decisions...

[firebird_1252]

well i've been looking around for some decent work. i have found a few things that dont seem "terrible".

1. CSX. 70% of linehaul 100% fsc. home every night no over weight, 300 mile radius, fuel cards, paid every week, plate program etc etc etc. as long as there is time in the log they'll run you. however, i've never done rail work before.

2. go totally out on my own. a buddy of mine is going from s. florida to atlanta and back and doing really well. doing 1 load a week out for 2-3 days in the rest.

3. stay as a company driver.

as far as the trucks go.. i'm looking at a few.

1. 2001 379, short nose, s60 500hp, 18speed, 3:55's, totally rebuilt.
2. 2004 780, 435 isx, 10 speed 3:55's
3. 2004 9900 500 isx 10 speed 3:55's
4. 2004 columbia 14l s60 10 speed 3:55's

[Jackrabbit379]

In this wonderful economy, I would remain as a local driver. The fuel prices are getting nuts. Also, everyone has a different opinion, because I would also tell ya to be home every night.
I would look into just how much you will take to the house on the cxs run.. That doesn't sound too bad.. Or is that an owner opperator gig?

[firebird_1252]

yes csx is a o/o gig. the guy told me after fuel the drivers are bringing home 1500-2500 a week home. not great.. not awful either. my local gig is getting real scary (usps contractor)

[Jackrabbit379]

Oh ok.. You are an owner operator..?.. Well, I'm sure it's better to keep the truck rolling, and not driving for someone else.

The cxs doesn't sound too bad..

[firebird_1252]

no sir.. not yet but know the business (would be 3rd gen o/o).

they are based out of pa. (this location). they run pa, some of ny, nj, va, wv, de, md. detention time of $42 a hour after 2 hours. no over weight, some drop and hook some live load.

i'm thinking that gig is the best as well. when i'm home in ny i have a meeting with a company that does drop and hook for coca cola. when its slow they have regional work. not counting on it but.. its another option. got to figure the truck situation out. as much as i'm not a fan of the hoods.. the 379 might be the best deal.

[allan5oh]

I would probably go with the 379, probably offers the best fuel mileage. Would definitely be more reliable than the other 3 simply due to the lack of emissions equipment. Is it a 12.7 or 14.0L?

[firebird_1252]

its a 12.7

you think it'll be good on fuel? hood and all?

[allan5oh]

My old man was #1 fuel mileage here at Payne (about 150 trucks at the time) with his 92 Freightliner classic 4.10s and 11R24.5 tires. He had a 12.7 detroit and ran at 55 mph. The pre-egr detroits are great engines.

[firebird_1252]

My old man was #1 fuel mileage here at Payne (about 150 trucks at the time) with his 92 Freightliner classic 4.10s and 11R24.5 tires. He had a 12.7 detroit and ran at 55 mph. The pre-egr detroits are great engines.

agreed.. but i'd rather an n14..

and call me crazy. i really like the 14l detroits.

[Windwalker]

yes csx is a o/o gig. the guy told me after fuel the drivers are bringing home 1500-2500 a week home. not great.. not awful either. my local gig is getting real scary (usps contractor)

You might want to make sure that's what they bring home after expenses. If it's before, you could come out on the short end. I've heard that before from another company, and it turned out to be ONLY IF YOU HAVE NO DEDUCTIONS. Also, the guys weren't running... Ahem.. . By the book. Had their own fuel cards so the company couldn't pin them down.

[firebird_1252]

windwalker.. i asked about 9 times the same question. he insisted that was fter all deductions.

[BoyNextDoor]

I had a 12.7 detroit in my 03 century. That thing isn't the first up the hill, but I sure enjoyed getting 6.5-7.5 on avarage. Miss those mileages now that I have the dual EGR volvo 12l engine. average 6.2, and even empty don't get anything better than 7.5 lol the detroit series 60 is a good engine, especially if it's rebuilt. If you take good care of it, It'll drive you well into a million miles.

[solo379]

windwalker.. i asked about 9 times the same question. he insisted that was fter all deductions.

The buddy of mine pulling from rail (not CSX), he works hard, some weeks he is making over 4 grand after fuel, grossed over 200 grand last year.....home every night.

[repete]

I would probably go with the 379, probably offers the best fuel mileage. Would definitely be more reliable than the other 3 simply due to the lack of emissions equipment. Is it a 12.7 or 14.0L?

You may be right but, the others are all old tech as far as EGR goes. So simple and have a long history in the ECM. Don't rule them out just cause the EGR might be bad when you know the hood WILL effect mpg

[firebird_1252]

The buddy of mine pulling from rail (not CSX), he works hard, some weeks he is making over 4 grand after fuel, grossed over 200 grand last year.....home every night.

now thats what i love to hear!

what would you suggest as far as the truck goes? the pete is totally rewired and rebuilt. i do like the 13 speed for going across hills if need be. i do like the 780, yet i hate front air-ride and i hear the trucks are super heavy. that leaves the columbia's that i dont mind. just built like crap.

[rank]

You may be right but, the others are all old tech as far as EGR goes. So simple and have a long history in the ECM. Don't rule them out just cause the EGR might be bad when you know the hood WILL effect mpg

Every truck we get gets worse mileage than the one it replaced. And don't get me started on poor reliability, repair expense and costs due to down time of the new engines. Hoods getting poor mileage is a myth as far as I'm concerned...at the very least, it's a mountain from a mole hill. Emissions does more to kill mileage than any "aero" package will ever make up for. Total cost of ownership on a well maintained "old" truck will be lower every time. Problem is always the hidden initial repairs on someone else's junk. If you pay $20,000 for what you think is a good 10-15 year old truck and put $20,000 into it in the first couple of years, you are still money ahead over a DPF truck. I will take a pre DPF truck every time and a pre EGR if I can find a good one.

[tracer]

Every truck we get gets worse mileage than the one it replaced.

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[RostyC]

Every truck we get gets worse mileage than the one it replaced. And don't get me started on poor reliability, repair expense and costs due to down time of the new engines. Hoods getting poor mileage is a myth as far as I'm concerned...at the very least, it's a mountain from a mole hill. Emissions does more to kill mileage than any "aero" package will ever make up for. Total cost of ownership on a well maintained "old" truck will be lower every time. Problem is always the hidden initial repairs on someone else's junk. If you pay $20,000 for what you think is a good 10-15 year old truck and put $20,000 into it in the first couple of years, you are still money ahead over a DPF truck. I will take a pre DPF truck every time and a pre EGR if I can find a good one.

Sometimes I swear you know what you're talking about.

20k a year (2 years) is about what I've spent on mine since I bought it.

[allan5oh]

You may be right but, the others are all old tech as far as EGR goes. So simple and have a long history in the ECM. Don't rule them out just cause the EGR might be bad when you know the hood WILL effect mpg

Yet even if the EGR is working perfectly I can promise you that pete with the pre-egr detroit will do better. Also, just because the EGR works fine now doesn't mean it will in the future.

[solo379]

now thats what i love to hear!

what would you suggest as far as the truck goes?

It's really hard to tell judging by the models if we are talking about used trucks. You got to look at particulars...But personally i wouldn't get anything made in 2004.....I mean first year after emission standard changed. Anyway, you got to take a personal approach and hope on your luck.