COE trucks?

I loved those Petes Johnny. The middle truck in my pics was a 1980 Transtar II.
That was the last year of that bodystyle and the first brand new truck I ever drove.
The next time I drove a brand new one was 17 years later when I bought my own. A '97 379 Pete.

 

That was the best riding COE I ever drove. It had the air bag suspension and rode better than a lot of conventionals back in the day. Driving COE's never bothered me like it did a lot of guys. I got in my first conventional, a new 85 W900 after that and it was like learning to drive all over again. The first time I went to back up when I looked out the window over my left shoulder all I saw was that chrome stack instead of the back corner of the trailer. Going down the hiway in the KW you sat 2 ft closer to the middle of the truck than the cabover and that took getting used to. Six months after I got the KW, good old JB and Schneider came in and cut the rates and that was the end of a good job for me. I never drove a brand new truck after that either.

 

The first truck I owned was a 1984 Frtlnr with the bigger sleeper on it. Spring ride, 13 speed, 315 Cummins. Put a "cabmate" on the sleeper and drove that truck miles and miles and miles. Rebuilt the 315 to a 400 that put 390 horses on the ground. Man, was that something! Tell the truth I miss that truck. Could back that sucker like a pro. The truck ave 5. mpg as a 315. Ave 5.7 as a 400, but the speed limit was 55 and I didn't have to keep my foot in it. Life was good and so was my truck. I look on the internet at the CO's for sale and it brings back some good memories. I'd go back and drive the Frtlnr or KW K100 in a heartbeat but retirement brings me back to reality.

 

I love the old cabover trucks! But I run the East coast, and the lack of nose makes getting into those smaller docks alot easier. And being able to just crash on the doghouse was great on those chillier nights. But my very first big truck ride was in an old JB Hunt cabover, so I may be biased.