Straights vs. Tractor and Pup

You're right about no sliders. Looked in the truck paper at 32 footers, no sliders. FYI, a 2012 great dane 32' tandem w/liftgate, air ride. $42,000.00 A 2005 G/D single axle w/lift. $16,500.00. expensive no?

 

They're fishing w the $42,000. No way anyone in their right mind would buy that. I'd only get a tuck under liftgate, but that's me. I don't see how you would dock with those rail jobs.

 

found two 2012 36' stoughton trailers. Tandems w/sliders, no liftgates,really clean.
one heavy duty, $20,000. one regular, $19,000. I think these would cover a lot of loads that are hauled in 53's.

 

Really??

Tell that to FedEx CC driver who had a 40 foot trailer dragging behind them this morning.




I was sitting in the dock and a Ford truck pulled into the dock next to me this morning, he had a 35 foot trailer. When he pulled out to shut his doors, I saw he had a lift axle in front of his rear axle on the trailer.


I added that on my list of things I may want to get.

 

Just looked it up, and it makes sense. An E unit is a tractor w sleeper w FXCC. You would be right. I've always looked at as, and heard, that if a vehicle is lower than the capacity, it's in the next lower category. IE, a tractor and 36' trailer would be a D. A 16' straight truck would be a C, and a small cube van w capacity of four skids could be a B or C, depending. Everytime a smaller trailer was brought up, it would be called a Super D.

I like the lift axle idea.

 

I know it makes sense, it makes a lot of cents and dollars too.

I am looking into the lift axle thing too, going to call a couple trailer companies to see what it takes to put one on. I don't see the need to slide the axle but I do think air ride with a tuckaway lift gate would be the best setup.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that expedite carriers hired contractors w/tractors only, but not w/trailers. At least not that I've seen. But that's just me.

 

Nope they will take trailers too.

Thawk, I realized something so I got onto the LS load board to see if I was wrong but they don't have a "E-unit" class. I pulled my LS manual out and looked at their trailer definitions to see if they have anything smaller than 48ft van listing on their trailer list - they do not. So here is the issue, if an agent is looking to get a truck, they will put in the criteria as a van, nothing less than 53 or 48 ft and you won't pop up on the list of trucks. I'm thinking that this would have to be a case like having a Conestoga straight truck, the truck may be overlooked (who had that truck?).

 

That's where you advertise yourself.

 

Ridge... you're in western MI, right?