What "check for over drive" means ?

And you are mistaken again the first 2 digits are the torque rating the third is the design level and the splitter is underdrive on most 13 and 18 speeds Design level 7 and up

 

Rollin Coal, thanks for your advice. I do appreciate .
I know that is no freedom anywhere else. Freedom is just inside of each of us and when u want freedom we are just trying to escape from your yourself and your own reality. That's is just what i want; not a big project, is just something ok :
I will getting a paid off simple shaker and same amount paid for the truck aside for repairs and emergency and I will be leased to an small and carrier (4 trucks), I will work out with the "dispatcher" the loads that are interesting for me and roll it out. No forced dispatch, no ######## when u refuse a load...actually we plan to search together the loads...what ever is most profitable and that meet my desire to do.
My deal with them basically is they get me a fuel card and pay me weekly 86% of the gross less insurance and fuel.
I will use their trailer (old drybox), their Authority, Their IFTA, their insurance (except 4 bobtail).
I will need tractor, bobtail insurance and apportioned plates. I've a friend doing this for the last 3 years with them and he've been clearing more as solo driver then we both cleared as company-team with 1/4 of the stress, ######## and 3x more respect.....
Also, I'm officially homeless since 01/09 when I started in this crazy "career" (for me just make no sense pay a rent to be there once a month...stuck everything in store and hit the road) and i still not intent to pay rent, plan to stay in the truck...(like this nomad life) getting home time at friends places, family...CA, GA...everywhere i got somebody to stay with a couple of days..Laundry, always in a public coin one...
Well my big ambition is clear exactly the same that i cleared as Company-driver if so, I'll be the happiest man in this world.
MY ideal, my utopia in my life is: Don't be a boss and don't have a boss.

Things that I convinced:
1- I will be screwed, stranded by mechanic vampires in side of the road...what a horror...
2- I will be driving an 2005/2006 clunker; the only thing that I'm sure is it WILL break...and a lot.
3- I will blame why i didn't stayed conformed in my company driver position..."what a hell" but I've said many "what hell sh###t load is this?" all the time, so the tone will be just the same...
4- Would love to get out of business with that feeling "well, i tried, I failed, what is gonna be next stupidity that i will do? (it's hard, I have a big imagination...). I actually made a bet with one truck sales guy in Salt Lake "how long until I get out of business"...well, people really tends to judge my wrong...this sales-guy trusts more in me then i do (no, I'm not buying one new Cascadia from him, after i told him "I'm not intersted in your trucks" we started gambling...well, at least that will be some money from trucking...My bet was I'll last 3 months, his bet: 5/6 months before i get jacked...let's see.
5- At the end of this stupid venture I will sell my clunker for 5,000 or less just to trow away of that junk and try to find a job driving a tour bus in order "...use my CDL for something..." then I will rent a 1 bedroom apartment for about 700 dollar, make 2k /month and play a lot of pool table between "loads" of passengers...I will pay the gym for months without even showing up once, just to have that feeling "i can workout, i just don't have time for it"....
6- I will get another 60 pounds of pure and genuine Subway foot-longs, 1 at breakfast, another at lunch and the last before go sleep, awesome OTR culinary the only thing that atract me in trucking is food. It's not about money, it's about FOOD.
7- With that $ 5,000 that i got from the clunker tractor, i will join a "massage terapy" intensive associate degree at the same community college that i got my CDL...they have "awesome" programs under 5k (if I have english to do it, I don't think i have...but with 5k in CASH they will train even a monkey how to massage...).
8- Even not doing sex for while (i had caught my wife in bed with another guy in one of those rare surprise home times that i had, so...) i will join a sex-rehab program, just to have access to people "available" for.
9- I heard that those "ice-cream" trucks are very profitable, since I'm....forget it.
10- There is a circus in town...they....AHh, forget it...
What hell am i dong here !!?
NOthing;
but deciding where, when and how I will go.


THANKS everybody...

Braa.

 

yea thats what i said i wasnt mistaken.

 

maybe i worked for the wrong company... i learned to drive on a 1951 lj mack with the 2 sticks.... had to stop in the road several times and start over......

 

Wrong! almost all trucks have overdrive. Any speed tranns can have overdrive. Some fleet trucks have direct drive, mostly 10 speeds and you can get a 15 direct. All Schneider truck are direct and some other big fleets to. All 8LL, 9, 9LL, 13, and 18 are over drive tranns. Years ago their were 9s and 13s that were direct also but not any more. As far as the truck paper with the check for od thing, if it say no then its just a direct drive. Yes then its an over drive. If the rear end raito is higher than 3.25 Its most likely direct. If you see 2.64, 2.79, 2.80, 2.93, 3.07, and any old fleet truck with 3.21 they will be direct. Big power O/O trucks might have 3.21, 3.25 with overdrive. 3.36, 3.42, 3.55, 3.58, 3.70, 3.73, 3.90, 4.10, 4.33 and so on will be overdrive.

 

again thats what i said everyone keeps saying wrong and post the same answer in a longer version.

 

What do you think is better(for mpg, less engine strain etc.)?

If i'm hauling no more than 80,000 on mostly flat terrain?

direct drive 10sp trans with say 3.23-3.58 diff

Or overdrive 10sp trans with say 3.73 or lower diff?

 

With a direct tranns your lowest would be about 3.21 ( numaricaly higher)
3.36 and lower are OD on road tractors. Most directs run anywhere from 2.64, 2.73, 2.93, 3.07. 3.21. ODs, 3.36, 3.42, 3.55,3.58,3.70,3.73.3.90. Any lower is to low for a freight truck with todays engines. A lot of big fleets run directs ( Schneider, Mavric.....) And claim up to .2 tenths better fuel milage but most are running ODs. I dont think it realy matters much. The over all gearing will be the same. I wouldnt buy a truck just cause it was a direct. Buy a truck that fits your needs. Rember if you want a 13 or 18 they are ODs. If your buying a used fleet truck with a 10 it cold be either.