Finding drivers for older trucks

You running leaf springs ?

that’s a rough ride in a road tractor .
Only rigs with leafs I see is if it’s a dump truck or a cement truck . and I assume that’s because air ride suspension makes cement trucks and dump trucks flip over easy since most of them are always overloaded ?

throw a new chrome bumper and stacks on it and polish the wheels and tanks .

if you truck is a junker or looks like a beat up junker , or rides really rough because of the leaf springs , you could have a harder time finding drivers if they have to live in it
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But if it’s a local job and they are home every night that makes it easier .

my first rig had leaf springs and the second one had air bag suspension , and there is no way I’d ever ever drive a rig with leaf springs again long term.

maybe drive one a couple of days as a loaner if my regular rig was in the shop.

 

Its rare I see a dump truck or cement truck built this century that still uses spring or walking beam suspension. A good air ride setup can be very stable.

 

What’s the work? What’s the schedule? What are the chances the driver has to work on stuff away from home to get the truck back? Is it a highway job? Are the old trucks because I will be expected to fix my logs and run 18 or 20 hours a day to make everything work? If it’s local work, are there people doing the same thing with newer trucks? If you’re working side by side with newer equipment then an experienced driver like myself will wonder why you can’t seem to run newer equipment also.

What is your pay structure? If it’s a local job and hourly pay I would gladly help maintain an older truck as long as I’m on the clock. If I’m only paid to drive then I’m only going to drive and you can pay someone else to fix the nickel and dime stuff that happens with old trucks.

People with new equipment are having a hard time finding employees and you’re limiting your pool of potential employees even further by your choice of equipment. I’ve been driving since 97, no accidents, and my last ticket was in 2015, and it would have to be a pretty amazing deal with way above average pay to even get me to think about a job in an old truck that would pass an inspection unless the officer is a butt. I’ve been there and done that with my own old trucks. I’ve rebuilt two that would pass an inspection even if the officer was having a bad day and at the end of the day they were still old trucks.

 

My advice would be too clean the trucks up inside and out and to keep them DOT ready to me that is all that matters. And I am in Florida so AC is a must for me personally also.

 

Let's face it trucking went woke and is overrun by a bunch of steering wheel holders and clueless foreigners.

Nobody wants to work anymore, I said it..

 

I’d have to agree with this one. I’ll drive just about anything as long it’s clean.

 

Yep. Farming and construction went woke too. Along with every other industry that has moved forward during the last few decades to make the work environment more comfortable.

I know how I felt running 6-7k miles a week in my 03 FLD and my 95 KW hauling cattle versus running 6-7k a week in my 19 579 hauling feed during the Covid exemption and they weren’t even remotely similar. If working means you have to feel wore out after driving an old truck all day then I guess I’m no longer interested in work.

 

I'm not old in the least(38 years) but if I had to drive for a company with older equipment, I'd do it. I've done it before. I only care if it passes DOT inspections. I worked a 1099 gig that had older equipment. If I could find one benefit from certain 1099 gigs, it would be how much you learn about how trucking works behind the scenes. You end up developing some problem solving skills that you may or may not necessarily develop running only for the big reputable companies. You have to learn how to limp a truck to a repair shop if need be, or better yet, how to keep yourself from breaking down on the side of the road. Day to day maintenance. Little things that may cost a few bucks but saves thousands. That being said, I don't think it would be a bad idea for newer drivers to learn with older equipment. You'll learn about the ins and outs of a truck, and you'll learn the business of the trucking industry. Then if you end riding for a company with newer equipment, it translates because you have less issues than other drivers in the fleet due to problem solving ability development.

 

So here are all the old timers playing on social media with the youngsters.That’s why there’s no one at the counter in the T/A restaurant drinking coffee and telling lies about how fast there trucks run.

 

Then again you're in era of where people just want to drive without learning the industry, and so many older guys are getting out. Newer trucks have all the amenities. Some newer drivers are so terrible that they may have you equipment on Bonehead Truckers lol

 

I’ve known a lot of guys around here that would not drive or even pay attention to anything older then yesterday. Had to have it fully loaded with the latest tech., highest power, Rolls Royce, etc. But they drove a truck someone else was paying for. They were always miserable and wanted to get their own truck. Guess what they ended up with when they did because they couldn't afford the payments or financing? A 10-25 year old whatever was the best price truck they could get. They still made money with it even if it had spring ride, 300 hp and rolled down windows.