BillyT

Lotta nice iron and seat covers!

What I forgot to mention in my earlier rant was a lot of components on a class 8 truck are cheaper than a 1ton pickup. Brake linings for instance. How long would the tires last when you're grossing less than30k!

.I've been hearing this kind of talk since the first increment of deregulation in 1979! You probably don't have to worry about the illegals getting trucking jobs,the insurance companies won't let the carriers hire them! If you are an owner operator you can't compete with the big carriers because they have "economy of scale" they get everything cheaper than you do! Fuel,insurance,equipment,etc. So you need to avoid mainstream freight,dry van reefer,and so on.I've been out of the industry for eight yrs now and a lot has changed, but a lot has stayed the same! I think the hot setup is "niche" freight".hotshot,car hauling,drop deck,plastic tanks and so on. The main thing about most of this freight is it requires specialized skills.But it's not brain surgery! They are giving away used tractors,mainly because so many guys are losing their shirts by trying to compete by hauling mainstream freight. Most of this freight is light and pays more than dry van freight.That means it's easier on equipment! Just one example.I see guy's with "decked out" dually pickups and those little three car trailers.A new "decked out" pickup is pushing 70k! So what's that give you? Beside a big payment? Comfort,and maybe 15 mg loaded.It's a combination vehicle so you need a cdl even though it's light! You can get a used 3 car trailer for 5g. They are selling a whole fleet of ex Saia single axle Volvo day cabs fleet maintained,for 3300.each Everything on a class 8 truck lasts 3 or more times longer than a pickup that Volvo if it's in serviceable condition would last year's hauling 3 cars the truck has brakes rated around 33000lb .that trailer can be easily converted to 4 cars mechanically or hydraulically.So you'd be in business for 15k cash! No brainer!

If you store an old vehicle " out back" try throwing a handful of mothballs on the floor and under the seats,rats will leave it alone! Had wood rats building nests on the engine of two cars I was storing,propped the hood open with a 12" stick,they won't build a nest then,are afraid of predators!

Wow! Awesome collection of iron!

Va was really tough about fuzzbusters you couldn't even have one in the cab unconnected,had to hide it! O.B.T.B.,I thought it was an earlier picture,most of the big mills in Pittsburgh Homestead, J/L etc. we're closed by then! Could be a speciality steel outfit.Thanks for the reply!

Must be old pics the Astros has a load of American steel and an American steel mill in background! Which mill is that do you know O.B.T.B.?

GH 204, you're right! The prop is on the left side, and most dump bodies have some flex,especially old ones! I kinda like the ugly old Loadstar 1600.would make a good "toy hauler" with some ramps and a winch! Looks solid and the price is right!

What were they thinking when they put those elongated slots in the wheels?😣

Hvy gunner,just for fun I looked at the Bison in Great Falls, from the front view it looks like the frame or the body mount is twisted! Is the full side view "conspicuous in its absence"?

Everyone has given good advice for fiberglass repair! Get the paint sanded off a few inches beyond the hole. Like Vlad said be sure to degrease the area you are working,this is important so the resin will adhere to the surface! If you see any bubbles between the layers of glass mat one of those plastic sqeegees you use for bondo works well to force the bubbles to the edge of the repair. Get a pack of those throwaway gloves like a doctor uses,the resin can burn your skin,and the fiberglass "hairs" you mix with the resin will cause your skin to itch like crazy! The best place to get supplies is the Napa store.They work with pro bodymen all day and most of their countermen can advise you on procedures. Long sleeves are a good idea if it isn't too hot. An extra layer of mat under the hood will strengthen the repair! Good luck!

Seems fairly obvious what they're up to! Certainly wouldn't be American or Canadian steel!😦 thanks for reply!

T,Grrrl, maybe the coils pay so well they can afford an overweight permit. Is that 105000k limit on secondary rds or on any highway period?

Wow, wouldn't even want to think what they'd charge for that job!

Brocky and T Grrrl, thanks for the response! I can picture either scenario for the dolly legs! The fifth wheel was right up behind the cab,so once the driver got under the trailer to support it he could fold the legs up under,and continue all the way back,or have a gear box for each side and remove it.Sounds like a real pain in the butt! Of course in a union operation a yard jockey sets up and breaks down a set of pups on the clock and the driver is paid per mile. Brocky the last time I heard a rear pup referred to as a "kite" was when I applied at Conway Central in Irwin Pa. They put you thru a two week training period with one of their drivers.You drove a straight truck,a city pup,a 45ft regional trailer, and two round trips with a set of doubles.One run to Columbus Oh. And one to Cleveland Oh. The terminal manager says you passed all our tests an you're going to be working a split shift on the dock! I lived 45 mi away in Washington pa, so unless I slept in my Car between shifts I'd be driving 180 mile per day to work! One guy actually parked a camper at the terminal,and went thru all that b.s.! Of course you were given the impression you would start driving as soon as you passed their tests! Needless to say that job didn't work out!

Seyser,Did you have to grease the trailer fenders to get the power wagon through?😁 I've always liked power wagons thought the cab and front sheet metal would make a cool street rod!

Welcome from a fellow Pittsburgher! Beautiful original looking B,last one I drove was in Baldwin twp!

Welcome to the forum! The gold dog(if original) indicates an all Mack powertrain.A quick visual would be both sticks emanating from one gearbox,indicating a mack built "compound",as opposed to a planetary between two driveshaft "a Brown Lipe or Brownie".As Alex indicates you're Mack dealer can decode the numbers for you. It's good in my opinion that you want to retain the original color on an older truck, good luck!

One of a handful of trucks that looks good yellow! I've always liked bubble nose KWs

Sodly,that single screw L model fire truck makes a beautiful double bunk road tractor! Hobert was that B model a twin screw originally? It's really coming along great! Freightrain you reminded me of the days before deregulation when Pa didn't permit doubles and there were "drop yards" in Ohio and New Jersey on the tpke and I 80 where the freight companies left behind their second pup going west in Jersey and going east in Ohio. Consolidated Freightways had a long wheelbase Freightliner day cab that backed under a standard length pup trailer and locked into place creating a long straight job.I've never seen them hook up but the dolly legs must have been on the outside of the trailer and removable! Anyway the thing had a pintle that hooked up to a converter dolly and second trailer,therefore creating a de facto set of doubles! The things were all over the road,nobody wanted to be behind one! And the drivers had their hands full but the things could be "cross docked" just like a standard set of doubles!

We were talking about Ford going to Mexico but I lost my post! Ironic that my wife's boring but" bulletproof" Corolla was built in Canada, and it's powertrain was built in America! As far as I'm concerned that's as good as being built in America! Canada never bought into America's low wage,pro corporate deregulation! So it was built by properly paid workers! By the way I recommend "Who stole the American dream" by Hyder Smith.Especially the part about Wal Mart and Rubbermaid!

T,Grrrl, the factors that add up too ups's Financial success are manyfold. 1. They haul l.t.l. and package freight,which has a higher Rate than most dry freight. They have a legendary maintenance program,including keeping the equipment clean which lends a professional appearance to their operation.2. They pay their drivers union scale,and they Damn well earn it! But a well paid driver is a happy driver! And a happy driver is a hard working efficient driver! 3.The freight they haul tends to be light,adding to the longevity and fuel efficiency of their fleet. Their polar opposite Wal Mart is another well run,well paid fleet,that virtually recruits itself.Wal Mart is well aware that without an efficient fleet they would run out of product (like K Mart) and soon get a poor reputation(like K Mart). K Mart was a pos even before they merged with Sears! You can always tell a poorly run business by their freight dock! The majority of well run businesses have their own drivers and security personnel. Public market and Winn Dixie are examples. Target is an anomaly in that respect! Much as I hate Wal Mart in general they load and unload you efficiently.

The DTs while not quite as fuel efficient as the Dodge Cummins have a long history of reliability,and hopefully will continue to be built somewhere!

Once again the the "real"citizens of the world and America have spoken with their usual intelligence and common sense! If truckers and the other tradesmen who have built and maintain the infrastructure of the world had a larger part in governing it we all would be better off! No slur intended on the scientists,teachers, and others in the intellectual community! Only on the career politicians and and corporate hacks who pay them to do their bidding which is entirely "bottom line" based! I actually crossed the San Francisco bay bridge two weeks before the earthquake, and the I35 bridge in Minnesota 3 days before it fell,so I too consider myself lucky!

Every thing old is new again 😁