COE trucks?

Most of the ones i've driven---K-100, FLA, FLB, international 9700 were all air ride except for the ones i learned on--which was a gmc astro.

So, the air ride models were not too bad as far as ride. Driving them was not a problem and in fact i enjoyed it.

Living/sleeping in them was the problem; Changing clothes was difficult and there is no room whatsoever to put things.


As much as i think condos are a waste of space, they really are good for long-term living.

 

Logged a many a mile in those old "skillet face" trucks.
These new age Gen 2 drivers wouldn't work for anyone running COE's. They hit the streets fresh outta Stunt Driving School with their shiny new YOU OWE ME CDL and to pockets full of "Entitled"(379,3K mile week and home every weekend)

It was a GRAND Ole day when I got my Shiny new Shaker COE with the Industry Leading "Center Point" Steering !!

The new Gen3 (post 2K) drivers arent any different . . . . .
(Thanks for the memories)

 

fuel mileage really wasnt that bad with most cabovers, and with modern aerodynamic fairing they can be just as good as a aero conventional (see most of Europes trucks)

One of the big reasons they were mostly phased out is driver injuries from climbing in and out of them. Due to the small steps and bigger distance to the ground alot of drivers were hurt getting in or out, companies got tired of the workmans comp claims.

 

I heard Werner enterprises had something to do with it on this forum; can anyone shed some light on this?

KH

 

That used to be the rule at one company I worked for...

It didn't matter how big you were or how you could drive, if you could climb up the side of that 'shaker COE and stuff yourself behind the wheel, you got the job.

Believe me, you ain't seen nothin' til you seen a 500 lb man test the strength of the grab rails on a COE. I always waited for the day one would break, and the driver would come crashing to the ground... never did happen.

 

Before I went with Prime I drove a lot of skilletfaces. None were air ride and my 'Pete was the favorite of all. For getting down I'd use one hand on the rail and slide down as I spun around and skip the steps - I guess they'd have a coronary over that nowadays - and the only three things I didn't like about them were, changing clothes, ride, and hoods were cooler.
I was pretty young then. I can think of a lot of things I'd not like now, like where you are in a collision.

 

We always figured maintenance costs on a COE were $.05/mile higher than a conventional.

 

It all goes back to the old laws about how long a truck could be. Alot of Cabovers were used with doubles to meet the length law which I think was 62 feet but I could be wrong on that one since it was so long ago. You never saw a longnose pulling doubles until they got rid of that law.

Plus Freightliner was built by Consolidated Freight to pull their doubles. Of course all this was going on out west which made no sense to me because you can get a set of doubles around smaller places but if you had to back you'd be screwed.

I liked the Cabover gasoline truck and trailer. That's where you have a cabover with a 5000 gallon tank mounted to the frame wit a special drop axle right behind the battery boxes. Then we would have a 20 foot drawbar mounted to a turntable that was mounted to a 4 axle 9000 gallon trialer. Not a fifth wheel on the whole rig. I could put that 85 foot truck in smaller places that anyone with a semi. Truck and trailers have 2 pivot points which come in handy with a little trick we do when we slide the trailer to get out of those tight old gasoline stations. That truck rode like a Caddy when loaded, smooth as silk with the best A/C and sounds.

 

Was this some bad dream you had?

 

eh?