Class 8 truck drivers

[Sageair]

How many here drive class 8 trucks? What are they powered by? What kind of transmission? Likes and dislikes?

 

[ndurbin]

I never drove full time but at my last job we had 4 semis. 1 Pete with an cummins N14/eaton 10 spd. 1 Int'l with an cummins N14/eaton 9 spd. and 2 freightliners with catepillars (not sure which engines they had) one had a super 10 and the other was a reg. 10 spd. (not sure by who).



Outta the 4 I liked the Pete the best. I only drove one Freightliner and that was only one time on a 8 mile run. Spent most of my time in the Int'l and Pete.

 

[Andy Perreault]

Cummins M11-powered Freightliners here. City tractors (no sleepers). There are also some International cabovers at work with M11's in them. Most of the time, though, I drive a "yard mule" moving trailers around the yard and getting things set up for the evening's operation. Guess what engine's in that? A 12-valve Cummins B5. 9, with an Allison! It's fun to drive, because it's nimble and quick, but don't expect it to ride like a Cadillac. It has no rear suspension. The rear axle is bolted directly to the frame. So, you do a lot of this: Oo. Oo. It's geared down so low that it'll put you back in the seat from dead start, but it max's out at about 32 mph. That's as fast as it'll go. Or like in the song "Hot Rod Lincoln": "that's all there is, there ain't no more. "

Andy

 

[DSteinel]

Drove an 86 Freightliner for 2 years had a big cam 400 cummins and a 9 spd roadranger that shifted real nice for an old truck, Now I drive a 96 Kenworth w900, 525 hp N-14 cummins and a 18 spd roadranger. I love the motor/transmission combo, but hate the truck. I would not make someone that I hated, drive a Kenworth. Dean

 

[QRTRHRS]

I work for an LTL company.

Mostly Freightliners with few creature comforts save air ride and a few with cab air suspension too. Cummins M11's with ten speeds. Occasionally, I get one of the Century's with a Cat but I don't know what engine they have. With no power windows, you need to reach way down for the crank on the Century. None of them will set land speed records and are limited to 65mph.



Then there are the Volvo daycabs, no room and 600-700k or so on the clock. Absolute $$$$boxes with no redeeming qualities at all. Well, maybe one. The mirrors don't vibrate while your trying to dock like the Freightshakers do.



Yeah well, I get to go home at night.

 

[Ray Torresdal]

OTR

I bought a '73 Pete and leased to a local company before I was legal to cross state lines. It had a 270 CAT, and 13 speed. I've been out of the trucking business for years, but still like to drive, so I've found people to work for part time, etc. Currently driving T800 KW, with 425-500 Detroit, and 13 speed. I loved my little CAT when I owned it, but I have to say I've been impressed with these Detroits - I don't know of many that get better fuel milage, and with the cost of fuel these days, that is huge.



I visited with a friend who is driving one of the new 500 Detroits, with EGR, and it is costing them about 1 mpg!!! He has one of the Meritor 12 speed autoshift trannys, and loves it.



Ray

 

[E7mack96]

well,



I have: 1 1998 Mack CH tractor with a 427 and a eaton 10 speed

1 2000 Mack CL dump with a 460XT and a 13 speed mack

1 2001 Western Star 4964 with a Cat C12 and an eaton 8LL

1 2002 Volvo VHD with a volvo 465 HP engine and an eaton 8LL

2 2003 Mack Granites with 427 and Eaton 10 speeds



buying :



1 2000 pete 379 with a 550 CAT C15 and an eaton 13 speed



I like them all for different reasons, and hate them all for other reasons



The 2003 granites are choked to death by emmisions requirements. they lost nearly 200 ft/lbs torque at a given rpm by this.

 

[JFinke]

Old Pete with a 400 Cummins and 13 speed. Main like is the 5" dual straight pipes and reaction I get from people when I turn them on, at the end of a long day they are also a major dislike. Jake

 

[dseabaugh]

1978 Ford LN 9000 , NTC 350 Cummins big cam 1, 13 speed Road ranger trans. Has enough power I shift like a 9 speed, Very reliable setup. Truck has 172,000 miles now..... just broke in. . It is Also the noisiest truck I've ever had. 1977 IHC 2070 with Cummins 855 Cummins 290, 13 speed was the fastest most quiet truck I ever had. Sold at 475,000 miles. Oo. It was also the soffest riding truck and had the best airconditioner. I miss that truck.

 

[Proram]

Full time truck

2001 mack Ch 612/ e7/300 9 spd. 34' shorty or 50 ' long box, depending on run.



Toys

78 pete big hood, 350" wb 3408 cat Turned WAY up. 5x4trans

65 pete narrow nose 270/ 13 spd Restored (Day cab)

44 Pete 150 cummins fully restored 5x4 boxes also (day cab also)

61 GMC Cracker Box, 6V71 detriot, R960 (overdriven 10 spd R96)

4. 44 rears resto in progress

58 GMC cannonball (850) 671 detriot R96(10 spd)

Retos also in progress

Thats all worth mentioning.

Like um all/Hate um all. . LOL

Scott

 

[DKarvwnaris]

We have a 96 Volvo WIA tractor with mid roof integrated sleeper. Detroit S60 425 Horse engine, 9 speed Rockwell transmission. 3. 90 gears in RT40 rear axles. This has been one the most trouble free trucks we hvae had in a long time. I have sold both our Freightliners Fl-70 as well as our FL-112 which had a cat 3100 series engine in it and the latter had a M-11 motor respectively. The FL-70 was just a rattle can and had cracks developing all over the cab after 3 years and less than 200,000 miles. THe engine was never a problem, but I couldn't stand to drive it anymore. The Fl-112 had major engine problems through out its time with us. We were happy to just get it out of our hands. It was a former fleet truck before we bought it, but all service intervals were documented fully. Both were Day cabs, the FL-70 was a 20 foot deck chassis cab.

Volvo is getting 11 mpg with a single rear screw and a 14 foot hauler bed on it. we use it primarily for pulling our small stock trailer, hauling, water for our livestock, and pulling our flat bed goosneck for our Farm. It costs less to operate the Volvo than any other truck in our fleet, maintenance wise, for the miles we put on it.

 

[Hummin Cummins]

99 Pete "American Classic" series. 475 kitty, 18sp eaton, 21' polished aluminum dump box. Tri-axle.

 

[RankRam]

Hey Sage! How is the Ford (6. 0) company rig doing?

 

[fbaurley]

The company i work for has a 1994 Pete 379?? I think. 3406 425 hp Cat with 13 spd road ranger, and a whopping 982,000. miles, engine has been rebuilt though. Still a good driving, well built truck.

 

[woodsrat]

too many

96 Pete 379 500cat/18 speed

97 Pete 379 435cat/18 speed

97 Pete 377 475cat/9 speed

98 Pete 379 475cat/18 speed

99 Pete 379 475cat/18 speed

00 Pete 379 475cat/18 speed

2-01 KW 475cat/18 speed

02 mack ch 460/18 speed for sale

91 mack cl 350/9 speed

87 mack superliner 350/9 speed

91 INT 425cat/10 speed

2-80 somthing frightliners small cats 8 speeds

old cabover frightliner yard truck

old GMC

trucks are fine drivers are a whole different story

 

[bmoeller]

At work we have 2 CH 613 Mack daycabs.



'95- E7-350, Eaton 9spd, Mack rears w/4. 17s



'90- All Mack drivetrain. EM6-300, T2050 5spd. (great for running empty and thats it), 5. 13 gears in drives.



He's looking for another Mack, but I am trying to talk him out of them again. They're reliable and tough, but hate working on them when I do. Even simple oil changes suck. Filter placement is horrible the way they are set in there. The '99 and later trucks that we have leased in the fall, that has been improved.



The ones we have, don't have a power divider lock-out switch. On these it is supposed to work like a limited slip. Works OK on the 5spd, doesn't work at alll on the other.



NO leg room. Have broken 2 turn signal switches with my knee going for the clutch.



Miss the torque of the Cummins. Big difference between a 14liter Cummins and 10-11 liter Macks.



Used to have a KW K100E (cab over). Except for the harsh ride and being a bit tiresome climbing in and out of when hauling grain (in and out alot), I really liked that old truck. Had a 400hp BC 855, Eaton 13spd transmission and rears. Power divider lock-out switch.



When we get a new truck, I'm hoping to get something with at least a 450hp engine. 350 is fine for hauling grain. It's fine for hauling cattle as long as you don't have much for a hill or a head wind. Can't get out of its own way.

 

[Eric Kahn]

Last tractors I drove (5 years ago) were the flatnose garbage truck chassis tractors that the post office has, about a 300 hp mack engine with an allison 4 speed auto, trucks were terrible to drive for anyone over about 5 foot 2 inches, but the auto was the greatest thing for city driving

 

[Sageair]

Originally posted by RankRam

Hey Sage! How is the Ford (6. 0) company rig doing?

It's as good and as bad as ever. 32,000 miles on it now . No problems at all except it still won't pull the hat off your head below 1800 rpm. I like it ok but the other day I drove my old company truck that we keep as a spare truck. You may recall it was a 99 7. 3 psd. If I was buying a Ford today and was given the option of either a 7. 3 or a 6. 0 Id take the 7. 3 in a heartbeat!

 

[RankRam]

Thanks for the update Sage!

 

[Sageair]

Originally posted by RankRam

Thanks for the update Sage!

NP