p.o.s. newfangled trucks!

[other dog]

I was going to tell about me calling headquarters this morning and asking about the status of the red truck.

They said it should be ready this afternoon. So, I went over there around 3:30, figuring if the red truck wasn't ready, i'd just drive the yellow one again. Got my check first, and went to the bank. Came back and noticed that the yellow truck wasn't there. Low Rider was driving it, so his truck must have broken down too.

I went in the office and asked what the deal was with the red truck- "Truck Enterprises said it should be done this evening sometime".

I said "well, if it's gonna be 7 or 8 o'clock tonight, you might as well call Lowe's in Oakland and tell 'em i'll be there Monday- I leave earlier than this if i'm just going to Roanoke".

So I called Truck Enterprises and asked them if they had any idea when it would be ready. They said it would be "late tonight, if then- they've got the whole dash out of it now, trying to get those bushings in".

So I went back in the office and told Neal "might as well make that call, 'cuz I ain't waiting until late tonight to see if they get it finished, when it still might be tomorrow sometime- screw you guys-i'm going home!" (Eric Cartman)

But i'm not gonna say anything, lest I get Rowdy Rebel started up.

[RowdyRebel]

My ears was burnin....

[mowerman]

typical bullshit...sorry tom ,,,but have a splendid weekend,,,speakin of trucks,,,i recently chose a kenworth with 700,000..than drive a volva,,,no f------n dice,,,id rather walk...bob

[Green Dash]

It's becoming more difficult to figure out which brands of trucks are more reliable than others. Most of today's manufacturers have been designing and building trucks for the better part of a century and it seems they all have some stupid little flaw that will eventually leave a driver sitting on the side of the road and truck with an excessive amount of downtime because some engineer wanted to reinvent the wheel. It's 2012 and Kenworth cannot build a reliable clutch pedal mechanism?

[other dog]

apparently not. they just got it fixed yesterday too. they're gonna leave it outside the gate so I can pick it up tomorrow. And Jimmy, our chief mechanic, talked like it's been a pretty common problem in these T660's. They said Thursday they had the whole dash out of it , they must have had to take the truck apart to get those bushings in...86,000 miles.

I bet that plastic bag of dirty, filthy, wet, sweaty clothes that was in the passenger side floorboard are smelling good about now too!

[Rob]

apparently not. they just got it fixed yesterday too. they're gonna leave it outside the gate so I can pick it up tomorrow. And Jimmy, our chief mechanic, talked like it's been a pretty common problem in these T660's. They said Thursday they had the whole dash out of it , they must have had to take the truck apart to get those bushings in...86,000 miles.

I bet that plastic bag of dirty, filthy, wet, sweaty clothes that was in the passenger side floorboard are smelling good about now too!

Or enhanced some Paccar mechanics wild, weird sexual fantasy.

The world wonders.

Rob

[Green Dash]

apparently not. they just got it fixed yesterday too. they're gonna leave it outside the gate so I can pick it up tomorrow. And Jimmy, our chief mechanic, talked like it's been a pretty common problem in these T660's. They said Thursday they had the whole dash out of it , they must have had to take the truck apart to get those bushings in...86,000 miles.

I bet that plastic bag of dirty, filthy, wet, sweaty clothes that was in the passenger side floorboard are smelling good about now too!

The name Jimmy sparked a memory for me. In 2001-02, I was running to VA quite a bit and would almost always stop at the little convenience store/truck stop on the sb side of 522 in VA, a few miles south of the WV line. I used to see FL Moore trucks in there quite a bit. I was usually alone so I would spend my meal time observing and eavesdropping. One day, 3 Moore drivers came in and I don't remember what the other 2 looked like (maybe you were one) but the third was named Jimmy and had a tattoo on his neck. He was driving a silver W900 with an "in memory of" decal on the bunk in the name of a member of the Moore family. Anyone you know?

[other dog]

The name Jimmy sparked a memory for me. In 2001-02, I was running to VA quite a bit and would almost always stop at the little convenience store/truck stop on the sb side of 522 in VA, a few miles south of the WV line. I used to see FL Moore trucks in there quite a bit. I was usually alone so I would spend my meal time observing and eavesdropping. One day, 3 Moore drivers came in and I don't remember what the other 2 looked like (maybe you were one) but the third was named Jimmy and had a tattoo on his neck. He was driving a silver W900 with an "in memory of" decal on the bunk in the name of a member of the Moore family. Anyone you know?

That's him. He has a big tattoo on his neck, and used to drive full time before he took over the shop. I was still driving for H.H.Moore then, who was F.L.Moore's daddy, Jeff and Todd's grandfather. I know exactly where that little fuel stop is, there's a sub shop in there too, but it's not a Subway, it's a...uh...something else- Quizno's maybe?

I'm the old, gray haired, fat, balding, guy. Oh wait, that description fits most F.L.M. drivers.

[Green Dash]

Not sure how on earth I remembered that. Is H.H. Moore still in business?

So you're the old, gray haired, fat, balding truck driver. I saw you last night...and the night before...and the night before that. Damn, you get around.

[Freightrain]

The problem with the newer vehicles.............is they keep "modifying" them til whatever they are working on don't last more then a week. Then they go on to the next part.

My sister used to work for Team Mustang(FOMOCO) in Detroit. They'd be given a part and told that they had to make it 5lbs lighter and $10 cheaper to make. They'd do that every year til that part is so over engineered it never survives because it's weak(butchered to nothing). Typical, very typical.

[other dog]

Not sure how on earth I remembered that. Is H.H. Moore still in business?

So you're the old, gray haired, fat, balding truck driver. I saw you last night...and the night before...and the night before that. Damn, you get around.

That's one reason not to get a big tattoo on your neck- if you turn to a life of crime you could be picked out of a lineup 10 years later.

Jimmy used to drive for H.H. too. I stayed there until after H.H. passed away and they hired a dispatcher who was a total dick before I went 8 miles up the road.

Jeff and Todd had wanted me to come drive for them from the start. H.H.'s son and daughter were running H.H.Moore Trucking at this time, and I liked both of them but I had no use for that sorry p.o.s. dispatcher.

Before my wife passed away she said many times "as soon as Mrs. Moore (H.H.'s wife) is gone Larry and Bonnie are going to sell that place"

And I always said "naw, I don't think so"

Shortly after she passed they sold out to PGT. They had all the old trucks resigned with PGT and ran a few trucks out of the old shop for a little while before moving everything back to Monaca. Now the old building is an auto repair shop. H.H.Moore had been in business since 1946.

[RowdyRebel]

The problem with the newer vehicles.............is they keep "modifying" them til whatever they are working on don't last more then a week. Then they go on to the next part.

My sister used to work for Team Mustang(FOMOCO) in Detroit. They'd be given a part and told that they had to make it 5lbs lighter and $10 cheaper to make. They'd do that every year til that part is so over engineered it never survives because it's weak(butchered to nothing). Typical, very typical.

A lot of that has to do with their perception of what the customer wants...and the customers usually get their ideas from "educated" folk who have never had any real-world experience dealing with the stuff they are supposedly an "expert" on.

A few examples: I've been at a few carriers who lived by that whole "gear fast, run slow" bullcrap. Their trucks wouldn't pull a hill to save your life....and I used to get the same fuel mileage out of them as I did with a log truck that was set up to pull. Then there are those that are on that "light weight to maximize payload" plan as well as the "bolt-on crap to help bolster fuel mileage by improving the aerodynamic properties of trucks governed too slow for it to matter" kick. They spec the trucks with lightweight components that break...so any extra revenues gained by increasing payload quickly goes right back out through downtime & paying for repairs. They spec the trucks low-profile, side skirts, and air dams to reduce airflow under the truck....only to bottom out and tear stuff up at the job sites. Don't even get me started on the super singles....have a problem with one of those and you're stuck right where it happened, whether it is in a convenient place to get it fixed or not. I've even heard talk from higher ups about specing a single drive axle with a dead axle....can't wait to see how much they tear up trying to get trucks unstuck. Hell, they've even tried specing hoist cylinders that require less hydraulic fluid.....only to see them bend under the weight and not go back down. Imagine that...spec a light weight truck & trailer so that you can haul more, and then a weaker cylinder hoist that can't handle the extra weight in the bed. Who'da thunk they'd have problems?

Certainly not the "educated" person who recommended that change.

[vision386]

A lot of that has to do with their perception of what the customer wants...and the customers usually get their ideas from "educated" folk who have never had any real-world experience dealing with the stuff they are supposedly an "expert" on.

A few examples: I've been at a few carriers who lived by that whole "gear fast, run slow" bullcrap. Their trucks wouldn't pull a hill to save your life....and I used to get the same fuel mileage out of them as I did with a log truck that was set up to pull. Then there are those that are on that "light weight to maximize payload" plan as well as the "bolt-on crap to help bolster fuel mileage by improving the aerodynamic properties of trucks governed too slow for it to matter" kick. They spec the trucks with lightweight components that break...so any extra revenues gained by increasing payload quickly goes right back out through downtime & paying for repairs. They spec the trucks low-profile, side skirts, and air dams to reduce airflow under the truck....only to bottom out and tear stuff up at the job sites. Don't even get me started on the super singles....have a problem with one of those and you're stuck right where it happened, whether it is in a convenient place to get it fixed or not. I've even heard talk from higher ups about specing a single drive axle with a dead axle....can't wait to see how much they tear up trying to get trucks unstuck. Hell, they've even tried specing hoist cylinders that require less hydraulic fluid.....only to see them bend under the weight and not go back down. Imagine that...spec a light weight truck & trailer so that you can haul more, and then a weaker cylinder hoist that can't handle the extra weight in the bed. Who'da thunk they'd have problems?

Certainly not the "educated" person who recommended that change.

Man,you hit that nail on the head! i could'nt agree more,i always thought you should spec a truck according to its vocation,heavy duty work= heavy duty components period! i cant remember how many "lightweight" dumps,mixers etc. i've seen on the back of wreckers in the past few years. And if i have to spec a truck so i can scale 50,000 lbs. i'm looking for a new carrier,i've seen a bunch of light speced "road" trucks with both super singles and one fifty gallon fuel tank! almost every truck i saw stuck last winter was riding on super singles. The carrier i'm leased to tried one lease trailer with super singles on it,after about a year they asked great dane to PLEASE put duals back on it! or take it back! just as you said,one goes flat,you're pretty much dead in the water,can't "limp" in somewhere to have it repaired/replaced and a lot of your smaller shops don't have or even carry them..................Mark

[other dog]

you're right about that "stuck" part too. I was unloading pipes at a job site once, several of our trucks were there along with a couple of TMC's with super singles on the drives. They were spinning just trying to drive across wet grass, and we had no trouble at all.

[RowdyRebel]

Man,you hit that nail on the head! i could'nt agree more,i always thought you should spec a truck according to its vocation,heavy duty work= heavy duty components period! i cant remember how many "lightweight" dumps,mixers etc. i've seen on the back of wreckers in the past few years. And if i have to spec a truck so i can scale 50,000 lbs. i'm looking for a new carrier,i've seen a bunch of light speced "road" trucks with both super singles and one fifty gallon fuel tank! almost every truck i saw stuck last winter was riding on super singles. The carrier i'm leased to tried one lease trailer with super singles on it,after about a year they asked great dane to PLEASE put duals back on it! or take it back! just as you said,one goes flat,you're pretty much dead in the water,can't "limp" in somewhere to have it repaired/replaced and a lot of your smaller shops don't have or even carry them..................Mark

Scaling 50K is easy. I can usually get 25.75 tons in the wagon if I show up with 1/2 tank of fuel or less. Company trucks are easily getting 27-28 tons with the same trailers I'm pulling.

[Green Dash]

you're right about that "stuck" part too. I was unloading pipes at a job site once, several of our trucks were there along with a couple of TMC's with super singles on the drives. They were spinning just trying to drive across wet grass, and we had no trouble at all.

TMC ditched the super singles when they realized how useless they were. They replaced with duals in order of unit number, regardless of tire wear.

I hope this doesn't catch on:

[Rob]

TMC ditched the super singles when they realized how useless they were. They replaced with duals in order of unit number, regardless of tire wear.

I hope this doesn't catch on:

I still see TMC units with super singles running around here but have seen duals also.

I can see the underside deflectors but those rear extenders are asking for trouble to both loading docks, and trailers.

Rob

[vision386]

TMC ditched the super singles when they realized how useless they were. They replaced with duals in order of unit number, regardless of tire wear.

I hope this doesn't catch on:

I had one of these MVT trucks pass me awhile ago,thought sure the trailer doors were open at first glance! A lot of carriers are going with all this "Aerodynamic Crap" personally,i don't see (or have heard) where any of it makes enough difference in mileage to warrant putting it on the trucks and trailers. I have however seen many bashed up fairings,skirts tore-off on railroad crossings etc. i've also seen some of the big carriers putting decals on the trailer that says "do not exceed 45 degree angle when backing,as severe damage may occur" well duurrr!............................................Mark

[Green Dash]

I still see TMC units with super singles running around here but have seen duals also.

Rob

I read that on another forum, posted by a then TMC driver. I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to slow down on the changeover because of cost. New tires=new rims which would be a bit pricey, especially if it's all on TMC's dime.

[Rob]

I read that on another forum, posted by a then TMC driver. I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to slow down on the changeover because of cost. New tires=new rims which would be a bit pricey, especially if it's all on TMC's dime.

I have a couple of friends that drove formerly for TMC and were not happy with them due to running requirements. The complaints were not much home time? Both of these guys are what I'd consider "complainers", so took the comments with a grain of salt. Got to work if you want to make much money and TMC is not in business to go broke.

Rob

[Green Dash]

My understanding is that they are a typical, large otr company and those complaints may be valid. Then again, there some folks you just can't please. TMC runs some fine looking equipment but If I were looking for an otr flatbed job, I would avoid a large fleet that runs some of the most expensive trucks on the road when there are more cost effective options out there. Like every other carrier, they are trying to underbid their competitors and the extra money spent on equipment has to come from somewhere.

[burnstransport]

I really got to wonder after paying the replacement cost on all the bashed up under trailer fairings, rear door fairings, etc, and lost revenue from the truck being at the repair shop, are these companies really "saving money" or simply saving fuel just for the sake of building "carbon credits" with their local senators and ringing that silly "going green" cowbell?????

seems easier to just drill oil here in America but thats another topic for another thread I guess. . . . .

[Green Dash]

In a "swift" pr move, Swift Transportation has applied a green-lettered version of their logo to some trucks along with the slogan "Green Team". These trucks are in fact "greener" than older models they replaced, but are no different than any other truck that rolled off the same assembly line. They simply meet the epa requirements for the year they were built.

[vision386]

In a "swift" pr move, Swift Transportation has applied a green-lettered version of their logo to some trucks along with the slogan "Green Team". These trucks are in fact "greener" than older models they replaced, but are no different than any other truck that rolled off the same assembly line. They simply meet the epa requirements for the year they were built.

In my (humble) opinion,the ONLY thing "green" about swift trucks,are the morons sitting in the drivers seat!...................................Mark

[convoyduel]

I would submit that the thing driving a lot of these carriers with the race to implement these "green" technologies is to improve their SmartWay score. Most of the big companies of the world (Tyson, Frito Lay, Pepsi, etc) require their carriers to have SmartWay and rank their position on the dispatch/load list based in part on their SmartWay score. Each of those little things being discussed improve the SmartWay score whether they have a true cost benefit or not.