An observation

Discussion in 'Flatbed Trucking Forum' started by Mototom, Jul 6, 2019.

  1. sirjeff

    sirjeff Medium Load Member

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    Lol. Because worn out slack adjusters are unique to Volvos.....

    I have a heavy spec Volvo with a tuned D16 that makes 600hp/2250tq of reliable, efficient power. In the 600k miles I've owned it (since new) have not added more than a gallon of oil. TOTAL. Clean samples every drain. Ive hammered on my goofy looking tugboat for 6 years pulling 100-140k lbs in southern BC, and its still tighter than a frog's ***hole. Yep, garbage.

    Yeah, you're right. It's was a great starter truck! Except I wasn't a new driver when I ordered it....
     
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  3. MartinFromBC

    MartinFromBC Road Train Member

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    Me to.
    Volvo's pulling everything up here, and a lot of them. Logs, low beds, flatbeds, steps, vans, chips, gravel, and everything else, and more Volvo trucks on the roads than any other brand. After Volvo the most popular truck in the area, number two is Western Star, and number three is Kenworth. Must be a regional thing where you are.
     
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  4. MartinFromBC

    MartinFromBC Road Train Member

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    Our roads are hard on trucks, I think that is why we see so many Volvo's, and their sister trucks from Mack. They cost a little more than the cheap brands, but are worth it because they stand up better than many others. I keep seeing less and less Pete's, Internationals, and Freightliners every year, and more Volvos and Western Stars, Kenworth seems to hold pretty stable by the numbers I see. But this sure is Volvo country, and more and more people I even know personally are switching to Volvo. Gem in Kelowna, and Pacific Heavy truck group in kamloops seem like top notch shops to deal with as well which is an added bonus to buy a Mack or Volvo.
     
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  5. sirjeff

    sirjeff Medium Load Member

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    Yep BC is certainly one of the top proving grounds for the North American market

    ....... and Babine truck in Prince George. The guys there have won the volvo/mack international tech competition (whatever they call it) a few times now. These are the guys who figure out the crap the engineers down south cant solve.

    Let's face it, all trucks have their pros and cons. But at the end of the day, no matter your brand, they are all still a pain in the ###. Volvos are taking over, partly because the other new choices arent all that great haha
     
  6. Mototom

    Mototom Road Train Member

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    I appreciate all the info I’ve been researching but I can’t find too many complaints about new Volvo’s with the d13 atleast no more then the new cascadias.
    I know the contract comes with a decent warranty but I’d rather not be sitting at all over repairs.
    I’ll see if I can test drive the Volvo and the cascadia when it comes time
     
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  7. Bean Jr.

    Bean Jr. Road Train Member

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    Volvos are a love/hate truck. Nobody seems to be "they're ok". I happen to fall on the hate side, although the Volvos I have driven with the D13, I didn't have engine complaints.

    And please, give me a break about value. Perhaps in the last 5 years, but compare 2014 and older Volvos to 2014 and older KW, on truckpaper, and tell me they hold their value. Here are 2 searches. I tried to make them as similar as possible. Both 10 speed and minimum of 400 hp and tandem rear axles. Kenworth average, after removing the high and low is nearly $20,000 more than the Volvo Screenshot_20190707-095915_Chrome.jpg Screenshot_20190707-095915_Chrome.jpg Screenshot_20190707-095614_Chrome.jpg
     
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  8. D.Tibbitt

    D.Tibbitt Road Train Member

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    Because flatbedders take pride in their rides its the nature of pulling a deck. Most the volvos u see pullin a deck is company drivers. Im sure some some owner ops got them. Plus it looks funny on a deck , even the midroofs. They were made for box trailers. Petercars and k whoppers were made for decks, man they just got that look.

    Tell me which ones looks cooler

    Screenshot_2019-07-07-10-12-43.png Screenshot_2019-07-07-10-14-35-1.png Screenshot_2019-07-07-10-14-49-1.png Screenshot_2019-07-07-10-16-17-1.png Screenshot_2019-07-07-10-16-32-1.png Screenshot_2019-07-07-10-18-18-1.png

    That black midroof volvo is pretty sweet lookin tho
     
  9. D.Tibbitt

    D.Tibbitt Road Train Member

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    Gettin' down westbound
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    If ur comparing it to a crapcadia its not even close. Volvo will always win that one
     
  10. FlaSwampRat

    FlaSwampRat Road Train Member

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    ####, beat me to it. I was scrolling thru your post and got to that last pick and was thinking that's actually a really nice looking truck. From the side of being a mechanic so take it for what's it's worth since I don't drive one everyday/live in one. I love me some Volvo's, like it was said earlier it's a love/hate thing....no middle ground. As a mechanic I tend to see more high mileage Volvo's that still run and drive great without becoming rattleboxes. They seem to ride smoother than a cloud of tittys (bobtail, because I'm just working on them). There are a lot of white ones around here that don't get the care they should and have people with a certain accent driving them like a rented mule, yet they always still seem to drive pretty nice. They do have some quirks like the brake light switch.....they all seem to get a problem there for some reason. As far as emissions equipment...yes they are junk but the same level of junk as every KW,Pete,FL,Mack so that really can't be counted in the equation. Like I said....this is the observation of a wrench so I don't have the miles you guys have in them and don't have to live in one.
     
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