Are the newer trucks really that bad, no longevity anymore?

My dad was 5'2" and 135 lbs, if he had a pocket full if change. He hated power steering.

His buddy, who had played DL in the NFL just as they started making money , late 50s I'd guess, he loved power steering.

I can't figure that out.

 

I don’t think it suffocates the engine. It increases back pressure but does not decrease air flow into the motor. The addition of EGR and after treatment results in a less than 2% decrease in fuel economy according to a study NHTSA did some time ago. And, the technology has advanced quite a bit since then. I’ll put an image of the testing result benefits below, as well as a link.

I also disagree with some that continually say these trucks are broke down weeks at a time as if it happens to all of them. As of October of 2018, there were over 203,000 class 8 truck sales for the year. It’s a small percentage that have serious issues. If it’s properly maintained it will last a long time. It is possible to get a lemon right out of the box and has the chance of happening as buying a new car that’s a lemon.
A fleet I was leased to bought Gliders for years. They’re shop did all the work in house. They were Columbias with factory reman S60s and they would bring the old Gliders off the road, take off the axles, driveline, APU, and transmission and put in the new Glider chassis. That’s about as cost saving as you can get. They quit doing that because they found the new trucks make them more money than the Gliders did. They’re an all Freightliner fleet and buy them with the IPM4 spec, direct drive, and super singles for maximum mpg. They have a little over 160 company trucks. The new trucks 2013 and later are good trucks with these new, 2017 and beyond, doing extremely well.


https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.d...rcialmdhd-truckfuelefficiencytechstudy-v2.pdf

 

new trucks=new tech? Yes, but newer doesn’t always = driver assisted this and that and auto transmissions. I’m running an 18 speed in a 389 with a 280” wheelbase no lane departure, tech no adaptive cruise, and the rollover traction control nonsense has been bypassed. I drove an auto truck for one week and hated every minute of it. And I lied, the truck has 110,000 on it now. BUT, I will be very glad when spring comes so I can start wearing my flip flops and shorts again.

 

Ya it’s my truck, and ya I plan on keeping it, at least till I retire, which will be in 10 to 12years, I hope. I think 36 to 38 years of doing this is enough, don’t you? Don’t know what I would do with it after that.

 

If my health holds out im gonna stay at it . Started in june of 1974, right after high school. Crazy but i still like trucking, ..most of the time. Its my hobby.

 

So if I’m understanding some of the posters here - The many hundreds of local, regional, and national carriers running hundreds of thousands of new trucks in a 450,000 mile trade-out program are

• Idiots
• Wrong
• Losing money year after year
• In a non-sustainable business model

That’s what some of you are saying? Okay. 10-4. Keep your day job because big, long term business economics is not your forte.

Meanwhile the old hand-me-down trucks get passed on to the desperate lease ops who by many accounts are struggling to survive as a group. So tell me again how running wore out trucks is a good long term business model? If you’re complaining about the note and depreciation then either you’re stuck in “the now” and not the future or you’re selling your services too cheap.

 

Long live the maxforce. Thousands sold. Megas bought them. Lease opps bought them with high hopes. Beautiful, glowing ads how great this engine was gonna be. Not saying to not update and purchase new. Just don't be the first to drink the kool-aid.

 

I would love to see a farm pickup driver wear flip flops to a farm.... A very muddy farm lol.

If the trade in program is 400k and I run 35-38k per year I won't have to put up with an auto truck for a long time. I drive a newer truck but only assist feature is abs. I'm fine with that. No lane departure no traction control and NO AUTOSHIFT

 

The hours on your engine is what will be more important than basing life expectancy from your 38k miles per year.