On the fence - New trucks, thinking about leaving job

Steel, you know that it is very easy to fix the turning radius on the KW 800s and 600s to match your frieghtshakers and Volvos. I have the steering stops adjusted on the 379 so that it turns dang near as tight as any aero hood. Just adjust the steering stops to the point just before the tire starts contacting the steering box etc. You would be suprised how many trucks have the sterring stops out way too far.

As far as dock backing, don't have a problem, even with that big hood out in front of me.

 

I basically lived in the below truck for two+ years. It was our own truck that we added to our hotshot car hauling business. I had to crawl through a hole in the back of the cab to get to the sleeper, you got dressed laying down. The air didn't work in the truck for the first 6 months and since we got the truck in the spring, I had no air all summer. No cruise, no tilt tel wheel.

I averaged over 16 mpg with that little 5.9 cummins but then the motor was not stock either. It put down about 200hp on a chassis dyno when we got it. But it was not along and it was easily putting down 350+ on a dyno. New(bigger) injectors, new turbo, cut the fuel plate, did timing etc.

I am glad them days are gone.

 

Funny you should mention this. The big boss and I were chatting about trucks a few months ago. He said that what he gains in milage with the aero trucks he looses in resale of the aero trucks come trade in time.

The bad part of this for me is that I drive his boys truck and they are the ones looking to replace this one.


A few years ago he went on a Volvo kick. For 3 years he bought nothing but Volvos. His reasoning was that what he was going to save on fuel would make the payments on the trucks. LOL he lost more money from trucks being in the shop then he actually saved on fuel. I kid you not. Many of them had gone through 3 or more turbos within the first year on top of trucks refusing to go into regen and needing to be towed.

Then he started buying 386 Petes and a few KW t800s and some 660s for the OTR side. Then he was stuck with trucks in the shop because of regen issues.

This year he started with two prostars. Two of them went back withless then 30,000 miles to get their wiring harnesses replaced. One of them has been in the shop 3 times for other issues and they have less then 6 months on them.

He keeps a stock of side skirts on hand for these aero trucks because we can't keep them intack since we run out to farmers yards down gravel roads, dirt roads etc. Some of them also pull belly dump duty in the summer which puts the trucks out in soft worksites which also tears up skirting along with the plastic bumpers etc.

All of our 386s have bungy cords running along the doors in the steps to get to the storage in the step area. The latches are all broken or loose and the doors rattle something terrible. I had to strap the panel between the cab and sleeper on one because the bracket had broken and it was slapping against the roof of the cab.

I am not even going to talk about the issues with the plastic cabs, doors etc and the use of CBs. Too some it might not be important but this is a big deal for me since I use a CB and use it often and I don't mean for 1/2 mile comunications either. In trucker talk, they say I am wall to wall and tree top tall. Meaning I talk ALL over the country including canada and the Islands. When I am playing I usually run 28 and sometimes will go to 26 if 28 gets too rough. I stay away from the usual channels such as 19 etc so that I don't get in peoples way.

But if you are on 28 and you hear someone calling out from ND, Mn or Manitoba, more times then likely it is me. Yes I use the same name as I do here which is Rat. And yes I get lots of people calling back too me. Mind you I am not a big station but I am running enough power to get the job done.

But the first part of this post should answer your question.