Best tractor for durabilty

Correct. It is how the truck is operated and maintained. At least thats 90%? With emissions crap may be a different % on some of it. I have seen guys take a nice new truck and junk it out in 2 or less years.

 

I probably would have kept it.....that was probably the last of the classic internationals before prostars took over

 

How about one of these?

 

You are not stepping on any toes Sir.

When one employer gave me the keys to the FLD 120 road trip truck condo in the late 90's which was at that time a very good fit for me. I went straight to his shop across the lot and inside that shop was a library of 3 ring binders on every truck in his fleet.

I pulled a binder with my new FLD120's Unit Number and sat down over some smokes in a quiet corner there to read it's history from about 1994. It had a tendancy to suffer alternator, front end weakness which requires shop work and generally was a good truck. My work order to the shop boss was a new driver's seat, new matress and a DOT check end to end because in that binder did not really show a current on road use that year (It was just a road trip truck, down the mountain and back up.) so that meant I pulled the permit book from that cab and took it over to the permit girl in the office and went over each and every one. If I was going to haul alcohol out of St Louis, I needed to be sure I had a permit for that where possible etc it's a habit from my Baltimore Seagram days in containers)

The shop boss was interested in my behavior as a new hire. I told him I wanted to learn all I could about how that truck has done mechanically through it's then 260,000 miles or so when I got given it to use OTR and what it history was. I was told that I was probably one of very few drivers who took the time to access that particular room with all those binders for all trucks, all trailers in the fleet.

It made me feel much better about the truck I was getting into. Information. History etc.

The company Im told is no longer in business. I think the economic downturn related to some products such as Maybelline of NLR among other shippers hurt him enough to end it. If he pivoted to McKesson to run medicines instead it would have been a great opportunity.

I usually go through a number of alternators a year, a set of virgin rubber before ice season once a year of 10 on the tractor (3000 back in my time probably closer to 6000 now) and so on.

But would I have bought that particular 120? Erm I don't know. Maybe. I did at one time in the early 90's pick a very similar truck but midroof standing sleeper with the 400 plus kitty and good short rockwell in it, pretty much the cream of the 30 or so to pick from in that particular situation in my life. Cost was 41000 dollars for it when I signed to buy it. then)

Fast forward say 10 to 15 years. Many of those FLD's fell by the wayside when they get worn out and not maintained. I suppose there is a entire overseas industry in Africa, Central America and elsewhere who could care LESS about emissions etc that would buy these trucks worn out and ship them OUT of the USA for to be run out until junked when they finally broke overseas pretty cheaply I might add.

 

I’ve driven old internationals and freightliner. They all seemed to fall apart.

I did drive a 98 international 9100 with a Detroit in it for a while. That truck kicked ###.

Now I drive a 98 w900 at my current job. Probably my favorite truck. It’s holding up well.

 

The weight and solidness of the cabinets in my Western Star and how solidly they are secured to the truck gas got me never wanting to Never Ever get into a plastic cabinet truck.

My 1st truck I was issued was a Kenworth 680 . I thought I scored big for a newbie. Every cabinet door needed to be beyond slammed to get to latch shut . And than they would still pop open on some of these Michigan potholes.
At 250 thousand the front end was Shot. Felt like I was driving a 1972 Pinto.
Got issued my Western Star 4900 SB. Thought I as back driving my dads old 76 Cadilac floating down the road.

I don't get the Pete following. They are so tiny inside and half the guys I see getting out of them are over 300 pounds.

The W900s look cooler I think but the cab to bunk transformation and step down is a huge compromise after living inside my Western Star.

 

Buy a truck based off what the best and fastest shop around can work on. They all break down.

 

you are very welcome my friend.. best of luck to you!!