How come you never hear anyone talk about Internationals?

That sounds awesome.

 

story time: the CDL school I attended was a very small organization with one trainer who taught two students at a time. he had a 2005 International 9400 with a 430hp ISX15 and a 10 speed. it had about 770k on it so it had lived a pretty easy life. but at about 750k it got a new longblock due to a cracked/warped block. the week before I started, my instructor went out and bought a 1995 Freightliner FLD with 1.8 million on it, he got it for $1000 with no hood and no front wheels and had it up and running and passing emissions for under $2k all-in. it has a 12.7L Series 60 and a 9 speed. he bought this to have a back-up to keep his classes running when the International is broken. but now they don't even use the International because nobody likes the controls, they all say it's way harder to drive, the pedals feel terrible, the steering sucks, and the mirrors were hard to get adjusted right because when you moved the moto mirror left or right it would also tilt up or down. so this truck that he spent $20k on, and put another $25k into, now plays second fiddle to the $1000 Freightliner that everybody likes better. it just wasn't a nice truck to drive, and even the instructor with 2.5 million miles under his belt felt the same way.

 

That's kind of how I feel about them. The small engines like the 466 and 570 seem to rev up and down faster than any other engine. I can jump into a Star with a Cat or Detroit and an 18 and float it fairly easy around the yard. Hop into a 7600 w/570 and 10 speed and I can't even get the dang thing out of first without looking like a complete noob.

 

Don't ever buy a Yamaha sportbike.

 

Had a Prostar, ISX with a 10 speed. Never a problem with the drive train and I liked having the cruise control controls on the steering wheel. Having said that, in a hard rain water would leak in under that little bubble that hangs out over the windshield. Make turn and water would trickle down from the center speaker enclosure in the overhead. Talked to a used Ryder salesman one day a couple of years later and they had to turn in a couple of Prostars due to mold from moisture instrusion. Maybe just that certain model year.
Don't remember the trun radius being that bad.

 

Learned to drive in a 2004 9900ix with a 260in wheelbase, now driving a 2015 9900 with a 235in. Both Cummins, the older one has an n14 and the newer one an isx.

Turning radius sucked in the 2004, even compared to a 2007 9900 with the same wheel base. The 2015 has really good turning radius, better than a prostar with a 230in wb.

The 2004 has shockingly good power at 525hp, will out pull the 2007 9900 with a 565isx even with 1.4million on it! It's most major repair was injectors last year, never been overhauled. Have driven prostars, not a fan of them...

 

I ran a 9200 for two years, had a 51" Pro sleeper. It was an 08 model, C13 Cat, had the DPF on it. The truck itself I kinda liked. It rode nice, turned on a dime, interior didn't rattle or squeak. Overall, the thing was not bad at all.

But the engine sucked. And so did the autoshift transmission. Funny thing, the recruiter for that job went on and on for about ten minutes about how wonderful an autoshift is in traffic. I can tell you, after two hours on the cross Bronx in stop and go traffic, I was ready to choke that little liar

 

Everyone is whining about the turning radius. Go drive a classic freightliner. That thing has horrible turning radius. But once you get comfortable with any of 'em you can get around. If turning radius is your hang up, go get a cab over!

 

The v8 macks had the best sound! It would give you a stiffy just listening to it.