Van Wyk Inc.

Stupid iPhone. Anyway, what a first time experience! I got hopelessly lost downtown here, which is great when there's low bridges everywhere. Thankfully a nice yard jockey here talked me in. Everyone else in this city is an ahole though. Actually ever since I left Front Royal yesterday it's been like that, 50% of them truck drivers! I deliver in New Castle, DE tomorrow, then I guess I'm finally going home. Knock on wood I should be able to take my break at home tonight too. I'm out of clothes!

 

Sitting at the J in Lake Station,In don't deliver in Chicago till 7am tomorrow,ran into hawk at the brewery in Rochester yesterday was a pleasure to meet ya hawk hope you get your truck situation settled,be safe out there guys.

 

Brian- These cummins are weird to get used to like that if you're coming off of...well just about anything. And you're right, you were thrashing that poor Pete.

A good rule of thumb is to keep it between 10 and 15 on the tach. Optimum cruising RPM for these engines is 1450 (IIRC). I'll bounce up to 1600 or 1700 to decelerate and let the jake do more of the work if I'm coming to a stop or a slow down, but generally, I don't wind up past about 15. You don't need to be afraid of dogging it, either. Pull a grade once and let the engine run down to 1100 or 1050 before you shift. It'll grunt, but it won't complain. The best torque on these guys (somebody holler if I'm wrong) is between 11 and 1300, which leaves your cruising pony range up from there to 1450.

When I went from a C13 Cat to a Cummins I wound that poor thing up awfully before I got the hang of it (and I even watched Cummins tutorial video on optimum shifts!) I was always feeling like the truck was about to fall flat on its face as it dropped down past 1200 rpm. I let it go down to 1000 once and went, "Oh! It just keeps tugging."

I think the KWs might be a little wimpy on the grades because of the rear-ends. 3.42? vs 3.55? It just seems the most logical. It also explains why I flirt with 8.0mpg fully loaded across 80/90

 

Ya, KW talked us into trying 3.42 for MPG. I personally think sticking with the 3.55's to compensate for the SOHC but what do I know & I don't pay for them! Dropped off my trailer from Enid around 0100 this morning and then shot down to White Wave (yes I was giddy with joy if you're wondering!) And headed for Wally World in Tomah, WI for 1745 tomorrow. Ya getting into the brewery is pretty goofy on your first time on there! Making that right hand turn to go back under the overpass is a joy, bout gave a gal on a Vespa a heart attack when I had to swing out wide so I didn't smoke the light pole on the corner. She was heading the other direction & I couldn't see her behind the pillar until I was in her lane and she was in the sun light.

 

I don't mind White Wave so much. It's a little light on the benjamins, sure, but it's pretty pain free freight (mostly), and it gets me back toward home.

Roundy's in Oconomowoc, WI hasn't lost any of its charms since last I was there. Hoo boy. That place is a circus. A very very slow circus.

Random observation: It occured to me today that I've been driving for almost 4 years, and I've now spent more time in PACCAR trucks than in Freightliners. If you'd have asked me in '08 if I ever saw myself in a KW, I would have said wistfully, "Maybe...someday."
Dunno...it's nice to have a moment every once in a while where you can tangibly cite how life is better than it was. (Or at least more fun!)
You all be safe. I'm going to sit here and wait on Cargill to get some pigs slaughtered.

 

Have you ever been to the Roundy's in Stevens Point? I'd rather stick my head in a meat grinder than go there! It makes Oconomowac lookn like a walk in the park that's for sure. White Wave actually used to pay really decent until Prime, Stevens, CR England, etc got their claws into them. As soon as I started seeing their trailers in the lot I knew it wasn't going to be good. To be honest they're right, the rates have actually gone up for them, not by much, but they are going up. We've been hauling out of that plant for ever so it gives us consistent freight out of that area rather than messing around with brokers. Now HP Hood up in Winchester is a whole different bag of worms! As far a trucks go I'm really happy with PACCAR, now if we could just figure out how to get Dave to go back to 386's I'd be an extra happy camper! But what we have sure beats the pants off of a Freightliner or Intertrashional!

 

Which Cargill plant are you at?

 

if someone tell me this is normal then i will kick and scream until i get an pre-def truck, but this is what my truck has been doing for the past 3 months and today was probably the worst, for 70 ####ing miles this thing smoked like an pos...

 

no one can can't me believe that is normal, funny and interesting thing tho is yesterday i was behind a wally world prostar doing it but his wont as bad and wasn't a blinding, i seen a couple of smith transport 387's doing today but again not as thick and white, and also an Canadian prostar who also was blowing this fine white smoke, but the only thing they have in common is they have stacks!!! can someone tell me why in the blue hell are trucks didn't come with stacks on the KW's???? i'm giving myself the benfit of the doubt but if the truck had stacks i probably wouldn't care so much but with everyone reminding me its coming from the bottom of my truck and "van wyk, your brakes are locked up going up hill buddie" its getting old!!! #### i can't wait to get into another truck after vacation next weekend!!!!!!!