Diff lock vs inter axle lock

Most all trucks I have driven in Canada have full lockers for both rear axles.
So I have three switches, one for inter-axle and one each for front and rear diff locks.

 

Why don't we American trucks have that? Surely we could have used that a time or two.

 

I like the idea of having greater control, but trying to imagine in what kind of scenarios I would want only the front or the back drive locked. Fill me in. I want to get ejumuckated.

 

I would never own a truck without full lockups. My old KW only had interaxle lock and I was so pissed when I spun out trying to get moving in 2" of snow on the driveway. Full lockers I'd have powered out of that no sweat instead of screwing around shoveling for an hour.

 

dirty truck

 

Unlocking just the rear diff would allow the truck to make turns better, then I could lock it up again. I've used it when driving off-road (but could be any situation with extremely low traction), especially when loaded heavy and/or on lease/logging roads that are covered in compacted snow and/or ice with lots of hills and turns.

Also, sometimes I might chain only one axle and just lock that one up.

Actually, your picture is the first time I have seen both diff locks on one switch.

 

Someone noticed! Yeah, part of what we do is drive customer trucks under contract under our company authority. That truck hauls a pneumatic bulk trailer, blowing dry cement mix at oil rigs and fracking sites. The clouds of cement during the blow can be overwhelming. Let's just say the customer doesn't detail their trucks after every run...

...On top of that it's strictly a slip seat operation. Whether their own drivers or contract drivers, nobody is going to keep those trucks clean like a guy would that has a permanently assigned truck, or especially an owner operator.

 

Thanks, that makes sense. More keys on the piano means you can play more notes.

 

$$$$$$$$

 

Are you serious? 75% of drivers in America can't use the power divider properly. They would grenade the lockers on the first trip.