Truck recovery and when to say no to the company. (with pictures)

I mentioned this a while back but I swear 2 or 3 year old highway trucks these days more often then not look more bagged out than something that's spent 5 or 6 years in the bush.

 

Those new plastic trucks are run ragged after 5 years, that's why no fleets keep them in service after the 500k mark unless they have to (current shortages and delays on new trucks).

I'd still take a 25 year old steel truck over these plasti-cars being run today... even with 2mil+ on it.

 

I bought my first ever brand new truck, a KW T800, in 87. It was the first year they were available here because people were buying them as fast as they came out.
After a couple of years we bought more T800s and after that as we replaced trucks that was what we got. Cat engines. Either 6&4s or 18 speeds later on. I've never been sorry I picked the 800. They last.
They get used hard but our shop stays on top of everything. The shop figures maintenance on an hourly rather than a mileage basis. For our kind of work it makes better sense. A dirt truck or a water tank might go out and work fifteen hours but only travel 100 miles. Sometimes less. Lots of idle time.
Our drivers know how a truck should be treated, That helps a lot.
We still have some old mid 70s Petes that we use for water trucks. This last summer I looked at a couple of ex mega Cascadias with water tanks but the only thing I could see to do was unbolt the tank and pull that plastic piece of crap out from under it. The guys that bought them , the ones I've talked to, are sorry they bought them.
I'll hang onto the Petes but when they go they'll be replaced by my older T-800s.
Quality tells.

 

Have the CEO buy you a bubble , there's crap on the side of the seat , no way driver.