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  1. #106
    avenue
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    Re: Post pics of your rides here!

    Quote Originally Posted by Racer X 69 View Post
    The biggest challenge is dealing with all the inconsiderate people in cars who have no clue what is involved with driving such a large vehicle. It is about 5 or 6 times longer than the average car. At 80,000lbs fully loaded it outweighs most cars by about 26 times. So many people refuse to take an extra 5 seconds and stay behind me for the next exit, rather they insist on speeding past me and then at the last minute cut directly in front of me and stomp on their brakes. Lucky for them I am usually observant and see the situation developing and ease off the throttle so my truck doesn't smash their tiny little car and their ignorant and inconsiderate puny human body into a pancake. Or the morons who get to the and of the freeway onramp and suddenly realize there is a big truck there (if they would stop texting and drive this might not ever happen), and act like it is my fault they are rapidly running out of pavement. Hey, they are supposed to merge, not me. And if I can't get over for them, I sure as Hell am not going to give up my forward momentum. Even though the engine is large and powerful, if I am loaded heavy it may take me 5 miles to regain the speed that I have to give up so they can get onto the roadway.

    Long loads like the one pictured can present challenges. A driver has to plan turns, swing out to clear signs and power poles on corners, etc. I also move wide loads, some as wide as 16 to 18 feet. That is much wider than the width of the freeway lanes. If I am in an area where there are no shoulders, I will take up two lanes. Sometimes the people in cars who have no clue will try to pass when they should just wait a moment longer.



    Today's trucks get much better fuel economy that they used to, about 5 to 7 mpg. Trucks used to typically get 1 to 2 mpg. When the fuel costs began to rise, fleet owners began to demand better fuel economy so manufacturers began to squeeze more out of every drop.



    All the trucks in the pictures are company trucks, that I drove for the company I work for. The blue one was my first truck, a 2005 Volvo 780. 15 liter ISX Cummins 550hp, 13 speed transmission. It had about 500,000 miles on it when I took it over, and I put about 200,000 miles on it. When I moved out of it the next driver misused it and blew the engine.

    The green truck was my second, another Volvo 780, a 2007 with a Volvo D12 engine (it sucked, had no power, got crappy fuel mileage) and a 13 speed transmission. This truck only had one other driver before me, and had about 300,000 miles on it when I moved into it. I put about 140,000 miles on it, but moved out of it a year ago last December when I took a couple months off to have a hip replacement done.

    The burgundy truck is my latest rig. A Frieghtlliner Columbia, 15 liter Detroit 550hp, 13 speed transmission. This truck had about 500,000 miles on it when I came back to work after the hip surgery, and so far I have put about 120,000 miles on it.

    All the trucks have double bunks, refrigerator/freezer, APU and inverter. Very well appointed, comfortable and great to have while away from home. I also have a microwave, a toaster and a thing that makes hot water for coffee and instant oatmeal, etc. And of course I also have a 24" flatscreen TV.

    I gotta be cozy and comfortable when I'm stuck someplace 3,000 miles from home waiting for the next load.

    Some things to think about:

    An average solo truck driver usually runs about 130,000 to 150,000 miles a year. A team will double that annual mileage.

    The average automobile driver goes about 15,000 to 20,000 miles a year.

    Average cars cost about $20,000 to $30,000.

    A new truck like the ones I have driven sell for $130,000 to $150,000.

    Cars have 4 tires, that cost about $50 to $100 each.

    Trucks have 18 tires (including the trailer) and cost about $250 to $500 each.

    A car has about 4 quarts of oil in the crankcase, and a good car owner changes their oil every 5,000 miles.

    A truck has 10 gallons of oil in the crankcase, and it should be changed every 20,000 miles (although some of the 2013 engines have extended oil change intervals up to 40,000 miles).

    The average car owner gets a new car every 10 to 15 years, at about 100,000 miles.

    I will drive enough miles to wear a truck out in about 4 or 5 years and it will have over a million miles on it.


    Oh, one last thing. Every thing you have in your home, at one time was on a truck. Some things have been on many trucks. If we didn't have trucks, we would not have the stuff that we have in our homes. Or the cars in our garages or driveways. Or the planes that we fly on. Or the trains the move people and materials.

    Without trucks, America stops.

    The world stops.
    Thanks for the informative post, I learned a lot.

    How do you have the patience to deal with those drivers?

    It would be nice if they could create a car that is as reliable as the trucks (up to a million miles). If they could, the car would probably last a lifetime.

    I see you have it listed that you have AT&T. How is their coverage where you drive? Have you experienced a lot of dropped calls? AT&T's coverage is excellent, according to their coverage map. Would you rate it as excellent, after traveling the country with AT&T?

    Do you have Internet in the truck? If so, is that also through AT&T?


    See More: Post pics of your rides here!




  2. #107
    Racer X 69
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    Re: Post pics of your rides here!

    Quote Originally Posted by avenue View Post
    Thanks for the informative post, I learned a lot.
    You're welcome.

    Quote Originally Posted by avenue View Post
    How do you have the patience to deal with those drivers?
    Sometimes it gets stretched pretty thin.

    Quote Originally Posted by avenue View Post
    It would be nice if they could create a car that is as reliable as the trucks (up to a million miles). If they could, the car would probably last a lifetime.
    I have a 1975 Toyota pickup with about 500,000 miles on it. I fully expect my 2001 Dodge pickup and 2005 Subaru to be the last car and pickup I will ever buy. My partner just handed a 1994 Camry down to her son. Her mom gave it to her with about 100,000 miles on it, and now it has almost 300,000.

    If you take care of vehicles they will last for a very long time.

    Quote Originally Posted by avenue View Post
    I see you have it listed that you have AT&T. How is their coverage where you drive? Have you experienced a lot of dropped calls? AT&T's coverage is excellent, according to their coverage map. Would you rate it as excellent, after traveling the country with AT&T?
    I have few complaints. Service is spotty in parts of Montana, North and South Dakota, Utah, Idaho and Wyoming.

    What really sucks is that when I go to Canada I can get service through Rogers Communications, but to use it I either have to pay about $3 a minute, or add international roaming to my plan. Either way it is not cost effective, as I don't get up there but once or twice a year.

    Quote Originally Posted by avenue View Post
    Do you have Internet in the truck? If so, is that also through AT&T?
    Yes, and yes.

    I use a Sierra Wireless Elevate thing and a laptop. Service is about the same as for the phone, but there are places the phone gets service and the wireless does not, and vice versa.

    And I don't dare use it in Canada.

    I travel along I-10 near El Paso once in a while. The interstate passes within a hundred yards of Mexico. The first time I went through there both the phone and the wireless thing locked into a tower across the Rio Grande. When I got my bill there was huge international roaming charges. I called AT&T and when they told me it was because I used them during my recent trip to Mexico I told them I have never been there.

    The reversed the charges and put a block on the account.
    If you can't race it, play with it, or take it to bed with you, it ain't worth having!

    <div align=center>http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h194/racerx6948/MuscleBoy59.jpg</div>



  3. #108
    sunexim
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    Re: Post pics of your rides here!

    My Ride name is : Audi A3

    I have no permission to post the Images in the post.
    So, I specifies only the name of the my ride.



  4. #109
    Racer X 69
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    Re: Post pics of your rides here!

    Quote Originally Posted by sunexim View Post
    My Ride name is : Audi A3

    I have no permission to post the Images in the post.
    So, I specifies only the name of the my ride.
    If you put your pictures on a free picture hosting site, like Photobucket or Flickr, you can then use the IMG code to reference the picture and place in a post here..
    If you can't race it, play with it, or take it to bed with you, it ain't worth having!

    <div align=center>http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h194/racerx6948/MuscleBoy59.jpg</div>



  5. #110
    avenue
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    Re: Post pics of your rides here!

    Quote Originally Posted by sunexim View Post
    My Ride name is : Audi A3

    I have no permission to post the Images in the post.
    So, I specifies only the name of the my ride.
    You can go to an image site like Racer X 69 mentioned, and post the direct link to the image here. You might not be able to insert the image since you don't have a lot of posts yet. Try posting around a few other threads and come back, it will probably work then.

    Quote Originally Posted by Racer X 69 View Post
    If you put your pictures on a free picture hosting site, like Photobucket or Flickr, you can then use the IMG code to reference the picture and place in a post here..
    How is it going with your truck?



  6. #111
    Racer X 69
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    Re: Post pics of your rides here!

    Quote Originally Posted by avenue View Post
    How is it going with your truck?
    Very good, thanks for asking!

    I just delivered a 65,000lb debarker in Madison, GA.

    Oversize and overweight. Ten feet wide, seventy five feet long, one hundred ten thousand pounds.

    And I'm driving a 22 wheeler, not an 18.

    That's right. Six axles Martha, count 'em, s. i. x.

    No, not five, s. i. x.

    With twenty two tires and wheels.





    Under those dirty, ugly, big black tarps is a debarker.

    No, it doesn't remove those annoying barks from your dog (although I am sure if you tossed the little mutt in there the barking would stop!), nope, it removes the bark from logs before they get sent through the mill and turned into 2x4's and toothpicks!

    A Nicholson A8 31" Debarker. The finest debarker in the forestry industry.



    Yep. This baby weighs in at 65,000lbs and makes quick work of prepping freshly cut trees for turning them into whatever wood product you want, lumber, plywood, yes even toothpicks Martha!



    And it went to Madison, Georgia, way down there in the Peach state. Boy I sure like them Georgia girls!

    If you can't race it, play with it, or take it to bed with you, it ain't worth having!

    <div align=center>http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h194/racerx6948/MuscleBoy59.jpg</div>



  7. #112
    moosecoll
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    Re: nothing fancy

    awesome



  8. #113
    AizaKhan
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    Re: Post pics of your rides here!

    i am using
    .
    NISSAN MICRA

    in red color
    Nissan Micra is a well-equipped and good to drive B-segment hatchback.



  9. #114
    edwardoliver
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    Re: Post pics of your rides here!

    hello!



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