newbie hype!!!

[QUOTE="semi" retired;3997214]I drove Volvo's for a freight outfit like 10 years ago, the older style Volvo's. They were ok, I guess, pretty generic. They had like a billion miles on them. My first truck was a Western Star, well, half a Western Star. I had the back cut off and glued a Pete rear half on. Tell you what, that was a good old horse. Made money with that truck. If I got back into it, I'd only want a 379(or 89) Pete. I'd like a 359 like my 2nd (or 3rd) truck, but they are getting pretty hard to find. I never put anybody down for liking what they like. What ever turns your crank, is fine. Here's my Star, sorry about the pic quality. http://images.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads//2014/03/HowardArbiture_02_1500.jpg[/QUOTE]

Aren't those trucks with the long nose difficult to see out of?

 

They're definitely not as easy as say a cascadia or something along those lines, but adjust mirrors properly, and keep your windows and such clean, and you'll be fine. Just like everything else, you need to get used to it.

 

Car guy with a trucking job. Never really cared what piece of equipment drove in or can't tell you specs of the trucks.
One truck I hated to drive, a twin screw Peterbilt day cab. Former employer had me drive his son customized peterbilt through my employment when my mack needed service. Awesome looking truck, Pulled stupid well maxed out, Father and son entered those truck pulls on the weekends. This truck was a easy 600hp and hit triple digits mucking around.This truck was meant for highway use . It was long nose ( maybe 379 ) don't know.

Had the fender mirrors and the normal mirrors ( 6 total ) Could not see past the exhaust stacks backing up to hit the scrap area or dock. 18 speed was useless for my application.


Answer the OP
If i was offered any truck. it would be whatever worked and i could back up. I couldn't chose what to drive in under 50 unit shop. We had macks, Internationals, frieghtliners, sterlings, volvos, peterbilts. Whatever the boss decided. Useless to call in sick because hated the truck, 1 account( 8-15 stop scrap account for major world wide client ) and no one could fill in. Never did really find the trick to backing up that customized peterbilt, Looked like a idiot each time.

In the end, It's experience and a job.

 

Hi Giocrypt, nah, Like Krismarkham sez, they are a little harder to drive at first, and tight spots can be a little challenging, but out of like 25 trucks I've driven, 2 were cabovers, ugh, and the rest were hoods. They don't call those long hood trucks "large cars" for nothing. I drove a Frightliner Columbia for a while, that was a nice truck, triple air( susp., cab, seat) and that rode really nice. Worst truck I ever drove? Freightliner set back axle cabover. It's a testament to my driving skills, that I didn't run over something with that truck.

 

[QUOTE="semi" retired;3997521]Hi Giocrypt, nah, Like Krismarkham sez, they are a little harder to drive at first, and tight spots can be a little challenging, but out of like 25 trucks I've driven, 2 were cabovers, ugh, and the rest were hoods. They don't call those long hood trucks "large cars" for nothing. I drove a Frightliner Columbia for a while, that was a nice truck, triple air( susp., cab, seat) and that rode really nice. Worst truck I ever drove? Freightliner set back axle cabover. It's a testament to my driving skills, that I didn't run over something with that truck.[/QUOTE]

I guess, I mean if people can drive car haulers and not run in to everything on the road I guess you can get used to that too.

Seriously sometimes I look at car haulers and just wonder how the hell do they even see whats in front of them? All they can see clearly is the ground!!!

 

Don't forget "no air in the chair". I tried that once with my Pete, and pushed someone halfway through an intersection in Chicago when their car stalled. Rest assured, that was the last time I did that low rider thing!

 

Hey, I'm not seeing anyone saying how great Mack's are. lol

 

Hi Ebola, depends what you're using it for. Not sure about a road truck, but my first TT job, I drove a 1975 R-600 and pulled a 28 ft. City dump trailer. The places I took that truck, proved Mack is the toughest truck. Sure rode rough though. Shook so bad, it would pop out of gear, and I had to have a tarp strap around the shifter. Sorry about the crummy pic. This was taken in 1979. Schmit is still in business today. Didn't make a lot of money there, but Paul was sweetheart of a guy, treated all his drivers like they were his sons.
http://images.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads//2014/03/HowardArbiture_03_1500.jpg