Truck and engine combos

I drove Mack trucks for over 10 years. They are very dependable. I had co-workers that really put them to the test and they were tough. Macks are not known for good fuel mileage. I drove for a company that had 40 to 50 Mack dump trucks. Usually got 5 to 6 mpg. at best.
Are you driving a truck now?
As slow as the truck market is right now I would think you should be able to get a good deal on a truck.
You need to make sure you have solid work for a truck. Our work is irratic right now. I normally run two round trips from Columbus In. to Detroit,MI. with a stop in Miamisburg,Oh. Since Christmas I have just been making one trip to Michigan then hauling anything I can get a hold of the rest of the week. They tell me by mid-March I should get two run to Michigan a week like I am use to. I just got in and I ran 2300 miles this week. Not great but am getting by.

 

You asked if my detroit had big power. Most of my loads are light by most standards. I did haul a load of cow feed from Quincey Il, to Lewisburg,Oh. Load weighed 45,000lbs. My detroit preformed great. It is flat ground 55 mph. trucking in Ill.but my 515 detroit handled load fine.
Like I have told you I would look for a Detroit,Cummins,Or Cat. Mercades is the only one I am not to crazy about.
Google TruckPaper and check it out.

 

I'm not driving right now. This propane opportunity is pretty good and it is local. Up here they run ragged for about 7 months and then it slows to a crawl in the summer. I can find something to pull in the summer, I have some ideas. The transport that is used up here now is running hard and they have had another company assist so they can keep up. I will be able to take my local market pretty easily. My brother in law is the manager of one of the propane distributors. I'm sure the insurance isn't cheap runnin propane but it pays well to pull it.

As for the truck, I won't be climbing any mountains so I don't need huge power but I want to be able to get it movin and sustain it on the hills I climb. So far Detroit sounds good. I have heard some good about Cummins but the ISX has egr problems? That is why I asked about ISM Cummins. Do you know much about the N14? C15 and C13 Cat are supposed to be good too. I'd like to stay with the smaller engine for weight reasons. ISX and C15 weigh nearly 3000lbs where the C13 and ISM are close to 2200lbs and still put out good power. I shouldn't need more than 470 hp for what I will be doing.

I asked about Mack because I like the looks of the trucks and I was wondering if they would be an option. 5 to 6 mpg on a dump body doesn't sound too good although the get a lot of idle time.

Thanks again

 

Did you try the TruckPaper suggestion? Sounds like you have been doing some homework. I do not know much about n-14 cummins. Look at some threads on them. What year of truck are you looking for?

 

Alot of tankers are going to the super singles for two reasons. You can spec them for the super singles and the axle will be a bit wider which lowers the center of gravity which reduces rollovers. The other reason is they are lighter and you can load more product on the trailer. We have run them since the early 90's and have very little trouble with them. If you have a flat and you are empty you can limp off the road. If you're loaded you'll be right there until the tire is fixed. Once we got ABS on the truck and trailer they worked great. No skids or any problems different than the duals on slick streets.

 

Thanks for the response. I was hoping someone other than myself was going to try to help LT450. If you pull a tank it might help LT450 if you let us hear about your truck and how it is speced. What you like about it and anything you would change.

 

If I could buy any truck I would probably get a Volvo 64T300. They ride real nice and have nice interiors. They are aero for good fuel mileage. The VED12 at 465hp is fuel efficient but I have heard it can be a "dog". I'm sure it has enough to pull my propane trailer. I'd have to check to see how close the nearest shop or dealer is that can do maint on it. That's not set in stone though. I do like some other trucks and there are some, like the Int 8600 or the Freight shaker columbia, that are less expensive and will do the job. I do check the truck paper, that is where I have been keepin an eye on the prices.

Let's face it. It's all about efficiency so we can make money. That is what I, like many others, am looking for. I'll buy the truck I think will make me the most money.

 

I agree. Buy the truck that you can make the most money with.

 

What is the extent of this egr problem with the ISX? Just that it needs to be replaced or is it something worse? I ask because I'm looking at one on the lot, the truck idles sloppy and the dealer says it's just the egr and its' an easy fix (they'll do it).

 

As flooded as the used truck market is I would not even consider one that idles sloppy. If it is an easy fix why hasn't the dealer already fixed it?