About Freightliners

You are comparing the two trucks you have been in. A Pete and a Freightshaker? Sound like we need to dig up and old Cabover for you and you will beg for the Freightshaker!

 

Freightliners suffer from "cookie cutter syndrome". They feel cheap because they are cheap. Inexpensive to buy and maintain. A perfect fleet truck.

 

when you say Freightshaker how bad do you mean...I'm looking into driving as a new career and can't stand to run a piece of equipment that is weak or substandard...I ride a Harley so designed quaking is tollerable...

 

They're not weak or substandard, merely average. Though I am told that they don't ride as smoothly as Kenworths because the freightliner air suspension has smaller airbags.

 

uh........psssst..............

i'll let you "in on" a little secret, but ya gotta promise not to tell anyone.......ok.....??

if you're "looking" into driving as a career, and the company that hires you has "freightshakers", then you will stand to drive it and like it.

as a "newbie", or a "rookie", you ain't got NO SAY in what you you drive.

there aren't that many trucking companies, large or small that will put a "newbie" behind the wheel of an expensive rig right out of school, so cool your jets a bit, and drive what is given you.

when you get 19 years of experience as i do, THEN you can be selective in who or what you'll be driving.....................

 

YES SIR... I guess the trucking companys don't believe in prodogys...ah who am I kindin I'm no prodogy...I know being a good driver is going to take alot of work,but I am a 44 year old adult that knows how to act even if I am a newbee...but thanks for the hint. I'll drive what I'm given, I may not LIKE it but I'll do it... and drive it professionally. I get the whole paying my dues thing, really I do, but you can't blame me for trying to advance my cause...know back to the question asked...what do you know about those shaking freightliners?

 

There is nothing wrong with a Freightshaker except that they feel cheap. And compounding that feeling is that most fleet specced FL's are cheap- power mirror and window on the right side ONLY, rubber mat on floor (carpet, what's that?).Whereas most upper-end trucks, even at a basic spec level are nicer inside(the fleet Volvo I used to drive had power mirrors on both sides and better seats than the FL).
If you're really worried about junk equipment, then ask some questions here, and check out what current/former drivers of that company have to say. And if the co has a yard nearby, go there and check out the equip. yourself, odds are if it looks crappy, then it'll be crappy under the skin too.
I have only driven Volvos and FL Columbias, and while the FL wasn't anything spectacular, I would still consider buying one to run as an O/O, because its aerodynamic,lighter than other trucks and is cheap to maintain (again, cheaper than some) so it makes sense.

And don't mind Pro, he was just cranky since it was 2 am.

 

sparsely equiped tractors are ok with me...I just don't want to get out of a truck after hours behind the wheel and it take another hour for my body to quit vibrating...or have to work overly hard to herd a beast down the road. I've only driven a couple different kinds of trucks myself, an old white road boss day cab pullin a grain hopper trailer, an old cabover freightliner pullin the same trailer, and a gmc general 15yrd dump truck, but that was years ago...oh and I don't mind Pro...I got thick skin...thanks Wallbagger

 

The only time I had to wrestle an FL was in a sustained 30 mph crosswind. And then at every underpass, I'd have to let off the wheel or risk flying into the hammerlane! But that of course wasn't because of anything wrong with the truck.

Really there isn't anything wrong with them, but some drivers don't much care for them. And as long as it doesn't have optimized idle, you shouldn't have any trouble falling asleep.