Tractor Weight question?

Discussion in 'Trucks [ Eighteen Wheelers ]' started by American-Trucker, Mar 21, 2010.

  1. CAT700

    CAT700 Light Load Member

    106
    80
    Feb 2, 2010
    Hopkins MI.
    0
    Hey :
    Another thing about those long hoods is that they can be a real treat to get around in at times.

    I have had my fill of the large Cars. I now own a Columbia and she will turn on a dime and rides better than any long hood I ever drove or owned.

    It sports a C-15 500 HP CAT that has been sort of modified. It now runs somewhere just under 700 HP {CAT700}......

    The mods gave me power that I can not even use. But the MPG went way up. That was my reason for doing what I did...
    I am not done yet.
    Power used correctly will work for YOU. Power abused will keep you broke and break lots of parts on your nice shinny truck.
    If you are not married and have no plans for that in life the shinny truck may work out. But it is hard to explain to the wife and kids why all the chrome was needed.

    You will be way ahead of the game to save your money , buy an older truck and fix it up the way you want it...

    I do not run Cal, or any east of Youngstown OH. All Midwest to North west. Emissions are not an issue for me. Power to pull the big hills in the west are....
    My average run is about 2200 miles out ,.. pays my truck right at about $4,000.00...... I can make this run in about 4 days.. Pennies per mile are not how I run. Dollars per day is how I make my living. On a good week I turn about $1000.00 /day on my out bound loads.
    I grab whatever I can to get back. Usually cheap .

    What ever you do , do not sit in a truck stop waiting for a load. Get headed back to the good paying freight as fast as you can.
    Every day I sit , my averge goes down.

    My truck was under 30K and payments are about $950.00 /mo. That new truck will likely shock you at what a payment would be even if you could buy it.

    But you can buy a sleeper like that {used}for way less than one would think.
    I don't even change my own oil anymore.
    There are ways to get where you want to go. :biggrin_255:
     
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. American-Trucker

    American-Trucker Road Train Member

    10,371
    5,085
    Nov 8, 2009
    Charlotte, North Carolina
    0

    your right I have no experience with either, I don't start driving OTR until September.

    I'm simply trying to learn as much about trucking, and being an O/O as I can so that years down the road I'll be ready to make an educated decision on whether to become an O/O. I'm not planning on just running into this. I'd like to slowly work my way in so as not to crash and burn lol


    American Trucker
     
  4. black_dog106

    black_dog106 Road Train Member

    1,786
    1,666
    Mar 29, 2009
    MA
    0
    Bingo......
     
  5. Trouble65

    Trouble65 Medium Load Member

    621
    147
    Jan 11, 2009
    Ontario Canada
    0
    The truck is to heavy for reefer work. Our trucks and trailers weigh around 36,000lbs and we are having a hard time scaling 44,000lbs loads. However if you are running 48' reefers you could use the 389 having said that the demand for 48' reefers are way down.
     
    American-Trucker Thanks this.
  6. striker

    striker Road Train Member

    6,023
    6,436
    Aug 8, 2009
    Denver, Co
    0
    keep in mind these newer emissions equipped trucks are very heavy because of the emissions equipment. My '09 Mack weigh 18,500 with full tanks because of the DPF unit, I'm 2,500 lbs heavier then our older day cabs and 1,500 to 1,600 lbs heavier then our Columbia's and I've got a small sleeper.
     
  7. The Challenger

    The Challenger Kinghunter

    7,127
    3,367
    Dec 22, 2007
    East Central FL
    0
    I was talking to guy from volvo today and he told me a loaded 780 weighs 18K-18,5K.

    KH
     
  8. passingthru69

    passingthru69 Road Train Member

    I wish my trk. was that light.
    26K mty.
    But I run a 4 axle trk.
     
    American-Trucker Thanks this.
  9. Machine

    Machine Light Load Member

    55
    14
    Mar 6, 2010
    The Road
    0
    Maybe get a CDL and some experience first.......
     
  10. V8-MACK

    V8-MACK Light Load Member

    285
    112
    Aug 18, 2009
    0
    I had a columbia assigned truck at a reefer company, I was looking it over before I moved into it. When a driver with a 386, asked me if I wanted to switch. I sat in the 386 two times giving it a second chance. The 386 is tiny inside, stretch your right arm out and your touching the jump side widow, everything is cramped in there and tiny, stange windshield from the inside. I stuck with the columbia and I know there junk. If your going to dream, dream big, and look at a ch axle forward Mack, pinnacle raw hide edition, that,s the baddest truck made today.
     
    American-Trucker Thanks this.
  11. Sad_Panda

    Sad_Panda Road Train Member

    1,056
    312
    Dec 2, 2006
    0
    I was wondering how you are so light, then I read you don't have all that smog junk on your truck. Hard to believe that really makes you fat and heavy, but it does.
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.