick me up 30 miles west of OKC to an autozone that luckily had 11 gallons of green coolant, and then drive me back again.

Also had to walk 3 miles there and 3 back for a parts before. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.