Rookies, Wannabees, & superheroes. This is a true run about Heavy Haul.

This is where the money is at!
How many miles you drive annually?
How about idle hours on the rig?
Thanks for all the pics...freakin awesome.

 

He's in Yellowknife, and you're asking about idle hours? LOL!

 

Idle hours? All of them.

Thanks for the excellent thread Heavy Hammer. I lived in YK for a little over three years in the late '90s. I wasn't trucking, but I have driven parts of the ice road. It is sure an experience the first time and doubly so when you're heavy.

Good luck, stay warm (and dry ) and keep posting when you can.

 

Hello from a turn down applied last night called this morning and turned down no work last 3 yrs reason I retired from city job have not had to work since then due to retirement income have clean driving and background no tickets no criminal records last job 18 yrs one before that 8 yrs also veteran I am 60 yrs old.I enjoy reading these forums . was hopeful to go over the road looks like not to be

 

I'm trying to gauge wear and tear on a heavy flatbed rig.
I'm guessing most of the wear and tear come from the idle time,rather than miles actually driven.
How often does a rig like this need engine work, compared to suspension replacement.
How about some specs on the truck?
I love this stuff... <-Gearhead

 

You want to try this, OK to Houston 19'6 tall, 80' long 16' wide 90,000 lbs, 5 long days. Lots of wear and tear on brakes and clutch and one punctured tire from driving out of the normal lane. Clips are just a few minutes of the fun we had.

http://youtu.be/B23wXyOEHps Normangee, TX


http://youtu.be/VrCaP74futM Waruika, OK


http://youtu.be/qx1mNkcJzwQ Nocona, TX meeting another big load


http://youtu.be/X10GK7ZLzEw Mexia, TX


http://youtu.be/1zhVlXgszm4 Conroe to Houston

 

Not4hire, Got a buddy of mine who lived in Yellowknife. Had a cushy goverment job. Him and 2 other guys were the head fire marshalls for the N.W. Terr. They approved or denied all the building plans
Plus another friend of mine lived in Invuick, owned a bar plus some other deals.
Both retired now living in Thailand..

 

I don't have all the fancy software but you can see it some....

 

I am trying to figure out how to say this without coming across as a Hole. Take what you know and what you've learned about semis and throw it out the window. It doesn't count in heavy haul. Beancounting and heavy haul don't mix. You asked a driver that just took a heavy load to Hell and back about idle hours. That's like asking Mrs Lincoln how she enjoyed the show at Ford's theater. Key words: ice roads, Yellowknife, 80 ton load. You're trying to count beans and he's trying to run loads to Hell without becoming a permanent fixture.

If a Beancounter, (we will call him KR) was going to spec out a truck for heavyhaul, he would go all out for fuel economy. KR would buy an old MVT truck single diff and dummy axle, put super singles on it, cut a 470 Detroit to 370 HP, lightest drive axle that could be found, convert the 13 to a 9, 3:55 gear and brag about his fuel economy. So then ol KR would walk up to Hammer and brag about his deadhead fuel economy. First load to hell and you'd never see ol KR again.

If you noticed in the pics, Hammer runs a 3 axle. He normally pulls a beam trailer. Canadian heavyhaul truck, that means full lockers, because there's a bunch of places that you will have to go in Canada where there isn't asphalt. don't know what gears, maybe 4:10-4:30, 18 speed. 46k of course. Possible auxiliary on the back of the tranny. Hp is probably 525-550 or better. All business. No big sleeper, no work station in the bunk. Bobtail, he's probably 26000lbs without any gear. Bottom end flatbed, truck and trailer will be 29000 lbs in comparison.