Glider ideas

I see, I still can't believe there isn't a way to track them, the new trucks are obvious by what engines they have in them, but the older ones not so much.

 

When you run the VIN number it comes up in the computer system as a glider.

 

Ha, won't need to do that on the new ones. As soon as someone sees it's a newer truck and it's not powered by a steaming pile of poo the value increases.

New truck shopping anymore Les reminds me of all your trips to Thailand looking for women. From the outside they look really good, but as soon as you look under the hood you realize is isn't what you bargained for.

 

I was thinking about ordering a glider last fall but the worry is if other states adopt Cali rules and its suddenly not able to run anywhere. it would be an expensive boat anchor then..

 

I understand that concern. But you have to also figure that the entire trucking segment in all those states can't replace equipment or retrofit overnight. It would take several years to get all of that changed over. So even if you got a glider, it will be at least a few years before the other states adopted this nonsense, and it would be several years before deadlines. And this is all speculation anyway. Most of the country, not just trucking, is getting fed up with government meddling in these areas, and it would be a stretch for all the other states to jump on board with this stuff.

As far as the Federal EPA, they would have to have congress change the laws regarding the allowance of gliders. There are various laws, including tax law, that allows this option. That all would take a lot of time. And I am not convinced that the glider thing has really made it on the radar at the EPA yet. That is a very limited segment of trucking. Most of the major fleets, except Schneider, aren't even contemplating this as an option.

I don't think time would be a problem before you got your monies worth out of a glider. And most of this stuff usually happens first in the NE and West Coast. The rest of the country will take quite a while to get on board and there is a lot of freight that moves in those other areas.

 

Unfortunatly I live in Canada and mainly run the northeast, a lot of Jersey, and If I bought one would want it to be a long term keep.

 

Got wood.....

 

Either way, I am putting the final touches on a 2013 Columbia. I had started looking in December, but stalled for a couple of months. Started working on the specs again a couple of weeks ago. Should have details done in the next two weeks. It will be an interesting truck...

DDEC IV 12.7 500 hp, 18 spd, 2.79 Meritor 14x Dualtrac rears, Wide based drive wheels, dual rear stacks, ported/jet coated exhaust manifold, larger non-wastegated turbo, dual 120 tanks set back, mid roof XT with premium interior and more cabinets than my kitchen and built in fridge, premium arctic insulation, windows in sleeper sides, premium wood grain dash with every gauge you can cram in it. Alcoa durabrites all the way around, minimizer fenders over drive wheels.

Only issue is the lead time for the build. Schneider dumped a 900 truck order for gliders and choked up the system. My build won't be ready till August.

 

Are you still ordering through Harrison in Waterloo? I've sent trucks there in the past for service, I'm not happy with the way the service department took care of us. You got my attention when you first mentioned them building gliders. They're only 94 miles from my shop and I probably have 6-10 trucks in Waterloo a day. Definitely sounds like an option you need to investigate before purchasing a new truck.

 

Went by Hoovers the other day and he had a some trucks in the lot. One was a standup and the others were flattops. Probably had 4 or 5, so if anyone is interested they might want to get ahold of him.