It is a 2008 Volvo VNL680 with a 400HP Cummin ISX, an Eaton-Fuller 9-speed. It is one of the new emissions engine, it has a Diesel Particulate Filter in the exhaust. Instead of having the traditional two wheels on each end of each rear axle it has one really wide wheel on each end of each axle. It is MUCH nicer than the 2004 Freightliner Columbia I was in, even with 50 less HP. It been getting about 6.8MPG with it.
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Let's talk trucks
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thanks for taking the time to answer these questions, i'm interested in stuff like this.
anyways, so your truck has 9 forward gears. do others have more gears?
how many miles do you have on your truck so far? how long have you had it?
and what's the most miles you've seen on a truck? i've heard they last 500,000 miles or so. seen anything like that?
and so you don't use your clutch on your truck or cars? how'd you learn that?
anyways, so your truck has 9 forward gears. do others have more gears?
how many miles do you have on your truck so far? how long have you had it?
and what's the most miles you've seen on a truck? i've heard they last 500,000 miles or so. seen anything like that?
and so you don't use your clutch on your truck or cars? how'd you learn that?
Counterfit, Rapmastac1m, I think these people are just frightened of trucks for whatever reason, yet they have no problem cutting us off...
twoodcc, no problem.
Trucks have anything from 8, 9, 10, 13, 15 and 18 speeds in them, they can be anything from a full manual to an auto-shift(still have a clutch pedal) to a full auto. If I had my choice I would run a super-10 and call it good.
A regular 10=speed has a shift pattern like a 5-Speed VW car. Reverse is in the upper left and first in the lower left and so on. The difference is, when you get to 5th, instead of going right up to 6th like is a regular gear, you flip the range selector into "hi" and go back to 1rst and work your way back to 5th(now 10th) On my 9-speed I drive it like an 8 speed, I go through 2-5th, flip the range selector switch and go through 2-5th again. 1rst is very rarely used, 2nd only when I have over 20k lbs in the trailer.
If you want to see something amazing to a YouTube search for "twin stick" The guys who drove those were something else.
When I got this truck a few weeks back it had 21k on it, It now has 28k. My last truck had over 400k on it. The company seems to take them off the road somewhere between 400 and 500k. My personal pickup has an old mechanical International diesel in it. It has over 200k on it and is still running healthy, the fuel system has been replaced once and nothing else has been touched, even when I switched to Bio. Diesels in general last a LOT longer than gas engines.
How'd I learn to not use the clutch? Well, I have a friend who grew up on a farm. I saw him do it before I even had a license. When I got my first car I not only taught myself how to drive a stick but also how float the gears. It is now just second nature. Downshifting is the hardest part to learn but once you figure it out driving is much more enjoyable.
twoodcc, no problem.
Trucks have anything from 8, 9, 10, 13, 15 and 18 speeds in them, they can be anything from a full manual to an auto-shift(still have a clutch pedal) to a full auto. If I had my choice I would run a super-10 and call it good.
A regular 10=speed has a shift pattern like a 5-Speed VW car. Reverse is in the upper left and first in the lower left and so on. The difference is, when you get to 5th, instead of going right up to 6th like is a regular gear, you flip the range selector into "hi" and go back to 1rst and work your way back to 5th(now 10th) On my 9-speed I drive it like an 8 speed, I go through 2-5th, flip the range selector switch and go through 2-5th again. 1rst is very rarely used, 2nd only when I have over 20k lbs in the trailer.
If you want to see something amazing to a YouTube search for "twin stick" The guys who drove those were something else.
When I got this truck a few weeks back it had 21k on it, It now has 28k. My last truck had over 400k on it. The company seems to take them off the road somewhere between 400 and 500k. My personal pickup has an old mechanical International diesel in it. It has over 200k on it and is still running healthy, the fuel system has been replaced once and nothing else has been touched, even when I switched to Bio. Diesels in general last a LOT longer than gas engines.
How'd I learn to not use the clutch? Well, I have a friend who grew up on a farm. I saw him do it before I even had a license. When I got my first car I not only taught myself how to drive a stick but also how float the gears. It is now just second nature. Downshifting is the hardest part to learn but once you figure it out driving is much more enjoyable.
thanks for the info.
so how would i learn to shift without using the clutch, and without tearing up my truck?
Well, whatever you do, don't force it into gear.
You have to have a very light touch on the shifter. If you cant get it into gear with only 2 fingers then you are doing something wrong.
Upshifting: When ready to shift, slowly roll off the throttle and pull it out of gear. Once out of gear place the shifter in front of the next gear, with very light pressure push against that gear, it should just slip in when ready. This is the lazy way of doing it, good until you get the timing down for your car. Once you get the timing down you will just slide it out of gear, wait in neutral then when the time is right, slide it in the next gear.
Downshiftng: As you are slowing down, and engine braking, when ready to shift, blip the throttle, at the same time pull it out of gear. When in neutral rev the engine to the speed you'll need for the next lower gear, as before, put some light pressure on the gear you are going into, it will slide in. Again this is the lazy way, once you figure out the right revs between gears you get do the whole shift from the first blip of the throttle.
There are other things that you'll figure out as the situation arise, but you need to just learn those. I am a big fan of self-teaching, so just go out and try it. And don't be afraid to grab the clutch if you need to!
Again, I can't stress this enough: DO NOT FORCE IT INTO GEAR. If it isn't gonna go then it isn't gonna go. Some cars just simply don't like to be shifted without the clutch. I can still do it with them because I have the experience to work around it, but these are not good cars to learn with.
You have to have a very light touch on the shifter. If you cant get it into gear with only 2 fingers then you are doing something wrong.
Upshifting: When ready to shift, slowly roll off the throttle and pull it out of gear. Once out of gear place the shifter in front of the next gear, with very light pressure push against that gear, it should just slip in when ready. This is the lazy way of doing it, good until you get the timing down for your car. Once you get the timing down you will just slide it out of gear, wait in neutral then when the time is right, slide it in the next gear.
Downshiftng: As you are slowing down, and engine braking, when ready to shift, blip the throttle, at the same time pull it out of gear. When in neutral rev the engine to the speed you'll need for the next lower gear, as before, put some light pressure on the gear you are going into, it will slide in. Again this is the lazy way, once you figure out the right revs between gears you get do the whole shift from the first blip of the throttle.
There are other things that you'll figure out as the situation arise, but you need to just learn those. I am a big fan of self-teaching, so just go out and try it. And don't be afraid to grab the clutch if you need to!
Again, I can't stress this enough: DO NOT FORCE IT INTO GEAR. If it isn't gonna go then it isn't gonna go. Some cars just simply don't like to be shifted without the clutch. I can still do it with them because I have the experience to work around it, but these are not good cars to learn with.
Well I have a few questions.
Have you ever picked up a hitchhiker, is it legal. You know the sign language they give if they want a lift so are you forthcoming in giving them a lift and also enjoy yourself along with them since it must be lonely being on the road alone most of the time.
What kind of music do you listen on your drives. That's the best thing I like about driving. I myself take long drives with my girlfriend every month or so and we just listen to music mainly Blues, Jazz & good old rock n roll (no talks allowed, use sign languages if we want to take a stop).
Back in 2002 when my girlfriend and me where backpacking around Europe we hitchhiked a few times to save on money. Well we never got on trucks as people in their cars would stop and let us have a ride in if we put down some gas money.
Have you ever picked up a hitchhiker, is it legal. You know the sign language they give if they want a lift so are you forthcoming in giving them a lift and also enjoy yourself along with them since it must be lonely being on the road alone most of the time.
What kind of music do you listen on your drives. That's the best thing I like about driving. I myself take long drives with my girlfriend every month or so and we just listen to music mainly Blues, Jazz & good old rock n roll (no talks allowed, use sign languages if we want to take a stop).
Back in 2002 when my girlfriend and me where backpacking around Europe we hitchhiked a few times to save on money. Well we never got on trucks as people in their cars would stop and let us have a ride in if we put down some gas money.
No, haven't picked up any hitchhikers, for a couple reasons. The first is my company doesn't allow it. Should anything documentable happen with a hitchhiker on board I could be out of a job. The biggest reason is theft. It is not uncommon for truck drivers to be theft victims. A lot of people seem to think we keep a lot of cash on us so that makes us a target. I also have some expensive toys on the truck, like the 17" MBP I'm using right now.
I've always been a loner my whole life so I find the solitude to be quite nice. If I'm around too many people for too long I start to get pretty irritable. My girlfriend and I have found that our relationship has grown tremendously since I went OTR. We talk more and really enjoy each other much more when I'm home.
Gosh, music, if there is anything I like more than driving it's music. I have my MBP hooked up the the stereo and use Front Row to navigate my library. I have over 75gigs in my music library and over 30 gigs of podcasts. I grew up listening to old time rock and roll and country from the 50's through the 80's (I'm only 27) I cant stand the current watered down mainstream country but love the off beat stuff and its variants.
I also like the Hip-Hop/Rap stuff from the early/Mid-90's. There is a great underground Hip-Hop scene in Seattle right now that is turning out some fantastic music.
Check out Blue Scholars: http://bluescholars.com/audio/01 Inkwell (Crashed-Cop-Car Remix).mp3
Common Market: http://masslinemedia.com/commonmarket/music.html
Macklemore: http://www.freshoutmedia.com/jukebox/Hip Hop/Macklemore/White Privilege.mp3 (add the www after it loads)
Abyssinian Creole: http://www.abcreole.com/index2.html
Cancer Rising: http://www.cancerrising.com/
I listen to the Salty Dog Blues and Roots podcast on a regular basis, and well as the Folkalley.com podcast. KEXP is Seattle is a fantastic radio station playing everything under the sun and they have some marvelous podcasts as well. I also like the NPR live concerts podcast. There is even a great monthly one called "Uncensored History of the Blues"
I've always been a loner my whole life so I find the solitude to be quite nice. If I'm around too many people for too long I start to get pretty irritable. My girlfriend and I have found that our relationship has grown tremendously since I went OTR. We talk more and really enjoy each other much more when I'm home.
Gosh, music, if there is anything I like more than driving it's music. I have my MBP hooked up the the stereo and use Front Row to navigate my library. I have over 75gigs in my music library and over 30 gigs of podcasts. I grew up listening to old time rock and roll and country from the 50's through the 80's (I'm only 27) I cant stand the current watered down mainstream country but love the off beat stuff and its variants.
I also like the Hip-Hop/Rap stuff from the early/Mid-90's. There is a great underground Hip-Hop scene in Seattle right now that is turning out some fantastic music.
Check out Blue Scholars: http://bluescholars.com/audio/01 Inkwell (Crashed-Cop-Car Remix).mp3
Common Market: http://masslinemedia.com/commonmarket/music.html
Macklemore: http://www.freshoutmedia.com/jukebox/Hip Hop/Macklemore/White Privilege.mp3 (add the www after it loads)
Abyssinian Creole: http://www.abcreole.com/index2.html
Cancer Rising: http://www.cancerrising.com/
I listen to the Salty Dog Blues and Roots podcast on a regular basis, and well as the Folkalley.com podcast. KEXP is Seattle is a fantastic radio station playing everything under the sun and they have some marvelous podcasts as well. I also like the NPR live concerts podcast. There is even a great monthly one called "Uncensored History of the Blues"
That's awesome! Hadn't heard of it until now. I did some research and found this article. Imagine a TV news anchor trying to read this on air without losing it!!
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I've always been amazed at how well truckers can park those enormous trucks. I volunteered to help unload a tractor trailer full of xmas trees for a charity club in my town and the driver was able to maneuver and park the huge vehicle easily and on the first try.
I suppose it takes practice, but you see some people that have been driving for years and have difficulty parking their own car.
I suppose it takes practice, but you see some people that have been driving for years and have difficulty parking their own car.
Some days you can put the trailer anywhere anyone asks, other you couldn't get the thing on a football field if ya tried all day.
I've had days where it was easy to put the trailer just inches from another object. I've also had days where I slept on an onramp because I just couldn't function right going backwards in a truck stop. Much better to sleep on a ramp than damage something.
I was really lucky though. My first driving job was as a yard driver for a temporary Target DC in Seattle. 12 hours a day, 5 days a week of moving trailers, about 80 a day. That experience turned out to be invaluable. I am now no longer afraid to go backwards. Fear of going backwards makes ANY back much harder, and many impossible.
In ways I find it easier to backup in a truck than a car. The squareness of a truck lets you actually see where it ends, cars are so round these days you cant actually see the back of a car when you look in the mirror. I also scare people when I backup in a car because I don't look over my shoulder
I've had days where it was easy to put the trailer just inches from another object. I've also had days where I slept on an onramp because I just couldn't function right going backwards in a truck stop. Much better to sleep on a ramp than damage something.
I was really lucky though. My first driving job was as a yard driver for a temporary Target DC in Seattle. 12 hours a day, 5 days a week of moving trailers, about 80 a day. That experience turned out to be invaluable. I am now no longer afraid to go backwards. Fear of going backwards makes ANY back much harder, and many impossible.
In ways I find it easier to backup in a truck than a car. The squareness of a truck lets you actually see where it ends, cars are so round these days you cant actually see the back of a car when you look in the mirror. I also scare people when I backup in a car because I don't look over my shoulder
Not yet. I have the trial version of iWork '08 and like it. The trial has run out so I need to purchase it.
I need to get a portable scanner/printer to keep track of stuff too. Having multiple iPhoto libraries will be excellent for this.
I need to get either Fusion or Parallels so I can run MS Streets and Trips w/GPS receiver as well as Drivers Daily Log.
I was thinking it might be a good idea to get an AEBS and MiniStack and tuck them both up in a storage compartment I never use. No wires between them and the laptop that way. My only concern is how easy it is to hop networks with with the AEBS, never used one before.
I need to get a portable scanner/printer to keep track of stuff too. Having multiple iPhoto libraries will be excellent for this.
I need to get either Fusion or Parallels so I can run MS Streets and Trips w/GPS receiver as well as Drivers Daily Log.
I was thinking it might be a good idea to get an AEBS and MiniStack and tuck them both up in a storage compartment I never use. No wires between them and the laptop that way. My only concern is how easy it is to hop networks with with the AEBS, never used one before.
The Q4 '07 numbers are in.
I drove 34,397 miles, 4,487 were empty.
I bought 5,715 gallons of fuel. At $3.28/gal that is $18,745 in fuel and 6.2MPG. I burned 69 gallons of fuel just idleing, not much compared to most drivers.
I made $1.36/mile in revenue for my company.
I had no accidents and no log violations/citations. I spent .8 miles over the company speed limit of 70mph.
Overall, I beat all the company goals by a fair margin and if I continue at that pace all year this year I will make over $40k as a "new" driver.
BTW, yesterday I drove 581 miles, made 2 deliveries in Boise and picked up a load in Wyoming. I was pretty well fried by the end of the day.
I drove 34,397 miles, 4,487 were empty.
I bought 5,715 gallons of fuel. At $3.28/gal that is $18,745 in fuel and 6.2MPG. I burned 69 gallons of fuel just idleing, not much compared to most drivers.
I made $1.36/mile in revenue for my company.
I had no accidents and no log violations/citations. I spent .8 miles over the company speed limit of 70mph.
Overall, I beat all the company goals by a fair margin and if I continue at that pace all year this year I will make over $40k as a "new" driver.
BTW, yesterday I drove 581 miles, made 2 deliveries in Boise and picked up a load in Wyoming. I was pretty well fried by the end of the day.
glad to see this thread is back.
Are there any "creature comforts" of home that you wish you could have in your truck?
Are there any "creature comforts" of home that you wish you could have in your truck?
GPS? Yes and no. My truck has a Qualcomm on it, the industry standard for GPS and communications. If you look at the top/back pf trucks you will see them. Little white round things.
I can't use the Qualcomm as a turn-by-turn navigation device, it isn't setup for that. It has a simple multi-line dot-matrix text display and a rubber keyboard. It can locate the truck anywhere in North America so long as the truck can see the sky.
It is also used to communicate with. They send me load info with it. I tell them when I arrive and depart from my stops. I send the daily stats and get directions from it. The directions are text and very inconsistent and often wrong for trucks. They are created by the people who work for the company I am going to. Do you know the truck-friendly ways to get to your work?
For navigation I currently use my iPhone. I verify all directions with it and transfer them to a note pad for easy on-the-go reading. I have a MBP running on the passenger seat, currently I just use it for music with FrontRow. After I get a good stand for it I will purchase Fusion and MS Street & trips. I will also get a Verizon or Sprint card for it.
I can't use the Qualcomm as a turn-by-turn navigation device, it isn't setup for that. It has a simple multi-line dot-matrix text display and a rubber keyboard. It can locate the truck anywhere in North America so long as the truck can see the sky.
It is also used to communicate with. They send me load info with it. I tell them when I arrive and depart from my stops. I send the daily stats and get directions from it. The directions are text and very inconsistent and often wrong for trucks. They are created by the people who work for the company I am going to. Do you know the truck-friendly ways to get to your work?
For navigation I currently use my iPhone. I verify all directions with it and transfer them to a note pad for easy on-the-go reading. I have a MBP running on the passenger seat, currently I just use it for music with FrontRow. After I get a good stand for it I will purchase Fusion and MS Street & trips. I will also get a Verizon or Sprint card for it.
Creature comforts? I REALLY need to get a fridge in this thing. And a broadband card for the laptop.
I have a $2000 bed that my girlfriend has slept in more than me, and she lives 1300 miles away! (she will be moving in September) I would love it if I could fit that bed in this truck but that just isn't gonna happen.
Other than that not really. I keep my personal belongings to a minimum so there isn't much to be missed. I once move from Seattle to Florida and fit all my belongings in an 85 Mustang.
I always make sure I have a 6-pack in the fridge waiting for me to get home.
I have a $2000 bed that my girlfriend has slept in more than me, and she lives 1300 miles away! (she will be moving in September) I would love it if I could fit that bed in this truck but that just isn't gonna happen.
Other than that not really. I keep my personal belongings to a minimum so there isn't much to be missed. I once move from Seattle to Florida and fit all my belongings in an 85 Mustang.
I always make sure I have a 6-pack in the fridge waiting for me to get home.
when i was in college i was a student equipment manager for the University's football team. we had a truck with a 53 foot trailer that we took to road games for all of the player's equipment. There was an old retired guy that had a cattle hauling business that drove the rig to the road games for us. I often gave up my seat on the charter Plane to ride in the truck. It was a blast. The Trailer was all painted up with our University Logos and we would get constant comments over the CB. One time we showed up to a stadium before the people from the charter plane and he let me drive the truck around the huge parking lot there. I actually did well shifting, but there wasn't a car or any obstacle in sight for that matter. I absolutely cannot imagine driving that through a city or even on a straight highway.....it gives me chills just thinking about it. Props to you for having the skill and guts to do it.
Do you ever get really bored, or have difficulty staying awake? What do you do about it?
What are the oldest trucks you've ever driven? If I was rich and lived in the country I'd like to own something like an old Series B Mack, or maybe one of those really tall and weird looking cabovers from the early fifties. Just for the fun of it.
Do you have any favorite truck movies? Ever see The Wages of Fear? It's from the 50s about two trucks that have to travel thru very rugged South American mountain roads while carrying nitroglycerin. Very exciting and action packed. The trucks are really rugged and cool looking too.
What are the oldest trucks you've ever driven? If I was rich and lived in the country I'd like to own something like an old Series B Mack, or maybe one of those really tall and weird looking cabovers from the early fifties. Just for the fun of it.
Do you have any favorite truck movies? Ever see The Wages of Fear? It's from the 50s about two trucks that have to travel thru very rugged South American mountain roads while carrying nitroglycerin. Very exciting and action packed. The trucks are really rugged and cool looking too.
If I'm getting sleepy and want to sleep I STOP DRIVING. I'll par anywhere I can park for an hour or two and take a nap. If I' still too tired when I start driving again then I stop and take a full 10-hour break. It just isn't worth it to drive tired, in a truck or a car.
I keep the laptop hooked u the the radio and listen to a lot of music. If I get bored I start flipping through the music with Front Row, with a 250 Gig library there is bound to be something that will entertain me. I also call people and talk to them a bit.
The oldest I've driven is a friends '50's Dodge 2-ton flatbed. Pretty neat truck. My friend is a cabinet maker and delivers/install his work with it.
Oddly enough, I've never watched those old truck movies. I don't spend much time in front of a TV.
Last night I saw a good wreck. We got some fresh snow in Denver and I was on my way home from Denver to Colorado Springs. Some moron in a minivan was doing 60+ on the snow covered roads while the rest of the traffic was doing 30-40. This guy passed me and almost clipped the side of my truck. He then tried to pass someone on the shoulder, he lost control and hit the center barrier head on at full speed. When I called 911 I made it VERY clear the guy was driving recklessly.
I drove 120 miles home on snow/ice with no trailer, the most dangerous way possible to drive the truck. It was a bit stressful but I made it with no problems and poured myself a drink.
I keep the laptop hooked u the the radio and listen to a lot of music. If I get bored I start flipping through the music with Front Row, with a 250 Gig library there is bound to be something that will entertain me. I also call people and talk to them a bit.
The oldest I've driven is a friends '50's Dodge 2-ton flatbed. Pretty neat truck. My friend is a cabinet maker and delivers/install his work with it.
Oddly enough, I've never watched those old truck movies. I don't spend much time in front of a TV.
Last night I saw a good wreck. We got some fresh snow in Denver and I was on my way home from Denver to Colorado Springs. Some moron in a minivan was doing 60+ on the snow covered roads while the rest of the traffic was doing 30-40. This guy passed me and almost clipped the side of my truck. He then tried to pass someone on the shoulder, he lost control and hit the center barrier head on at full speed. When I called 911 I made it VERY clear the guy was driving recklessly.
I drove 120 miles home on snow/ice with no trailer, the most dangerous way possible to drive the truck. It was a bit stressful but I made it with no problems and poured myself a drink.
I've been associated with the trucking industry pretty much my whole life. My pops worked for several companies that sold custom trucks or bought and sold used trucks. I used to go on road trips with him. It was really cool to see how you take a stock truck, gut it completely, and can make the thing into a penthouse. It was kind of like trick my truck before it got on TV.
My father in law works for a trucking company and does claims investigation. He has been at every single position with that company. From dispatcher to what he is now.
The trucking industry is very interesting in how it works. From the load booking to the drivers themselves. It can be a hard and shady life though. Glad to see you are doing well and observe the rules. Hang in there and keep on trucking!
My father in law works for a trucking company and does claims investigation. He has been at every single position with that company. From dispatcher to what he is now.
The trucking industry is very interesting in how it works. From the load booking to the drivers themselves. It can be a hard and shady life though. Glad to see you are doing well and observe the rules. Hang in there and keep on trucking!
So is yours the tractor or the trailer in those pics? I guessed the tractor, looks like the other guy didn't make a turn very well. Hard to tell.