Abilene Motor Express....A New Place To Call Home

I don't think it's phone troubles. Yesterday was payday and a friday so maybe he took a long weekend. I know I tried reaching payroll a few times yesterday and no-one was answering their phones.

Send him an e-mail just so he has been notified. He is really laid back though so I don't think there will be an issue with him thinking you didn't keep him posted.

All autos here. If there is a manual company fleet truck I have never seen or heard of it.

 

Thank you Redtwin, I just sent the email. Looking forward to joining the team.

Just curious about your comment on the Jake break above. Is it a 3 stage or just a single stage (on/off)? I ask because the Volvo 670 with the Cummings (10 speed manual) I ran for WS had a 3 stage Jake. Stage 3 was very strong, stage 2 pretty strong but I had no problems using stage 1 on wet roads when empty. It was a light breaking and worked very well. Not that I needed the Jake too often when empty but there were occasions in the mountains out west it came in handy.

Also just curious, do your trucks have a Johnson Bar (trailer only breaks)?

 

Volvo, kw and freightliner have 3 stage engine brakes. I haven't driven the Mack but as that uses Volvo drivetrain I imagine its the same.

The freightliner Im in will downshift and switch to a higher engine brake mode on it's own even if i only select the lowest setting. The other volvo and kw trucks i drove didn't do that.

It is annoying as it means you are slowing down more than you want to going down a slight grade. On wet roads with a light load or empty I don't dare use the engine brake because of the above behavior.

 

KW's don't have Johnson Brakes. Pretty sure the others don't either.

 

None of the trucks i have been in have Johnson bars.

 

We used to call em "trolley brakes"

 

@El Viajero - this is Abilene thread; they run automatic transmissions and hire new cdl drivers.

 

Yeah that's not good in my book. I had an experience going down the west side of the 4th of July in bad winter conditions where it was the only thing I had to pull that rig straight when the trailer slid to the left.

Hard to believe they stopped putting them in trucks. Very useful tool. Hope you're enjoying your run to CA.

 

Very good point... While I have not had issues on wet roads, yet, Jakes and Snow/Ice don't play well together.

Manual Mode is Disabled??? Next time you're on the Yard, go ask someone about that.