An observation

Speaking of hard roads and Volvo's. They seem to be kinds popular here for the job site trucks with cranes on them. They aren't the typical reefer pulling Volvo's you see. They have four headlights and a different cab on them. I wonder if that's more of a "tuff" truck.

 

VNX Heavy Load Trucks | Best Heavy Haul Trucks | Volvo Trucks Canada

 

I was thinking these because I see a lot of em on job sites as straight trucks, doesn't look like they make a tractor in this model. They look beast as ####!
Crane | Volvo Trucks USA

 

I don't really see those up in this area.
But the VNX series is an extremely popular truck here.
A local logging company has about 30, many others who go off road, and heavy haul use them as well.
My brother has a bunch and swears by them.
A driver of mine who quit to go it alone with his own truck, was so impressed by them after seeing all the trucks used around here, he said for him it wasn't a tough decision to get himself one.
BC also has a good dealer network, and independent places to that work on Volvo trucks. I can easily see in my future a yard full of Mack and Volvo trucks, nothing else. The most popular truck for me is still Kenworth, but I know have 6 Macks to, and they seem bulletproof for reliability. People claim they go through injector cups frequently with the MP8/D13 engines, I haven't experienced any yet, and most people tell me it takes a long long time to get problems. I honestly don't mind spending a little money replacing them all if its going to only be every 6, 8, or 10 years. All trucks need money spent on something, and really the bill to replace them all isn't that bad. I was quoted $5500 for all new parts and installation. The Cummins I had cost that much or more every 2 years with its problems. The ishift makes it easy to be gentle on the driveline as well. I can be on a muddy or icy landing, gross weight 160,000 lbs, and just put it into crawl gear, and idle my way out, its friggin amazing. I left a very muddy landing 3 weeks ago, where I was loading on about a 10% grade, and after rolling maybe 80 feet it pitched up to over 25%, then leveled out, and the bush boss told me the road down off the mountain varied from 24% to 28%. It handled it all with ease, and I was 160,000 lbs gross. After i got off the worst of the road, that being the first 18 kms, i took it easy the next 60 kms as it was deep potholes, and bad washboard on that logging road. When i got to the main logging road I pulled in and hooked back up my jeep, i couldn't get it up and down around the switch backs, so left it on the side of the road as I often do. Then another 80 kms of the main feeder logging road to the hwy, back on the pavement and gone....the entire time #### thankful I was in a Mack. Seems most locals get 6 to 10 years on these motors before they have to spend any real money on them, so it isn't a big deal. Already its ran perfectly for 3 years, and this truck is basically always pulling overweight loads.
By the way for those who don't understand kms. A km is 0.62 of a mile, so 100 kms is 62 miles.

 

24-28% I can't even begin to imagine what that is like lol. I live at sea level and the highest point in the state is 419' if I remember correctly lol. Mack makes a good truck but they are a ####ing terrible company to do business with as a supplier so I have always been a little salty twords them. They stiffed me out of a little over $5000 on parts I machined for them and when I got a lawyer involved he to me not to bother because they do this to everyone and I would never see the money. So on a 20% hill do you full Jake and like first or second gear to keep it at a walking speed? That's some scary stuff!

 

There is some dumps (I think the state even bought some) and job sight trucks sold around here, but a whole different class from a road truck.

 

Coming down the mountain is full jake and ride the brakes as needed. Slow down to a crawl for the switch backs, almost put the front tire over the edge of the cliff, stop, back up a little, then continue down slowly to the next switch back. All radio controlled, and anyone coming down has the right of way, no room to pass anywhere on the hill, so any trucks heading up stop and wait at the bottom. Only logging with 5 axle trucks up there. I was 7 axles being in a tri drive, and pulling a tri axle. I was way over weight, but that is normal in the bush. I got my start with my first truck I ever bought being a logging truck, and primarily hauling in the steep mountains, so its what I am used to. My first gig, with my first truck, was logging an area called Lost Ledge. A D8 dozer met us trucks at the 14th switch back, and pulled us up the last ways, and all you see is sky out the windshield. Roll the window down and hang your head out the window to see the road. Once loaded they hooked the D8 back onto me, and down we went using it to help slow me down. When I needed to back up on the sharpest 4 switch backs the D8 helped pull me back to. The cat skinner always let us drivers know that if it got too scary for him he would hit free spool on the winch, and the end of the cable wasn't attached to the winch drum, so we were going over the cliff to a certain death. Better one dead, than take him with us and it be two dead. Do that for a few years, and hills don't bother you anymore. I don't consider anything under 10% even a hill, and its not a steep hill till it exceeds 20%. Run aggressive triple chains on every axle, and singles on the steers. Yes we chain up the trailer axles to.
When someone applies for a job here, i won't even accept their resume to look at it until they go to the yard, and show me they can properly chain up a 7 axle. If you can't do it in a flat yard, on good ground, there is zero chance that they can in mud, on ice, or in 2 feet of snow.

 

Haul roads at the gold mines are just about as fun. Fortunately it’s one in and a separate one out.

 

Good Lord.

 

My hat is off to you. I am thoroughly impressed!