Which Truck?

Just FYI, There are a few companies that are approved for OJT/Apprenticeship through the VA, where you can get $1105 per month, for your first 6 months, $810 for the second 6 months, and $515 for the remaining months.

Theres more out there, but heres a few I found by doing a quick search on the VA's website:

Anderson Trucking Inc.
Bray Trucking Inc
G & P Trucking Company
R L Trucking LLC
TMC Trucking
Tomberlin Trucking Company
TransAm Trucking

 

Best thread I've found. Im on terminal and officially a civilian next week. Ive been looking into tmc but with Anderson offering cdl school thats a big plus. I know i know, i wouldnt do company sponsored cdl training but the only near by school is private so the va wont pay for it. 3900 that i dont have to toss around. And im all for getting experience first before lease/owning but with 18 months of gi bill that could sure help to pay a truck off. But ive got bills and family so ive got to get the ball rolling.

 

thank you for your service to our country. in your case, i would suggest starting with a company otr truck, until you have a little more wheel time. heavy haul is not one of the real easy things to start off with. i am not saying you cant do it, but you will b learning a lot of new things and have a lot of things to remember. a lot of young drivers get themselves into trouble having there own truck right away, and even worse a lease purchase program. so b careful of the pit falls with being a otr or lease purchase so take your time and dont b in a big hurry to spend money. jon ps make sure you check in with the va for your medical benefits

 

I couldn't agree with you more on that. Its just tempting since that extra money will be coming in. And thank you. But i may have been mistaken on them having a cdl school. I've been researching so many companies that i get confused.

 

When I started out 12 yrs ago I was told by many drivers to stay on the company side for 2 years.Then you know for sure that you will be able to be a O/O.Trucking has alot of good things but it has its evils too.Thank you for your service and good luck

 

W900L is a heavy haul unit the 800 is more Van and lighter deck truck. Heavy you want low gear rears 18 speed gearbox and 535 HP or better engine, double frame. No such thing as fuel economy in heavy haul by nature of the rear end ratios needed.

 

This really depends on what you consider "heavy haul". If you're towing an M1A1 then you're heavy. If you're towing an M939 you're not that heavy.

If you wanted to get into real heavy work, and I honestly don't know how many truly heavy loads are coming from the military, the Coronado, T800, or W900 would be suitable choices.

Spec'ing will also depend on the regions you plan on operating in. Getting an 180,000lb. truck going on flat-lands is not near as difficult as getting it going on the side of a mountain. If you plan on running anywhere with a significant number of grades, I would go with at least 3.90 rear-ends, or possibly two-speed rears, say 3.90/ 5.36s. If you want to keep the ability to have full Detroit lockers on your rear ends, go with 3.90 rears with an under-direct two-speed brownie behind the transmission. This will give you the same gear reduction, but, it will be a heavier set-up. If you're going with loads this large, go with a double-frame, as well. I'd be looking at between 46-50,000lb. rear ends and at least a 16k steer axle, I'd likely bight the bullet and go with a 20k steer, as well as a 20k pusher. 18-speed transmission, plain and simple. As far as motor goes, well, you're already dumping a pile of money into this truck, so, go with a glider kit and get a good CAT under the hood. Cummins and Detroit are both workable, but, when you're getting rolling you'll love the low-end torque of a CAT. If you're not putting a CAT in it, I'd honestly go with a Cummins. That's more of a personal preference. Long fifth-wheel slide, as well, you'll be sliding it back and forth getting legal on the drive-axle grouping depending on trailer and load.

By now, you're looking at a truck that bobtail is pushing 27-30,000lbs. With a truck like this you have to be bidding and pulling a lot of big loads, because there will be numerous smaller OD loads you can't tow because of your empty weight.

However, if you aren't planning on going that heavy with your work, go with a single, heavy frame (Peterbilt calls their's a "vocational frame"). It's a single but thicker frame.. I'd again stick with the 3.90 rears. I honestly love that gearing, enough top-end that in the mid-to-high 60s you're not turning to high of an RPM that you're pissing away your fuel mileage, but, still low enough gearing to start heavy on an incline without a whole lot of beating on the drive-line. Still an 18-speed transmission, but, you could make a 13-speed work. If you have start heavy on a mountain though you won't get out of the low-hole with a 13-speed. 40,000lb. rears are workable doing heavier work, but, if you want insurance against that, go up to 44 or 46,000lb. rears. You'll find its rare to shift more than 13,000lbs. on the steers, so, something in the 13-14,600lb. steer axle rating should be just fine. Engines? Well, there's a myriad of motors that are workable. 14.0L Series-60 Detroits, 475-horse 6NZ CAT, N14 and ISX Cummins. Really, if you're not getting egregiously heavy, anything over 450-horsepower is plenty to get from end-to-end. Keep the long-slide on your fifth wheel, as well.

And, on both of these trucks, make sure you get a good set of cozad ramps built for the ###-end of the frame.

When you want to get into heavier work, you need to think about how heavy you'll actually be running. Do you not want to run past 110,000lbs.? 130,000? 150,000? Etc. Where are you going to be running, as well? Where will not only effect the gearing and the drive-line, it'll effect considerations for wheelbase, as well.

 

Semper Fi brother.

I run my business with a 780 pulling my RGN and do just fine. I can go up to 92k if needed, but I don't like to. I make enough money with the smaller stuff anyway. what can you do with a setup like this? here ya go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH4j1u-2-Ns

 

and before i had the Volvo, I did it with my FLD...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCi2C-LGAOI&feature=relmfu