Is flatbed hard on a truck ?

Discussion in 'Flatbed Trucking Forum' started by markk, Dec 2, 2020.

  1. markk

    markk Medium Load Member

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    been driving cascadia for last 3 years. 2 of them. 08,10. Same problems. Along with them garbage ac compressors. After delete they got great mileage and power but too many other problems.
    I can lease a new one for about 55k a year and trade it in every two years but no apu and i dont really care for the sleeper setup.
     
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  3. markk

    markk Medium Load Member

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    Sounds like a good idea. Arrow has jacked prices up lately and down payment quite hi.
    I am guessing heavy haul is hard on a truck. Is there any way of telling what kind of work that truck has been doing ?
     
  4. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    I wouldn't say flatbed is harder on a truck than dryvan. Just a different trailer and maybe the odd dirt road/dirt lot. If you drive it sensibly when not on the pavement its not going to tear it up.

    Heavy loads = win. Emission system works better when the engine actually needs to produce.
     
  5. markk

    markk Medium Load Member

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    I would not be doing flatbed. Know nothing about it and probably a bit more than I can handle. Looking at end dump or grain since I know that well. Was just looking at trucks that were used for flatbed work.
     
  6. Gentlemanfarmer

    Gentlemanfarmer Medium Load Member

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    Heavy haul tractors usually (not always) have three rear axles. You can also tell if a truck may have pulled an RGN if they have a raised fifth wheel with what looks like a ramp behind the fifth wheel. If you are looking for a truck set up for flatbed work and look at buying from a flatbed company (Melton, TMC, etc) those truck are used for up to 80k gvw. Basically your normal legal loads.
     
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  7. pavrom

    pavrom Road Train Member

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    Ac problems start with the person installing it and charging !
     
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  8. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    Agree there. If the first one blew up you gotta flush/replace everything or the metal will get pulled right through the new one.
     
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  9. pavrom

    pavrom Road Train Member

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    I believe ac compressors not belong to daimler but made but common brand and installed on every truck
     
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  10. markk

    markk Medium Load Member

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    The cheap china ones they sell are crap. They have a more expensive oem I guess it is and it worked better.
     
  11. RunningAces

    RunningAces Road Train Member

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    The heavily used APU, headache rack, and storage box on the truck are things you pay for in the price of the truck. They are also not great flatbed trucks. You can go to their used trucks site and see they are all either Cascadias or t680s with either a paccar 425 or isx15 also 425 hp and nearly all are auto 10 speeds geared at 2:64. Like any other smart used truck salesmen they will treat you nice and make you promises that won't be kept if they aren't in writing.
     
    kylefitzy Thanks this.
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