Why the hydraulics?

Hydraulics are idiot proof for all these know a hows out here!!!

 

Hydraulic is the cats mow. you can ease into it when your cold. if you forget to open your valve you won't blow your hose because of the pressure bypass. no changing sheer pins when you have a ice buildup. i will never use direct drive again.

 

Well, I guess i'm just going to have to suck it up and bite the additional cost. It seems the trend is going that way.

 

Sitting in the hydraulic shop now, having some service done, figured being a slow day, what better day to get some small things done, I changed to a winter grade oil, fixed a few small lines that were sweating, the sticky control valve handle cleaned up etc. Should be good for another 4 or 5 months. Come late spring I will switch back to the 'summer' blend of oil.
I can't say maintenance wise, hydraulics is better than direct drive, but I will say, changing shear bolts, U joints on a PTO shaft, or working on a pump thats under the truck, having a deck mount hydraulic rig up is nice for that. Everything is mounted behind the cab, no lines to get beaten by rocks or road debris etc.

 

I sure as hell AINT gonna bow down to the all might godly trucking company for this unless THEY are gonna pay to have what they want. I have 2 trucks with direct drive T&E's and they are just fine without bypasses. If you are stupid then you will have a spill, if you are smart then you will be fine. I would not even consider working for anyone who requests hydraulics unless there was an additional bennefit of 10K that could be made up in the first 3 months. We all know that aint gonna happen so guess what...either am I.

Sara, no luck with the other outfit you were going to??

 

I talked to a guy here in the Hat where I live yesterday who has 3 trucks on with Plains n asked em about the hydraulic situation n he said he never heard of that...so I dunno...maybe someone just tryin to stir the pot??

 

10-4 on that CbarM!!! Someone is stirring the pot @ Plains. Guys are rigging up new trucks with Direct Drives still. Its up to the O/O to go with Direct or Hydraulic's.

 

I've heard talk for a long time about the big companies making it mandatory for hydraulic. i do however have yet to see one that won't hire someone with direct drive. talked to a lease op last night who says the same thing, he prefers direct drive whereas i don't. guess maybe it boils down to preference. hydraulic are better for many reasons, there is no reason as to why direct drive would be better other than substantial savings on initial investment. they both load and unload at the same rate. i think as they said people like to stir the pot.

 

This is how I heard about the Plains thing - we had our Western Star up for sale on Kijiji. A guy who was pulling the pin on his current company and was going to Plains in AB, came out to see the truck.
We were still on with Plains at that time, so when he told my husband that he would have to outfit it with hydraulics - we asked why. Thats when he told me that Plains wanted hydraulics.
Its certainly possible that he was yanking our chain to try and get a lower price - (that wasnt happening)
It just seems funny that I've been hearing that more oil companies are insisting on it.
My husband or myself have never had a spill with direct drive.

I do agree in principal that the oil companies should be compensating o/o's for the additional cost to rig up our trucks.
But I guess I also want to keep working if this truly was the way the industry was leaning.

 

Its been good with the new company CbarM, (knock on wood).