Cabover More Dangerous??

That's the truck of my dreams!

 

I'll tell you what, Hitman.
That K 100 wasn't just well cared for, by golly, ------
It was loved.
An '84 with a 108 inch sleeper.
That truck is a rollin' statement and a head-turner.
Many were the times I was standin' over here, lookin' like this --
Wishin' I was standin' over there, lookin' like that.

What would the up-grade from a K 100 be?
Back in '84, that was the cat bird's seat.
And it wouldn't take too much of a stretch of the imagination to get
the same feelin' today, ...... rollin' up and down the highways in that ride.

I think that would be the perfect California Big truck even today,
maybe even especially today. Runnin' casual produce from central state to north and south state at a legal 55 mph should be a breeze for a Big Cam with 350 hp twistin' 3:90's through a 13 speed.
She may tucker a tad tryin' to run with the big dawgs climbin' the Vine, but the ground is flat on the back porch.

Twenty-six years old and only a million-three and some change on the OD. And 45 thousand bucks can take her home. BoY-o-BoY, if the right driver could swing that deal he could stand out in a crowd. Owning that Big truck could be the advertising eye catchin', attention go-getter that could put a driver with business smarts ahead of the competition.
Y'all never get a second chance to make a first impression.
With the rest of the competition drivin' newer, dime-a-dozen look-alikes, who do y'all reckon would stand out in a crowd?
Mr. Blandaverage, or Mr. Uniquelyclassy?
Who approaches a driver in a newer factory pop-out Freightliner to ask for a peek inside? And if someone did want a peek, there's how many thousand to choose from?
How many 1984 KW K 100's with wood grain interior are still out thar makin' bacon?

Enter that Big truck in the Great American Working Truck Show every year and chalk it up to advertising. Truckin' publications would run a story with photos, including the company name on the doors, and probably on the trailer with a matchin' paint job, too.
A picture is worth a thousand words, --- and I'm thinkin' a few phone calls would result as well. If I was a shipper with sensitive freight, I'd sure be lookin' for that driver instead of takin' chances with the abilities of a newBee Swift, or some other big Big truck truckin' company, company driver drivin' one of 15 thousand big company's Big trucks that all look the same. Or even an experienced driver with a run of the mill truckin' company in a company Big truck.
Dare to be different.

HaiL!
That K-Whopper screams, I CARE!.
A standard big truckin' company's Big trucks scream too, --- I DON'T REALLY CARE, but I could use some repairs.

If I were a shipper who cared, I'd be willin' to pay top dollar to put my freight in the trailer behind a Big truck like that. Imagine the reaction at the receivin' end when that K 100 pulls into the consignee's facility with a shipper's quality product in a trailer pulled by a memorable Big truck . No matter how y'all look at it, it'd be gettin' more attention. And that reflects on the shipper, too.
A win-win situation for all involved, with only a 45 thousand dollar investment.
For many, that would just cover the down payment with payments to follow.
ShuX HowdY --- even a loser could win if they played their cards right with a Big truck like that. Pay cash for it, no payments. What's not to like?

Offer service to match the class of that beauty and it wouldn't be a job, it'd be a pleasure to serve the customers.
Imagine feelin' good about what'cha do for a refreshin' change, instead of the same ol --- same ol, mundane, just like all the rest, at best.
Take pride in y'all's ride, and it's obvious.

If I knew someone with experience in runnin' their own Big truck truckin' business, --- willin' to take me under their wing and show me the ropes, I'd give investing in a business like that more than an idle AfterThought. We'd catch the next flight to Knoxville and bask in the AfterGlow while drivin' 'er back to the Land-0-Fruits & Nutz. Even if we were dead-headin'. Might even take the longer, out of route roads, just because we can and want to.

Now look what'cha done to me, Hitman.
I'm lost in a sweet dream.
How can I thank you for that?

In order to be outstanding, ---
First y'all gotta stand out.
To succeed, y'all need to be remembered over the rest.
Who's gonna forget a Big truck like that?
As an added bonus, word of mouth advertisin' is waayyy less expensive,
and carries more clout.
Call the truckin' company that runs that classic K 100.
They'll git-er-dun and dun right.
Every time.

What a reputation.
Best of the best and heads above the rest.
Just call, ...... and leave the drivin' to us.
Don't worry --- Be happy.

It's twue!
It's twue!

 

Couldn't had said it better myself shockey. That's what i'm talking about! No cookie cutter rig and pride in 'yer ride. I love the old iron all restored and looking sharp. My first ride in a truck was in my uncles '84 K100. He was an O/O that hauled dairy pruducts. I would ride along with him during the summers when not in school. That man loved that truck almost as much as his family...hell, it was part of the family. If he wasn't driving 'er he was wrenching or spit shining that bad boy. And what he loved to do so much, took him from us. Man I miss him...God rest your soul Unk.

 

after spending my career mixed between an old binder coe, my current iveco coe, and my star 4864..... give me a hood anyday...

if you like that old red k100, get a look on truckhub.com.au at the kenworth aerodyne K104's

Out here KW kept them going and they are still being built today ( As a K108 ).

for me, i want a hood, a nice large bunk ( the current 28" aint cutting it. ) and a Kitty to play the tunes for me while the white lines guide me to new scenery.

 

I started driving for JB Hunt in 1999. At the time you had your choice between a brown International cabover and brown International cabover. As far as room inside, the 1996 and older had the big dog house in the middle. The 1997 and newer had flat floors, double bunks, and every bit as much room as a Freightliner class. The ride was horrendous, since your buttocks were sitting directly over the steer tiles, and on to of that, the seats weren't air-ride, only air adjustable, meaning stiffer than a board. I had more than one occasion driving across I40 from Memphis to Little rock where I had to pull over and toss my breakfast. I'm betting that ride would have improved a lot if someone would splurge on a decent driver's seat. They had 9-speed transmissions in them, the shift pattern was basically the same as a 10-speed but with no 6th gear. They are more apt to roll than a conventional is, you had to take it slow in the exit and entrance ramps. The one thing I do miss is the turning radius. I could pull into a truckstop at 2 am ANYWHERE in the country and grab that one spot no one else could back into, you all know the spot, there is at least one in every truckstop.

The company tried the Argosy, it was a disaster. JB really wanted to stay with cabovers. I'm not sure what the issue was, I was never given one to drive. In 2001-2002, the Freightliner Centurys started coming in, and the International's started leaving. It's my understand that the majority of them wound up in Iraq.

I live about ten miles from the plant that made the International 9800 cabovers. I knew a lot of people that worked there. Schneider and JB Hunt were their main customers. JB would still be buying them to this day, but Schneider pulled out of the deal and went to Freightliner. International stopped making them and retooled the plant for mid-size duty trucks.

Last time I drove by there, there was nothing there but an open field.

 

Which color did you choose?

When it came to spec'ing their Big trucks, it appears J.B. went with all the factory default sittings, hold the options.

You're correct, a better driver's seat does make a big difference. With a better seat, y'all can hold your breakfast down, and not feel the need to toss 'till lunch.
HaiL!
That stretch is a test of endurance even in a conventional.
Actually, just thinkin' 'bout it brings back memories, and makes me feel like tossing.

A 9-speed?
You had the new, improved factory default version of the cheapest possible. When I started my drivin' career with Schneider (Pumpkin) J.B. drivers said they had 7-speed transmissions. That's either true, or they couldn't find two.

A bit of a digression here, ----- are y'all aware that the 9-speed transmissions have a secret gear, effectively making a 9-speed a 10-speed?
It's twue!
It's twue!

I learned about that while attending drivin' school. But it wasn't a subject taught to the classes because the transmission manufacturer didn't recommend using it. I learned about it from the road instructors in the morning before class began. I always arrived early and hung out with them in their break room, where I learned a LOT of things the other students didn't.

The subject of a 10th gear came up while discussing bets, and how to win one. Bet another driver that there's 10 gears in your 9-speed and they fall for it every time. They can't dispute it either, because they counted the shifts themselves. That mystery gear is called the "cornering gear"

When driving a cab-over, that's something I try not to think about, but I always remember it.

There's a feeling I can't even describe, but I can tell y'all what causes that feelin'.
I attended the skid pad at Fox Valley Tech in Wisconsin during the winter, --- so they didn't have to wet down the skid pad. We were on real ice. Many local roads were shut down due to the amount of ice, but the conditions were ideal for the pad.

They start out with an automobile, so we kinda got the hang of steering into the skid and were feelin' pretty confident. Next was an International, (former Schneider truck) cab-over.
The vehicles are set up so that the ride-along instructor can lock up any or all wheel(s) at will to put the vehicle into a skid. Mine got me to talking so I dropped my guard a tad. Then, all of a sudden, the picture I was seein' through the windshield started changin' and got blurry as we did 360's a few times. I tried frantically to get 'er collected, but just when I thought I had 'er under control, my over-correction put 'er into doin' 360's in the opposite direction.
Clockwise -- counterclockwise -- clockwise, --- 'round and 'round I went.

I don't know what the look on my face was, but judging by the instructor's reaction, it must have been funny. I don't think he meant to laugh AT me, more like laugh WITH me. When we both stopped laughing, he asked me "Wanna nuther go-round? Or have you had enough"?

I opted for another go-round. But that time, I didn't go-round. I did what I should have been doin' the first time. Remain alert and responded immediately when the skid began.

What I learned that day is, I don't ever want to experience a skid in an uncontrolled, environment situation.

After the bobtail, it was with a flatbed trailer attached.
But that's another story.

YeaH!
I do know the very spot you're talkin' 'bout.
So, you're the one who always beat me to it?

WoW!
Whuppin' the Mother of all Armies wasn't enough?
We had to punish 'em more by sending them old International cab-overs?
No wonder they hate us.

Here's the kicker 'bout that ----
Schneider National, the company, didn't actually own any Big trucks.
They leased them all from, are you ready, Schneider Leasing. Schneider Leasing had another big customer, that being none other than ol' J.B. Hunt.
Schneider is a family owned company, J.B. Hunt went public so that company is owned by those invested in Hunt. Would you believe me if I told y'all that Schneider was invested in J.B. Hunt?
So, ...... even if J.B. took loads away from Schneider, Schneider still got a piece of the action.

Some may say that's an improvement.

 

Thanx CynicalSailor!

Photos like that remind me how old I am,
and make me feel younger.

I remember when sayin' White Freighliner wasn't
makin' reference to the color.

I noticed that there isn't much ground clearance under
that Texas bumper. Maybe it's a Texas air dam?
Waayyy cool lookin' Freightliner.
Show truck?

I can't believe what's happinin' to me here.
Am I falling in like with cab-overs?
Or is it just my advancing age that's causing
me to appreciate anything familiar to me in a
rapidly changin' world?

HaiL!
I still call 'em records and albums.

 

Hitman that is one sweet ride, reminds me of that t.v. show B.J. & the Bear. The KW I drove in '80 to '83 was not the aerodyne, but it had a 400 horse hooked to a 13 speed. Nice ride. Now i drive a freightshaker hood. Miss that cab over.