Truck setup

General freight, some OSOW? Minimum 500hp, 13 speed and 3.55 rears.

 

These days most used trucks fit fine. Make sure you can fit a cab rack on the back without interference with fuel tanks or trailer. I like a longer wheelbase than some of these company spec dryvan trucks.

 

If your truck has exhaust stacks coming up the back of the cab, you need to leave a gap for that exhaust stack when you mount your headache rack. Now your headache rack limits the amount of front overhang if you haul any long steel beams or pipes. You may end up permanently sliding your 5th wheel all the way back. For this reason I would look for a truck with exhaust stacks on the side.

 

Wheelbase and sleeper size will dictate that.

 

At least a 240 wb.

I ran a Cascadia with a 236 and it was iffy at times ( using an enclosed headache rack). Even a tall load flush with the front of the trailer could cause problems if you were turning to/from a steep incline/decline. Sure you can adapt and take a shallow angle. Any front overhang was undue stress. If it was low (close to the deck) it wasn't too bad, but as it gets higher you start to run out of room.

244 wb to make life easy for "general" flatbed freight?

 

How big was your bunk?

 

Ahh yeah..
60"

 

To a great extent that is true. The truck I just sold, an '03 T2000 had the muffler on the back stack. That meant my headache rack had to allow for about 12" of room. That's a lot. If I were to do it again I would definitely get a truck with stacks on the side.

The company I work for now runs all Peterbilt 389's. Side stacks. All their side boxes and headache racks are custom built in house. Since we frequently change trailers and types of trailers, that means we have to have all securement and dunnage in the truck. The amount of storage on the truck is essential.

For an owner operator, pulling only one trailer (as I did), you can get away with less storage on the truck and have side boxes on the trailer. None of the company trailers have storage, unless you count the RGN's for ramps, wood, and "wings" for wider wheel loads.