Cabover - would you do it?

I see a lot of International 9800 cabovers back home and 99% of them are from Mexican trucking companies that shag trailers to and from Juarez. Though every so often there's one or two guys driving old school Transtars. A lot of them look like they are ready to retire but they are still running.

 

Saw a real nice International cabover running south of KC pulling a dump trailer. All black and chrome with high twin stacks. Sounded like a WWII era turboprop fighter plane going by.

 

I remember on ebay a while back somebody was selling a mint condition black 1971 Peterbilt 352 with a 318 Detroit and Eaton 13 speed tramsmission. Chrome wheels and straight stacks. It was a beauty and I can imagine that screamin' jimmy was just as loud at full hammer down!

 

I owned this one. One of the best driving and handling trucks I ever had. Rode good too.

 

actually after thinking about this, if i could find an int 9800 raised roof with a setback front axle and alot of hp. i`ld probably do it. i had and old 9700 once that rode pretty good and if i`m not mistaken i think the 9800 is the one without the big doghouse. i do like the view out of a cab over.

 

There wern't many of them made, but there were 9800s with a flat floor and a set forward axle. Mine was a 9700 with the dog house. The sleeper was like a cavern. I could stand on the dog house in the sleeper and not be able to touch the roof.

 

Without hesitation. With twin sticks if need be. At this point, the only trucking jobs I'd turn down involve heavy law breaking and/or lease purchase agreements.

 

With the cabovers you save weight by running a cabover instead of a conventional right? So if you combine it with a lighter trailer, high-torque engine, 13-speed transmission, 3:53 or 3:33, gears in the back, so you cruise along idling at 63 mph, how do you not come out ahead by saving all that weight?

 

It's alot easier to get in one than get out.

 

That’s fore sure