Overworking trucks

Wow ....

Just ... wow

 

Nope and nope

 

When your idea of maintenance is change the oil what are they at, 50,000 miles? You don't keep that around because you know it's going to give you headaches sooner than it should.

 

I can tell you, our fleet changes oil at 50k intervals. We have 250 Freightliners (Detroits) and trade out after roughly 36 months. But we have a full service shop manned by people who care and also are meticulous about all the other preventative maintenance details. They do this because Freightliner agrees to take them on trade at a set price if between 475k and 495k. Our maintenance system is somehow tied to theirs and the Freightliner dealer network has complete maintenance history from mile 1 on them.

I've talked to 2 different branch managers who take trades for resale and they've both said they get a premium dollars for our retired trucks versus the typical 500k mile trucks acquired from other fleets, big and small.

So you can balk at the 50k oil change interval if you want, but this is what Detroit considers normal and acceptable. If the people having to resell them and stand behind them have no problem with it, I don't see why you should. Maybe it's a Detroit thing, but I suspect Cummins is no different.

 

Oil changes have greatly increased in miles these days.

Cars are programmed for 10k miles. And will tell you it's time.

Semis are 50k.

 

With the crude companies I'm familiar with they either swap them out around 500-600k if they were leased or run them until they literally fall apart if they happen to own the truck outright. With all the dirt roads and mountains (and dirt mountain roads) after 500k they really start to fall apart and the repairs get too costly. I pity anyone that buys one after we've run the guts out of it.

 

idk the criteria for truck retirement here. i know the vehicles are meticulously maintained. problem child or not - it’s kept and serviced regardless. i’m in a 12 mack pinnacle, day cab. mp7 & 10 speed. it has 757k on it. we have several trucks over 1 mil and several with 800+ on them. i wouldn’t trade my “old” truck (as it is seen by the drivers) for a new one any day. it’s faster, stronger, has less driving nannies and is far more dependable than the new(er) ones. it leaks nothing and will pull circles around the new trucks to the point it’s laughable. i will keep it until i’m forced out of it.

 

Funny how every situation is different. This '18 Freightliner I have now (with DT12 auto) pulls grades much faster and easier then the '15 Freightliner 10 speed stick I retired last summer. A little stiffer ride, but an improvement on several levels nonetheless.

 

i believe that. we have a 2017? FL cascadia day cab, 10 speed. no idea what engine, choked dd13 i presume. i think my 88 351 f250 would outpull that truck.

 

A truck starts costing big money at 400k in repairs. At a million she’s plain wore out!