A 2012 Prime Endeavor

Ditto, I think maybe 2 steps for me. Then again every part of it went quickly, I was the last one to go through so they were motivated.

 

They just want to make sure its physically possible for you go get under a trailer and inspect it... like you might ACTUALLY have to do in order to perform your job.

 

No myth. Doc Abraham has had me do it twice now at renewal physicals.

 

I've seen quite a few of the smaller prime trucks lately, is this trend company wide?

 

Yup... on the reefer side. Lighter weight tractor allows you to pull more freight in the wagon. Look at it this way... you're able to pull loads that those of us in the full-sized trucks can't. We'd be sittin' while you're earnin'!

 

Won't that kill the fuel consumption though? As fuel costs are the number one cost for companies, right?
Just thinking pure physics here, smaller tractor + larger load = more energy used to move said load.

 

Same weight limit for the whole unit. 80k lbs or less.

same energy used to move 80k large truck and trailer with normal size load... its the same energy to move 80k small truck and lighter trailer with larger load

We can charge a premium for being able to move more weight with less trucks.

 

Ah, ok. To me smaller tractor implied smaller engine. But I guess every pound counts over all so cutting weight anywhere on the whole unit, and not necessarily by using a smaller power-train.
So with smaller trucks we're talking smaller sleepers and such, I guess the same can be done by having trailers built out of lighter materials too just to keep the over all weight of the vehicle lower as to allow for more freight inside, makes sense.

See, I'm learning every day.

 

Prime also has light weight trailers I do believe. Least have pulled a few in the last few months. The Light Wt tractors have a dd13 in them, Freightliners anyway. Smaller sleeper and less storage space, but your paid .05 more per mile as a trade off.