Marten Transport (19 month review)

Just think how much it sucks to live here...lol

I'm getting really burned out from running (not with Marten) in an area bounded by I-81 to the west, the ocean to the east, the Mass Pike to the north and Baltimore to the south. It truely is the armpit of the United States. I'd love to get onto an east of the Mississippi fleet, where I could "stretch my legs", but still get regular hometime.

 

Just paid a visit to the Mondovi headquarters and look at what I saw...
Brand spanking new 2018 International LT tractors equipped with Cummins engines waiting to be put into service.
I don’t know what the company paid for them but I wouldn’t want one.

 

And don’t get me started on the OnGuard that they’ll put in them.

 

At least they have Cummins in them, LT prostar seems to be alive and well. Surprisingly after all the issues with their Maxifart engines, I honestly didn't think international would survive that ordeal. It's all about pricing and buying in volume for these companies, sadly.

 

I’m surprised the company is buying more International tractors. Originally the plan was to phase them out of the fleet completely,as the company has purchased more Freightliner,Kenworth and Volvo tractors.

 

Got a special load tomorrow. After I drop my current load in Wisconsin Rapids,WI I’ll be heading to Mondovi to take a truck that’s going to be moved to the Jurupa Valley,CA terminal. With that truck I’m picking up a load in Rochester, Minnesota that’s going to Ontario,California and then the company will fly me back to Wisconsin to do it all over again. Looks like some of fleet (with 200K miles on the odometer on average) is getting moved out west. They’re also sending trucks down south to the De Soto,Texas terminal as well to help with the Coke contract that was recently picked up.