What is the ideal set up for pulling a 48ft flatbed?

Here's what I am looking for in my next truck for flatbedding:

1. NO exhaust stack in the back. Sides stacks only. I want room for a nice three door headache rack.

2. 18 speed. I currently have a 13 speed, but running on STEEP terrain in mud, dirt, snow, and ice off road it would sure be nice to split low range.

3. Full lockers on the drive axles. I want separate lockers for the front and back drives for maximum control in mud.

3. HIGH GROUND CLEARANCE. By definition this means no plastic trucks. Plastic trucks are made for aerodynamics over the road. I want DURABILITY. Even when I don't pull loads for the oil field, the job sites I have been for crane moves, rebar to windmill construction, job sites for building construction, etc. are often quagmires. You DON'T want ground effects or that dainty plastic bumper that looks like Angelina Jolie's upper lip.

4. At least 500 hp with at least 1700 fp torque. My 400/1350 is barely adequate.

Now IF you plan on running only "sticks and bricks" any old OTR plastic truck will get the job done. Cheap used Pornstars and Freightshakers are a dime a dozen. Heavy duty model KW's, Petebilts, and Western Stars are far more expensive for the same model years. Why? Because they don't fall apart. Almost all body components are metal.

Even metal fatigues with vibration. I'm fixing to replace a number of brackets on my 2006 T2000. Why? Because I can bend quarter inch steel with my bare hand! Plastic will start to crack and then that crack spreads...quickly. Avoid plastic, ESPECIALLY if you plan to run rough dirt roads where a mouth guard is a good idea.

 

That pretty much takes care of my vote.

However I ran WVA with everything under the sun. As horsepower improved and certain specific freighting with a old Ravens Aluminum Coil from Logan Ky to Williamsburg Busch VA across there ran well enough. One of my favorite runs at the time.

Ive pretty much developed some particulars from that type of flatdeck experiences and more than likely will stick to it.

WVa to me says either White Sulphur Springs or Sandstone Mountain. These two hills. You take it easy going up and watch yourself coming off them in storm and winter. They are relatively small mountains against many others national but these are the two that I am most careful on.

 

460P. I've tried to grt the XT file, but Mack is mighty stingy with it.

 

Yea pretty much impossible unless your best buds with a tech at mack lol

 

The t660 would be ok. I would try to get a 13spd trans and a 3.55 gear and 244 wheelbase. No less than 230 for sure. The lower gearing will help you on job sites etc. You'll just have to be carefull with the fairings or your truck will look old fast lol plus they're expensive to replace. Good luck.

 

Remove the faring and polish those tanks.

 

That's the first thing I did with my T2000. Each faring was just about ready to fall off anyway from cracking. One was held in place by less than an inch of plastic, a crack had formed around a rubber backed washer and had almost completed the circle.

Removing the farings also had a big advantage for getting easy access for inspecting and working under the truck.

 

11R24.5 tires helps in that regard, too...2" extra clearance compared to LP22.5's.