Frieghtliner Gliders?

How about Pete and KW gliders

 

You do know that many of those gliders came with garbage rebuilds right? That basically explode at under 300K or less.

The ones with a factory reman 60, sure no problem. The others your going to buy an engine for real soon.

I also noticed the garbage rebuild has a PM requirement of every 10K miles I believe it said.

 

As for return, assume 1-3k per month if you get a good driver

 

Pre emissions glider like Harrison are supposedly good. I hear people like Pittsburgh Power now saying the emissions truck are pretty good. Pittsburgh power can tune the ECM and they claim they can fix the problem others can't on the new emissions engines. They even have a soot trap for the ISX that they designed themselves. That the big problem with them. They get all that soot built-up inside engine and it end up clogging the oil feed ports like on the overhead cams. They the run dry and go bad

Glider probably best option but if someone get new emissions they say they can fix them better then the dealership can and still keeping all the emissions stuff. They claim they have better programs for ECM

 

My 2c.
If you buy emissions. Buy the Volvo d13. I had a 2013 and had zero emissions related crap actually zero engine or Trans issues, several friends with the same trucks, 2013 and up, same stories, no issues, great warranty. As far as driver comfort. You can't beat a 780. Most quiet, most comfortable, most driver friendly hands down, largest cabinets, biggest fridge, the workstation... (oh how I miss mine). I had a great dealer in my area, some I've heard are not so good, but mine was great.
I have owned Pete, had 2 freightliner, 1 old classic, and one 2011 Crapcadia. That one almost bankrupt me. Don't get me started on 2011 emission DD15, SAM CAB. .. And freightliner pitiful warranty service.

I sold the Volvo last year to stay home and tend to a family situation. Got great resale value for it. Paid it off had enough to stay home and when it came time to start over..... i bought a used 2012 columbia glider. So far so good, but.... as far as driver comfort a HUGE, can't emphasize that enough, HUGE step back. After 11 hrs behind the wheel, you need 10 off. With the Volvo felt great ready for more. Driver retention is all about making your drivers comfortable and happy.
If your going to do gliders. Spend the bucks to insulate the cabs as much as they will sell. Inverters with shore power so when home they can plug them in and the fridges and bunk heaters don't kill the batteries, and they csn have a microwave out on the road. Good luck.

 

Most driver friendly? I, after being unlucky enough to driven a few Volvos in 4 of the last 8 years would come to almost the complete opposite conclusion. If I were to speak my mind regarding them, the moderators would cut up my post like Swiss cheese!

Let's start with the stupid gap between the bunk and the cabinets. The one that is big enough for things to fall down there, but not big enough for a hand to fit in to grab phone, keys, glasses, pens, etc.

The under bunk doors that open up instead of hinges on the side. So when that ram that holds it up doesn't, it hits you on the head.

Or how about the stupid warning buzzer for having the suspension dropped that starts as soon as you roll, even though you don't want to bring the suspension back up because you're backing under another low heavy trailer, so you have to listen to the earsplitting alarm.

Or the stupid clicking for the turn signal and 4 ways that you have to have on at shippers or recievers.

Or the fact that once they get worn out a little, maybe 6 years, they don't hold air?

Or the stupid electrical problems they all have, and nobody but a Volvo dealer can work on them?

Virtually every driver, owner/operator with whom I have spoken has essentially said that even if you gave him or only if you gave him a Volvo would he own one. And when you consider all trucks sell new at roughly the same price, why are the value for used Volvos so much lower?

I feel a wave of vulgarities coming if I continue to call out the virtues of those pos!

 

I would go with a KW or Pete if paying for a new truck (new glider). The resale is a lot higher other than the prestige factor ,for a reason . They hold up better. Freightliners are more of a cheap fleet truck,with a lower price and cheaper parts,that's why fleets like them. I've never had a truck hold up and stay tight and together like a W900. ,and I've driven just about every brand except a Western Star in the last 30 years.The emissions engines are another story. Just by their nature there's too much to go wrong . I don't care what any dealer or engine shop says . Go to any dealer and see what's filling their repair bays ,and it's usually newer trucks with emmisons related issues. They love it it keeps their shops busy and helps make up the money they are losing on new truck sales because of the emissions engines. As far as some of the Fitzgerald rebuilds being done poorly ,it is true. I have a friend who bought 3 fitzgerald gliders at the same time . Two were ok, the third pushed a Gallon of oil a day out of the breather from day one. All with Detroit 60's. The truck was back and forth from the local Detroit dealer and they said they could not find the problem,which was ridiculous. They eventually told him the reason was it was a Detroit 60 and it's a million mile engine and the metal is "harder" than other engines so it just takes longer to break in, and it's just a break in issue. This was totally ridiculous ,since the other 2 were Detroit 60's rebuilt at the same time and
And the "harder" metal reasoning was like a bad joke. He ended up selling his business with the trucks soon after that so I don't know how it played out,but seen first hand how all Fitzgerald gliders did not have the same quality of engine rebuild.