How was the condition of your first truck?

2006 International 9200i, 18 spd, Cummins ISM/410 Hp, with 450,000 miles on it when I got into it a little under a year ago. I run at 80,000 pounds most of the time and I find I have to make that engine eat itself to climb the hills nicely. Sure wish it didn't have super singles (my main beef with it). When I first started driving it I had a lot of down time due to mechanical work. The previous driver didn't report a lot of mechanical issues that I ended up finding out about in my checks. After 4 months or so I got a lot of the kinks worked out and it has been okay since. 570,000 miles now on it

 

2007 Volvo 670, 345k miles. I LOVE my truck. The last driver took very good care of it, and the shop caught what he didn't.

D12 Volvo, 10 speed.

Interior is gorgeous, exterior is near perfect. I also take great care of it. Nobody smokes near it, and I always keep it clean. Hey, I have to live in the thing for days at a time.

We pull reefer, and I average around 76k lbs. Pulls ok, and does the job safely.

 

sounds like you got pretty lucky

 

My first truck was Maude the old broad. It had issues but did get the job done. Came to a point that it needed to be traded in as there was always something going wrong with it. The worst part of it was the clutch pedal rattled. After a while you got used to it.

 

Yes and no. I work for a small carrier, and they take decent care of all the trucks.

 

Thats good

 

1977 International COE-290 Cummins-10speed-boot was gone over gearshift so you could see the concrete as you drove-Cab heater didn't work but the bunk heater did-spring ride-air windshield wipers-Armstrong power steering-no shocks. Drove the truck about 6 months back and forth from Indiana to Boston. Had a blanket across my legs to keep my feet reasonably warm. AM Radio that only picked up stations at night. Don't know why I kept driving the thing. Kept hoping things would get better and they did. Got a 1982 Intnt'l COE,290 Cummings, 9 Speed, ELECTRIC ws wipers,power steering,AM-FM 8 track,Cab Heater and Bunk Heater and A/C all worked,Shocks on the front and the rear,Eagle Interior, Power windows,Pretty sucker to-Red,White and Gold. MAN I was a Truck Driver!!

 

Back then in the 80s did not think much about it The truck was a Ford L series seems like it was a old ABF truck that they streached the frame on to get a 220 " WB had a Cummind 300 BC and a 9 spd power steering but no A/C Drove that truck from March86 to about May 86 when we got a New 359 Pete with a Cummins BC 315 with another 9 spd but it had like 3:70 gears and would fly ,stayed there till July when I went to work for Chemical Express Carriers out of Irving Tx ,Went from a 1986 to a 1976 with no power steering , 180" WB , and a A/C that did not work to good due to so many air holes . Older now would not leave yrd with that truck but then Texas had only one set of scales and just a hand full of weight cops over weight ticket was always around 25.00 dollars and they did not mess with you that much , Amazing how times have changed for the worse .

 

73 brockway wrecker with a 318 detroit and a 13 spd. then a ford ltl 9000 with a dump trailer. cabover kw's for a few years. then a brand new 89 pete 379 ex hood, stand up sleeper with a 425 cat. never drove a cab over again!! now i drive a 09 prostar. best riding truck i ever drove!

 

One they might have been testing you to see if you wanted to work anto sit around in a nice truck. Two, you will be suprised as to what you can get used to after driving the same truck for a while. Three and most important is that safety items are breakdown items for a shop. If you get the same truck take your list to the shop and ask them about them. They are probably familiar with the truck.