Older cabovers OTR?

I have a friend who up until recently was pulling a bull rack in a flattop '88 freightliner. It was cool. 6" straights. Had a visor also but not over the top. 444 Cummins, 9 speed. Used to get the same comments on the CB, fuel island everywhere he went. Even had a mexican down in Texas get his cell# and the guy calls him up in broken english mostly spanish trying to buy it lol.

 

im glad you were able to get his cabover so it stays in good hands. i never agreed with.him buying it with his medical concerns but it is such a cool truck i couldnt blame him. did he get a conventional or stop trucking?

 

If we never pushed ourselves we wouldn't know where our limits are. I would rather try and fail than to not try at all, but having said that, a wise man also knows when to call it quits and try something different.

The cabover was working for the previous owner for a while, and I went trucking with him in it on several occasions when things were going good for him. His situation changed, and he knew his limit...as much as it pained him (both literally and figuratively) at the time, when he sold it to me he also commented that the truck wound up in good hands.

The previous owner and I are still close friends, and I have a huge amount of respect for the man. Our backgrounds and experiences are amazingly similar, like we're brothers from another mother. Neither of us were in trucking until our mid 30s, and we both had similar influences and reasons that we got into it.

I am pleased to say that he did a lot of research (i.e. - test driving some Petes and KWs) into what kind of truck would work for him, and it boiled down to being a conventional with a big bunk. With a lot of faith in the Almighty (and a set of brass balls), he bought a nice late 70s KW W900A with a 70" bunk sight unseen out in California this past summer. While he had some people look at it for him before wiring the money, it takes a lot of faith to do something like that - a lot of faith, with maybe just a touch of crazy. He flew out there, met up with some super kind folks who lent a helping hand, and got the truck road worthy to come back across the country. He stopped in Nebraska to pick up a 40' Great Dane tater wagon to haul back to the company he leases on with in central PA.

He's in the process of massaging that A model to be 'old school cool' just like the cabover. I hope he and I get to run our two trucks together sometime in the near future...it would be like some kind of 70s time warp - minus the bell bottom jeans!

 

good for bell, i knew it would still be an old school rig. few years ago i did tbe same thing and flew to florida to buy an ebay rig.

is he still posting over yonder? i may mave to go check it out.

you dont know it but your generosity and kindness has been demonstrated to me in person, you deserve the best outcome


you ready to pass that aerodyne on to me yet? lol

 

Got any pictures of that rig?

He hasn't posted anything in the last two or three weeks, but under his one thread 'This Sick Addiction Called Trucking' (no thread has ever been so aptly named) he detailed the entire story about his decision about the A model and the process involved in bringing it back east. It's a great read.

Companyman, that's just about the highest compliment I think can be paid a person. Thank you very much for that.

I guess we've crossed paths somewhere along the way, and I try to obey the golden rule and treat everyone as I would want to be treated. I think the world would be a lot better place - and our society as a whole would be much improved - if more people would get their head out of their butt and realize that being good to folks pays you back in the long run. I remember the days of trucking with grandpa when drivers looked out for one another and had respect, common courtesy, and lent a helping hand. I try to abide by those traits because that's how I was raised...of course, you have to be careful nowadays because you can get in a heap of trouble helping out the wrong person. If I see someone who needs help and the spirit moves me, I try my best to do what I can to help.

I guess everything is for sale for the right price!

I hope to hold on to the Aerodyne for a long time, and improve it as the years go by. Only time will tell...you never know what the future holds!

 

oh i have been around. lol

if only they had cats instead of them evil big cam cummins

 

your wife would love kw aerodyne mine does the best sex machine to ride in

 

there is a old bus style international for sale that was donated to.one of those charities that take auto donations. he wants 6500, i told him with 775k on a detroit and no history i would give him $1500. ya, he didnt like that too much and i was called everything but a good guy. lol

 

Don't let the others scare you, what's wrong going otr in a truck that you really cherish, I was with landstar, in a 86 359, nothing beats the joy of a classic truck running down the road, I recently took mines of the job, I'm going make mines look modern, first step is the daylight windows, and next is paint, then cleaning, trust me the our dinosaurs can do just as much as the new electronic plastic truck they have now, and get the job done,and epically if you have a unique bond with your rig

 

Its hard to convince drivers they don't ride bad. I've been driving them for 44 years.
presently 2001 362 pete with a 20,000 lb front axle. Split progressive springs. air ride, with factory air ride cab.