What truck would an experianced driver prefer to drive?

Hard choice. The T660 has one of the worst years of Cummins engines made... be prepared to see your wallet lighten up paying for all sorts of sensors and other emissions BS getting fixed on that engine...

The Cascadia has one of the worst transmissions ever built.

Honest opinion, which would an experienced driver prefer? Neither.

 

I prefer mechanical simplicity. Numerous stories about the solenoids going out on the ultrashifts, and not a cheap repair... and for what, a glorified manual transmission? Linkages and a stick are far better with an experienced driver...

I run an N14 Cummins and a 13-speed. If something breaks, it's far simpler and far cheaper to repair versus something loaded with 100 electronic sensors and gadgets that is trying to do the same job.

If you've gotta run CARB legal, look into something newer, post-SCR debacles for reliability.

The only drivers I ever figured should be allowed to run the automatics are the veteran drivers... and it has nothing to do with their age or competence. After 40+ years of shifting, you've earned the right to not have to shift anymore.

Conway recently posted a press-release about how they're going to be spec'ing a bunch of automatics because learning to shift deters so many potential drivers into thinking it's something they can't do...

If learning to shift is that much of a deterrent, you shouldn't be in a truck in the first place.

If I could have it, I'd have a set of boxes in my truck, but, those linkages become a bit more complex on a cabover.

 

You're experienced enough to know that; some drivers only look at chrome and chicken lights. They will drive for .20 cpm and no benefits if you have lots of chrome and lights.

 

I don't know, for me, shifting a 13 is like ice skating or riding a bike, you never really forget. Nowadays, I don't think a 13 is even needed, as I believe it was made for old Detroits, where you had to keep the "needle against the pin". A 10 hauls the mail just fine. And I agree with one of the other posters, if you can't shift a truck, you probably shouldn't be in one.

 

Knowing nothing else, I'd go with the Maverick truck. I know nothing of Melton, but Maverick seems to do a great job specing their trucks for mpg & maintaining them.

I also echo comments about the isx & autoshift -- the lesser of 2 evils being autoshift with DEF dd15. Prefer the Cascadia for "ball room" while driving, also the turning radius. Prefer the t660 for pride/quality.

But frankly neither would sway me to take one job over another. I'd drive a 1975 cabover as long as it was maintained.

Yeah, but for how long?

 

From my experience with KW's (four in my career) I'd beg to differ on this point.

 

Here's a different way of looking at it. You already have a Columbia available, which is just an older cascadia, but in some ways better. Get the kw this time, that way you can have options. Personally, as a company driver my biggest concern is how reliable what I'm driving is. Comfort aspects I can deal with if the truck is gonna let me provide for my family.

 

I would take the Frtlnr over the KW. The 660 is way to small for me.