Best and Worst trucks

That cab was made for steel haulers, and pipe too (as Semi Retired said. Usually had a very long flat bed body. The hatch was in the roof, and it wasn’t an emergency escape. It was used when there was a load of long beams that went from the front fenders all the way to the tail end. When you had a load like that, you had to use the roof hatch, because the doors couldn’t swing open. And yes they were weird looking, like a guppy. This was pre DOT, so if the load fit, you could just drive it. No axle weights, eventually you had to use a tractor trailer to be legal. Pure American ingenuity at its best!

 

The last "mack" was 2007 in 08 came the volvo mp series. IMO the older mack ch's with the old style injection pump are some of the toughest trucks around. Not the fastest or most plush riding but you can take em anywhere. Most got exported to Africa or south America

 

I have a 2017 KW that I would happily trade to have my 2015 Freightliner back. It's all a matter of preference. For me the freightliners tighter turning radius and smooth auto shift are more important then the ride and extra power in the KW because backing and u-turns are a nightmare in this thing.

 

KW and Pete aren't what they use to be. That being said the days of IH and Freightliner being cheap throw away trucks isn't exactly true either. Personally I would drive what ever they handed me the keys for. I do like some over others but still, if it pays I'll drive. Do I dare say that I would take a Pete 386 or a Volvo if I had to do it day in and day out in the same truck.

 

Thought Pete and kw were the same anymore
Paccar or something like that

 

Paccar

 

Another point to be made. In my experience, it’s not always the brand of the truck that’s good or bad, but more importantly, how the truck was specified for its intended use. There are truck guys who understand this, and know how to spec a truck that’s fairly well engineered. Unfortunately sometimes the bean counters are making these decisions, especially in the municipal sector. And I believe that’s where the trouble begins.

The town I live in recently purchased some dump trucks that are used for plowing and sanding snow. They’re Freightliners that were specd too light.

The drivers prefer the old Mack’s, some are over 30 years old, that are still in the fleet. The Mack’s were built heavy, much more power and traction, than the wimpy Freightliners. Obviously the brand preference is Mack, the FLs could have been built more like the Mack spec, but that wasn’t what the bean counters did. Nope, they probably listened to the FL sales rep, who promised lower cost to buy and operate a “special municipal package”.

 

These were nice trucks too, if you can find one, that is.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fo..._36a688641f010773da1818ea9fbe17ecdbbdba73.jpg

 

^^^^ yea talking about dump trucks those old macks with camelback and a maxidyne are almost impossible to kill. Like the old saying goes, the driver will keel over before the mack ever does

 

In this pissing match between brands, sometimes the truth comes out sometimes it is just lunch counter BS. Lot of times it is just BS that has fermented.

As such, when in this pissing match, it is important to consider something like 90% of all the trucks are made from the same parts. Most trucks have Eaton transmissions, Dana/Eaton or Meritor axles, Bendix, Dana, or Meritor brakes, Cummings and Detroit can be had in multiple brands.

Does the 10% of parts difference matter? Yes, most defiantly. So does the overall engineering to a large extent.

But if we are all honest here, appearance and heritage, make more of a difference to many truck drivers.

That said, Intertrashinal has had a long heritage of being the put together brand marketed to municipalities. Same thing with their farm tractors and construction equipment. Then with this emission scandal they did themselves no favors.

So, would I own one? Depends which one and what I needed to do with it.