Never Stand Still

I don’t remember what model they were Mike. When they were Road Tractors they had the roof and back of cab fairings and were 10-something number’d. After a certain age they turned them into city tractors and took the fairings off and they were 110-something number’d. We had some ford road tractors also at the terminal I worked at. They ran the road at night and the city during the day.

 

Here is a commercial for Emery Air Freight from 1982.

 

It’s a FLC Freightliner with a set back front axle. FLC’s could be ordered in set back front axle, and set forward front axle configurations. They were not special to CF, many companies in the 1980’s ran them.

 

One other thing, the term “needle nose” generally refers to trucks from the 50’s through the early 70’s with small radiators (generally KW and Pete’s). The FLC’s had radiators capable of cooling a factory installed 600 hp KTA Cummins, which was BIG power for its time.

 

I remember you saying that, 600 HP was a lot because trucks back then were pretty marginal power wise and a lot of shifting had to be done, hence you really had to drive the truck.

 

So what you're telling me is CF didn't have there trucks specked with automatic transmission and satellite radio? What?!. What about GPS systems? Oh man what did people ever do before all that stuff .

I guess CF really didn't speck trucks with very many frills the bare minimum which is well known. Now I was reading on the other forum a couple days ago CF did have some 10 speeds and tandem axles for other operations like turnpike doubles in Florida and stuff like that. But CF wasn't Werner Enterprises where Werner bought expensive flashy trucks and got rid of them every couple years CF bought real base model trucks and kept them all till 2002.

 

Speaking of which were coming up on the 16th year anniversary of the death of CF.

 

I don't remember the CF FLC's up in the northeast, what I remember was flocks of FL COE's that always looked bare-bones and well-used. As a kid I was fascinated by how utilitarian they were, even knowing nothing about trucking they had a severe no-fat look about them. Thin from the side, drivetrain sticking out the under the back.

Back then there were lots of odd COE's still working, Dodges, Astros, Fords, etc., everybody seemed to make one. But those WFL cabs were just everywhere. CF alone seemed to have millions of them. It was noticeable after they went under, there was something missing out there on the highway.

There are companies out there that still run strippers. The bulk place I ran for had bare KW fleet cabs with turned-down C13's, yet we were pulling 79.x k every load on heavy grades. When I passed a long-hood logger on an uphill I felt like I was doing some driving. :^)

Although I know they went that way because there were no weigh stations.

 

This is in Ohio in the turnpike. This is a newer model FLC obviously with air fairing and more plastic and more aerodynamic design. This is more or less what I remember of CF, those more older metal looking CF FLC trucks I don't remember those being a thing as much here in Ohio.

This photo was taken in PA. I think and it's common with big fleets different parts of the country do get slightly different trucks. Now that being said the FLC were definitely here in the east.

This picture was taken in New York State in 2000. God does that truck look beat. The paints all faded and the trucks probably been all over the country. So I don't know like I said they must have been here, I know CF towards the end didn't have a ton of money for new equipment and they talked about having an equipment expendature, but it didn't happen, I'm sure management knew they needed new trucks, but from what I read any one who worked there from 1999-2002 said they could tell the company was having troubles the equipment was older and well worn and it's economic life cycle was starting to rundown, but they kept it up, best they could. But they said all the indicators of a bad balance sheet were there.