Bullheaded

Could be, but my last couple trucks were brand new. I just found I got more uneven wear than I ever did with the rubber block trucks. It's a lot easier to get wheel spin with air ride which don't help. i'm running 46,000 FL Airliner. Sometimes I'm my own worse enemy too. I tend to have a heavy foot. And that causes a lot of heel and toe wear.

Thanks KS. Not sure how educated I am, LOL, but I've just been lucky enough to drive a lot of new trucks of all brands on and off the highway over the last 35 years. I've gone back to dump trucking and have been running air ride suspension the last several years. But I miss this Haulmaax and Chalmers rubber block. Air ride has the edge when it comes to traction in sand, and it doesn't "washboard" the haul roads and hills like spring and rubber trucks, but when you have very uneven ground you can't beat walking beams or Camelback or M-Ride. There's times where I have to lock the rear ends up and play with the air dump valve to gain traction with the air, and the Haulmaax would be able to walk right through it. I also see more irregular tire wear with air ride in my application. But here in Ontario we have this regulation called SPIF. It requires a self equalizing, steering lift axle. And in order to equalize the weigh distribution with rubber block or springs it uses load cells just like a weight scale to measure deflection. And they just aren't proving reliable. Air pressure seems to work a lot better. So I stick to air ride.

Yep, I'd sure like to try one as a dump truck.

Lots of people don't like these Workstar/HV's, but my friend has a couple and he got me to drive one back to town for him one time. A dump truck with 20 and 46 axles on rubber block. It rode really nice and was comfortable. His are Cummins powered. They got a really bad rep because of the original Maxxforce engines. And underhood space is bad. I'll say it again though, the new HX is the smoothest, quietest new truck I have ever driven. And I've tried all the north American trucks. I also liked the Haulmaax rear suspension. I had that in my 05 Paystar. Lots of articulation and traction and a good ride. (Though Chalmers was still a bit better.) Only problems I had with it were these bolts kept coming loose. Once I replaced them with good frame bolts, never touched them again.

That sheet of chrome plywood on the front has to go though! LOL Put a real truck bumper on it and it would look good.

Exactly. Our city is just starting to replace their plow trucks with Western Star 4700's to replace the Freightliners and Internationals. And surprisingly they went with Cummins engines in them. So goes to show, they still get a lot of Cummins customers. Edit: And sad to say we have a Mack dealer in town and they have made ZERO effort to sell a Mack plow or dump truck to the city. City even has Freightliner garbage trucks. That just seems wrong! LOL.

You wouldn't think so since they are the only one so far other than Autocar to offer the Cummins X12 in their Freightliner and Western Star trucks. They offer Cummins in every class side by side with their Detroit's.

Unlessd you get the International MV (Formerly Durastar)...they have the 6.7 Cummins. The CV and Chev 5500/6500 get the Isuzu built Duramax.

You can't really talk prices though. That seems to be so regional. Like how you say Ford is cheap. Not here. I can get a Pete or KW cheaper. Ford is about the most expensive of all medium duties I have looked at.

I remember when those were all built in Oakville Ontario Canada. it was quite the sight driving by the factory and seeing a couple of those big M Series parked along the fenceline.

Man, I wish i was rich. I would buy it all!! I love that Superliner though.

I have never been around an Isuzu, but a friend in New Zealand runs one and has sent me pics. He too said they are a very reliable truck and the biggest seller over there.

Will be interesting to see how they make out, but it will be a hard road. Here are a few things I have noted because I have shopped medium duty trucks hard. I've had reps from Mack and other manufacturers tell me at trade shows that Hino's are dead reliable and they don't know how they make any money because they never break. That's something to hear from competitors. I like the KW T series. They are the most big rig like, and have very good fit and finish and build quality with good components. But small cab and no crew cab option from factory. Freightliner is ok, pricing very competitive, all cab options such as extended with seat or bunk and crew cab. But they can be electronics nightmares. Lots of modules I have had fail. The International Durastar is one that can be a plain, uncomfotable, underpowered fleet truck, or they can be optioned up not too bad. But where Chev/International CV and Ford rule, and why they are hard to beat....they are the most luxurious as they use high end pickup truck style cabs and interiors. They also offer extended or crew cabs. They also offer factory four wheel drive in a from that is not overly high or big size-wise. And they offer more power and torque ratings. And gasoline engines. And huge dealer networks. Hard to beat that.

I agree RoadwayR....they need a gasoline option. All the school bus companies and ambulances around here have gone back to gasoline engines over the last year. The new diesels are too costly and unreliable.

How did this one slip by you guys? I saw it announced in the trade mags before I saw it here. You Mack guys are slipping! Hahahaha. You know, I HATE the Anthem, but I like this as a medium duty. This is the first Mack that has interested me since the mid 2000's.

Send the bill to the EPA and the government for forcing this crap to market, that is doing NOTHING to save the environment. We could all be driving reliable trucks that get 10 MPG right now if it wasn't for this crap.

And how do you keep that coe plow/sander so pristine condition when it is likely in salt all winter? My new 2020 looks like crap already from the salt. LOL

I always loved the looks of those Futurliner's. That would be cool to put some more power into and make it into an RV conversion.

I have a friend in New Zealand that has been sending me pics of the new Isuzu cabover he drives. I was quite surprised in what they have to offer. I have only know Isuzu as medium duty cabovers as that's all we ever see here. I had no idea they made a class 8 400 horsepower model. it's a nice looking truck. But my favorite truck from over there is the International 9870 cabover.

"Tesla is coming"........not to my yard it ain't. Hahahahaha

I had the AMP power folds on my old F350. They were nice and to my surprise they stayed working through my Canadian winters. Only thing I didn't like is I was always in and out of my truck when it was not running, so I was always drawing on the batteries. So I just got fixed aluminum boards on my F550 now. That's a good looking truck cncFireman

I wonder why they are not promoting it for dump truck applications yet? I don't know how the X12 performs in real world, I have not driven one, but I have pulled 140,000 pounds up and down our endless 8 to 12% hills for years with E6 350 Mack's and 1650 torque Detroit's. So a 1700 ft-lb X12 should do it too.

Obviously the thicker the better if you can afford it. But 6 inch thick is plenty for loaded trucks and excavators and anything else. Everyone I know has 6 inch slabs and have never had an issue. And do yourself a favor. Put down poly vapor barrier and a layer of rigid insulation under your pad. Your floor will stay warm and dry. Makes a huge difference. No damp cold floor to lay on.

Thank you Outbehindthebarn. You said you are looking at one with a mechanical E7........I never ran the mechanical E7 (only mechanical E6 and E9's) but I did drive a CL with the first electronic 400 E7. I know it ran good and was problem free. And it would pull almost as good as the 460. They didn't seem to have all the electronic malfunctions the later versions of VMAC electronics had. What year is the one you are looking at? Do all know the specs?

I have driven a lot of heavy spec CL's but here is my old 2000 CH. It was double frame, 14,000 front, 46,000 Eaton rears on Mack air leaf. E7 460 with an Eaton 18 speed. One of the smoothest riding and best handling trucks I have ever driven. Also the best factory headlights I ever had. Never even had a need to use the extra 100W auxiliary lights. It just inspired confidence driving it. No matter if it was white outs or freezing rain, it never did anything that made you feel uneasy. That truck sure worked good. Used to haul bark and logs with it. It was like a bulldozer. I had the temp sensors ripped right off the diff pots and it never got stuck. I can't explain it, but that truck just worked better than most I have had. The downfall.....the E7 full of casting sand and electronics gremlins. When it decided to run though it pulled good. I ran with guys that had same loads and trailers and they had Series 60 500's and 475 Cat's. Yes they could pass me on the hills, but I could keep them in sight.