Silly question #1

For your silly question number one, it's the same as head lights on a car . . . low beams and high beams.

Number 2, no there is no age limit on trucks, and old ones can be rebuilt and kept in service, but are generally rebuilt as show trucks!

 

On the older trucks, they only had 2 headlights. both headlightes operated as hi/low beam. Now the newer trucks are built mostly with the 4 headlight (or halogen) system. a lot of the driver's like that old classic look, so they either order the truck with the 2 light system or convert it.

 

Actually this is a fuzzy area. Various new emissions laws and such being put into place, or coming up in the next few years state that you can't have an engine older than XX year; and I THINK that there are some that state you can't have a truck older than a certain year.

Lots of truckers who own their own trucks, lease on with companies and get their freight through them. basically they own the truck but haul for the company. Many trucking companies won't even let you have a truck older than I think five years due to 'maintenance concerns'...etc.

Rebuilding an engine on big rigs is somewhat common among the older trucks; ranging from a simple in frame rebuild to a complete out of frame rebuild. I personally don't hear much about major trucking companies doing this however, it seems to be more common with owner operators.

 

Ziggy, that's the reason I stated that most older trucks are rebuilt as show trucks. They are more for looks than use, though there are a few here in WI that still use their sweet older rides for work some of the time.

 

With a large company like mine we did studies to find out where the cost level was to get rid of the trucks. That study showed that trucks came in at 5 years and trailers were at 10 years. At those times we could sell the truck or trailer and make money. I saw one of our trucks with a drop axle and a 5000 gallon tank on it go for $55,000 after 5 years of use. We drive truck and trailers so the trucks have a tank on them. I haven't seen any of our 4 axle trailers for sale but I'm sure they get top dollar there too.

 

The mileage is deceiving. They have very low mileage because most of what we do is local but they are hard miles. There's alot of stopping and going in the city which takes a toll on the truck. We drive the trucks the way they should be driven but in the city it's just hard on the truck. So a 5 year old truck can have 300,000 to 350,000 miles on it which sells real fast. But also the trucks are well maintained so I guess that a plus.