Stevens Transport Aviary . . cont'

I believe the agreement has to do with the Aarons being on some sort of board of directors or something like that with both PACCAR and Cummins, which is why we have a fleet of mostly Kenworths and Peterbilts.

As I understand it, we got the Cascadias and the Detroits for 2 main reasons:
-The reliability issue with the Cummins emissions system (it isn't just the T700, but also the 660 and the Petes as well, as the issue is a Cummins deal. Any truck with a Cummins between 2010 & 2013 could be a problem. It has to do with the DPF and the DEF systems).

-And a customer service issue with PACCAR and their dealers. Supposedly KW and Peterbilt weren't living up to their end of the agreement with Stevens.

That, topped with shoddy exhaust systems, brought Stevens to threaten to move to a Freightliner fleet, and they bought a number of Cascadias to prove they were serious.

That's what I've heard anyway... Believe only half of what you read, and less of what you hear...

 

Unless of course its on the internet... Then it HAS to be 100% true!

 

Bonjour!
Yes, you're right about Steve Aaron on the Board and the cummins deals. The real reason we're into the Paccar fleet is they backed Aaron in the beginning and he has been very loyal. But the problems brought everything to a head and Stevens threatened to go to Freightliner. Just as you said, they purchased about 100 trucks overall, and that brought everyone in line.
The real problem (without shaking politics) is the government's insistance on a new engine with the polution requirements, but not enough time to develop it. Detroit went one direction, Cummins another and CAT just dropped out altogether until they could get their engine designed and built.
Detroit just went a better direction.

 

Got a load out of Laredo going to Ogden, UT. Fun back road drive most of the way. Only one that may be worriesome is US 191 in UT, but according to the book it's not as bad as US 89 through Bear Lake.

 

US191 is a great drive. If you can, do it in the daytime. Great scenery, especially from Moab north to I70. Just watch your speed on the curves. Lots of up and down.

 

That is a great and easy drive from laredo to Ogden....
191 us 6 is better than us89 through bear lake...
Lots of ups and downs, and watch out for tourists... fewer this time of year...
and then you may have some snow across the higher elevations, it has started to snow in northern and central wy tonight.

 

I third it... 191 is a great drive!

 

4 months of summer is a long summer for wyoming...now with the hard freeze, my allergy will abate.

 

A friend of mine posted a picture on Facebook going over Donner last Sunday morning, had 6'' of snow in some spots.