Where is everyone #5

I call it the Freightlinerization of trucks. Freightliner started with the Century class 20 odd years ago and hasn’t stopped. Cheap plastic and basic components that cross platform. The new Pete and Kenworth are very similar.

 

Yeah that happens a lot here...

 

Late supper...

 

This dang Mac has mini winches, almost like a step deck where they are too close to the underside of the trailer to roll the excess strap into, therefore you have to fold your strap and feed it down through just enough to catch.

I was in a hurry to throw on my last piece of my puzzle in some LTL headed south Sunday and I didn't get the strap fed through enough....ended up eating #### as I was putting some heft onto the winch bar.

My fore arms and knee took a smash into the gravel, that was a fun ride.


Other than that, just another day...

 

Catalina,

Your comments have peeked my curiosity.

I am not a young kid, vintage 1960 and I have driven a few trucks, no late model W900 or 800's. While the Volvo and Shakers may be fleet trucks by design why would a smooth ride be detriment? In every task, higher workload increases fatigue.

I am not a million mile trucker, just an old airplane driver, that happens to like big heavy toys. With a real honest valid question of WHY so many old hands dislike the wide aero cab trucks? I get the argument that they are plastic and built to fleet standards. They don't have the presence of an extended hood and maybe the ride of a set forward axle. That said, a T8 is a set back axle narrow cab on nearly the same chassis and driveline as the 680, how could that narrow cab make that much difference, aerodynamics? The T8 with the 20K front axles must ride pretty hard, lets say a T8 and 680 with 12K axles.

The dislike for the aero trucks is pretty wide spread but, the reasons for the disdain seem elusive other than they aren't "manly" enough? The question is posed with sincerity, what makes these trucks so inferior? Another qualifier here, not comparing apples to oranges, let's keep it simple standard transmission and no adaptive cruise or lane departure crap.

Steve

 

That's very true. Boss told me to grab a legal load, haul arse home, load all my stuff (car, pickup, personal belongings) onto an RGN and get my arse to Red Oak in time to get a reset in. I asked him what I'm supposed to do with my stuff once I get to Texas since I don't get the keys to my new home for another 2 1/2 weeks. His reply "you'll figure something out" of course he said that with a laugh. Found a storage unit next door to our customer that has month to month units available. Looks like I'll be spending my 34 moving into a storage unit lol.

 

Dessert...

 

Well, I'm not quite as old an airplane driver that you are however I am an ATP typed in a few kerosene propelled aluminum tubes as well as rotary. With all that said, I'd fly an old Cessna 340, 414, 421 before I'd get paid to fly a Citation. I know that's comparing apples to oranges and taxiing up to the FBO in a piston Cessna doesn't have the same prestige as a Citation. However the guy/gal driving the old lycomings with steam gauges knows that plane has a soul. The aluminum tube parked next to it has FADEC, not a soul.

So how does this translate to trucks, in my opinion, many of us drivers will give up some creature comforts and new technology to push something with a little more soul (and cool factor) down the road. I have never been able to put my own finger on it but I prefer the narrow cab with the low roof. Don't have any good reason for it, just something I prefer.

As for my saying the 800 is a better fit for what we do. We don't do much heavy stuff but we do a whole lot of very wide and very long. Going straight down the highway, either truck is more than capable. It's getting to and from that straight interstate where the wide, aerodynamic, mostly plastic truck becomes a problem. We're constantly climbing curbs, running down in ditches, just generally abusing the truck. Add that to the ability to still hold the steering wheel while climbing into the passenger seat to see what's happening 100' behind me when I'm making a right and that's another selling point of the narrow cab.

Now I'll drop the big bomb, if I could get a Volvo that all the bodywork wouldn't fall off doing what we do I'd be in one in a heartbeat. Short of a full on custom sleeper, Volvo has the rest of them beat hands down for room, storage, comfort etc. My blue Volvo I drove here was like a small apartment inside unfortunately, by design, they do not stand up to the stuff we do. Climbing a curb taller than a 2x4 laid flat requires a chase pickup just to gather up everything you just tore off the truck.

 

@Steve from hutch I'll ask you this, which one looks better dragging an RGN

T-800


T-680


Or Volvo


I think the T-800 looks "proper" for that type of work. And being one who likes to show off (why else would I buy a BMW M-6) I'll take the "in your face yellow" T-800 LOL

 

I got a pretty good sense from that, my first paid flying gig was a tip tanked 421. I do understand the simplicity makes for a versatile and rugged truck.
I was in Michigan a week ago and there were stretches of road I thought I was in the Baja 1000.

Thanks,

Steve