Long Hood Peterbilt 359/379/389 and Kenworth W900

We get paid by the 100 weight on the precast pipe and stuff like that. I have also seen 2 trucks in the last year that have tried doing what we do and hauling what we haul that ended up with cracked or broken frames. Heck the truck with the 9 axle is dang near 80k empty. My average is 100-130k gross.

The frame on my truck is 2-3 times thicker than a standard OTR truck that grosses 80k all the time.

For us light trucks cause more issues because of the thinner frames. Our shop is currently working on a truck that the frame broke completely in half(not our truck) and I have seen another one where the frame cracked at the torsion bars(or whatever they are called) on the rears. If you are off road at all loaded that is what you want to keep an eye on.

I have figured out that with a b-train like @Dye Guardian pulls, I can easily scale 80-85k of payload and be legal on all axle groups. I can scale 65k on a quad axle flat.

 

That is quite a bit different when you can run more than 80K gross, you really do need a heavier spec truck. I think if I loaded my hopper nose to tail piled full I don't know if I would hit 90K just due to volume capacity

 

Here's a few cracks for ya. I think its a combination of overloads and neglect. Being 36 years old doesn't help either lol.

 

Crossmember in front of the forward diff. It actually runs down to just about the flange and about an inch above the hole. Part of the reason I went for new rails.

 

Yep.

 

After reading the this a day or so ago, I decided to offer up my experience in the "hooded" truck vs slope nose truck.
So here goes...
First truck ever driven was a 94' 379, 60" unibuilt bunk, b-model cat, 15 over, this was dad's baby and I first drove it on the back roads of Utah, starting around 12 years old. Absolutely loved that truck. Over the next 10 or so years it was a 379, a 5 axel freightliner dumptruck, or a Ford 15 ton boom truck. All were driven prior to "officially" becoming a driver and were driven within a 50 mile radius of home.
My first official truck was a t-600 270ish wb, nice otr truck, not really cut out for the patch, but a comfortable truck none the less. Tight steering, taken lots of places it probably didn't want to go.
T-800 4 axel day cab, 278 wb, spent the majority of my seat time in this truck, didn't turn near as sharp as any of the trucks, I'd driven up until this point. (Day one bringing her home from Colorado I missed our entry way, bobtail) not proud, but it happened. Ride wasn't the greatest, but it handled everything I threw at it... had the radiator crap out on me mid rig move in piceance Creek Colorado, finished with the old t600 and thought the old pride truck was going to die. Found out why truck spec is so important. Watched that truck literally shake itself appart. Compared to our 92 379, that 06 t600 didn't hold up. Plastic trucks are just that, plastic.
On to my current ride 13' 388 (short hood set forward axel 265 wb) turns better than the t800, but similar to both w900b's that I've driven. Not sure if I like the Pete air leaf rear suspension, don't get me wrong, it's a very comfortable truck, I just think the 8 bag on my t800 maintained traction better off road. Both trucks have full lockers and in the past 2 months I think I've been stuck more than I ever had in 4 years in the t800.
I am a firm believer that a competent driver is just that a competent driver and it doesn't matter what "tool" they're given, they'll get the job done. But y'all might as well look sexy doing it, and the hooded trucks are the sexiest on and off the road, with the w900l being, in my humble opinion, the sexiest of them all. Dad ran a fleet of 379's, they made money. The only hooded truck that didn't pull it's weight was a 09' w900b with c-15. Constantly fighting with the emissions b.s. and because of that motor it's resale value value was ####.

 

Sorry it took so long to respond----was/am very busy.

1) i like the styling---reminds me of Mack Cruiseliner, GMC general etc.-----clean, contemporary, down-to-business, no BS. i think there are three main categories of conventionals----the old style "model T"-----379, w-9, the swoopy aero type---which i'm not convinced automatically equals better mpg, and the normal everyday hoods like the coronado, Ford LTL 9000, louisville etc. Now, if you like the first two types fine. They are not my thing.

2) To me the coronado is basically a foward axle cascadia with a different hood.

a) Cascadia is a proven, dependable truck that gets the job done.

b) Detroit(and freightliner) seems the most popular, is dependable as hell and there seems to be more freightliner/detroit service places around. i think even T/A was/is a detroit service point?

c) Can you even get a detroit in a Paccar truck? Not that cummins or cat is bad. i don't think you can get a cat in a Paccar truck anymore?

 

CAT stopped on-highway motor manufacturing in 2007. They still support older motors (with rebuild kits) but they don't make new. Since moving to mining and construction, they've lost significant market share and have had to cut jobs. It sucks, because if they had kept up with emission standards, that may never have happened.

Detroit is Freightliner-only now because they own the company. Cummins is the only independent manufacturer left.

However, if you buy a new glider, you can put whatever you want in it. At least until they become illegal.