Wheelbase

I gave the hat away....

 

I'm driving a Volvo 780 midroof, and even that's pretty good for catching wind. When I went to work for my current employer, he had two trucks, and no drivers. I actually chose the Volvo over the Peterbilt. There are things about this truck I'm not so keen on (air ride front suspension, wheel-to-wheel fairings, self canceling turn signals, proprietary Volvo motor), but, overall, I'm happy with the truck. It has a 233 inch wheelbase, which has made it a lot easier for me at several customers, and the truck's reliable. If I were already driving a Peterbilt, I may not be so keen to swap one out for this Volvo, but I wouldn't swap this Volvo out for a Peterbilt, either.
As for the short wheelbase giving a rougher ride, maybe I'm just used to it... I've been a sitework driver, and when you run through job sites in a double framed truck with 50k rears and a Chalmers, Camelback, Hendrickson, etc. suspension, I40 in Arkansas at its worst doesn't seem very bad comparatively.

 

The longer the wheelbase the less the drift in lane. If you look at the short cars in traffic they generally have the worst time staying centered in lane. It's true with tractors and trailers. A longer wheelbase truck is easier to drive on the interstate. When it's time to do that delivery at some little mall, with access off a side street, not so good.

 

Everything is a trade-off but , since I spend 99.9% of my day driving on crappy roads, I see no reason to buy a truck because it parks easier...

 

Back when I was a company driver, I was in a freightshaker with a 198" wheel base. I went to the motorcycle show up in Chicago that year and got to talking with the driver of a truck hauling around custom bikes from show to show (the rig was parked inside, with the bikes on display around it). His SLEEPER was 198"....and then he had a 48' trailer behind his rig.

He was saying he tries to finish his driving by 2 or 3 in the afternoon when the parking lots are clear and he's got plenty of pull-through options. Much past then, though, and he could be up a creek when it comes time to park because it wasn't the most maneuverable rig. He compared it to driving a bus pulling a 48' trailer.

 

Well it all depends on what one is doing actually--I would love to have a bigger(RV Style Bunk)but with me(as w/many I am sure)it is as much a weight matter as anything else.
Also a lot is perception--I currently have a 379(280 w/b)and 53' reefer--but one of my favorite stories is--In 1977 I went from a Astro95(Jimmy cabover)175"wb w/a 42' Tempe reefer--to An R-Model(with custom--LOL--Homemade!)50"bunk--210" Wb and a 45'--American reefer--first day I brought it home--parked next to 3 other family trucks--my kid brother looked at it--and said--yup it is cool--BUT--you aint never gonna get that long ######## around the point!!--LOL
and for those of y'all that have been there--the point aint got no bigger-LMAO
So you see it is all relative!