after putting on over 60,000 miles (I probably drove 40k of that) in about a year and having it break down more times than anyone can count I was finally rewarded with a brand new truck at work. The old one was an 04 Freightliner Columbia with a Caterpillar piece of shit engine (has good power when its running properly). Last time I drove it this past Saturday I rolled over 402k miles. Came into work Monday to find out that although one boss said I wasn't getting one of the new trucks but just switching for an 06, I had a brand new 2009 Freightliner Columbia sitting in my dock hooked up to my trailer. It has the good Detroit Diesel engine which we have never had a problem with in the 2 06s we have. Sometime this weekend I should be rolling 2000 miles on it. not even broken in yet.
this new one has some stuff the old one doesn't. Not sure why the Cat doesn't have the engine brake but the Detroit does. That'll be good in the snow come next winter. Its also a mystery to me as to why the Cat doesn't have the engine shutdown override button since it breaks down so much it'd be nice to hit that so I could keep on driving. They also finally put on a decent set of mirrors. All the other Freights we have came with the separate flat and convex mirrors that vibrate and shift all the time. This new one has the glass separate from the housing so nothing shakes. They also added some extra weatherstripping around the door edge to cut wind noise. Although that probably won't fix the root of the problem which are crappy hinges and too heavy a door that sags eventually. its 2009 and they finally added an air bag, not that I care either way. It also has a completely new design air ride seat. This one is much better, now when I hit bumps I don't feel like I'm gonna hit my head on the roof. There's also 2 new buttons (OPT and the one below it) that I have no idea what they do.
edit: oh yeah and I get a CD player now. so I had to buy a 1/8"-1/8" audio cable so I can plug my iPod in.
"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough" - Mario Andretti
Very nice indeed. Looks like the perfect trackday hauler - Though I bet your company would take a dim view of that sort of usage.
My diesel-savvy friends say that recent emissions regs really drive fuel mileage down - Be interested to hear if you see any mileage deterioration vs your old truck.
And I have to drive to Boston tonight....who let you drive that?
I have tonight off. but when I do my route I head up through your neck of the woods, Manchester is my second to last stop of the night.
the name on my check says Charles Devin (or maybe its Devlin, I forget).
Originally Posted by Shenders1
Very nice indeed. Looks like the perfect trackday hauler - Though I bet your company would take a dim view of that sort of usage.
My diesel-savvy friends say that recent emissions regs really drive fuel mileage down - Be interested to hear if you see any mileage deterioration vs your old truck.
that would be awesome to take that to a trackday as long as I'm not paying for the fuel. I'd also have to come up with some way to hold the bike in the trailer because I'm not just gonna lean it against the wall then cinch a cargo strap around it. I do get within like 10 minutes of NHMS/NHIS on my route. too bad I usually get there around 9PM.
no idea on the mileage. we have a company come and fill up the trucks everyday so I have no idea how much I really use. judging by the gauge it seems its right around the same. whats interesting to note is my route was 220 miles with the old truck. this new one its 218. I drive the same places each night so one of them is wrong.
"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough" - Mario Andretti
Driving from SC to my parents with different vehicles I've noticed as much as a 10 mi difference over just 300 miles.
but this is essentially the same vehicle. maybe this weekend I'll use my GPS to log the whole route and see what it says.
Originally Posted by MrX
Well keep an eye out for a 954 as mine will be on the road ALOT more this year than the past 2.
I know a Devlin, I gotta make a couple calls see what the world is coming too.
I'm always on the lookout for other bikes. I don't particularly like them riding around me because I've seen the tires blow apart and go flying. but yours is Silver right?
if you see a black truck with multi colored lettering on the trailer chances are its me since I do the route 4 days a week. If I'm on 293 by the river I'm heading to Concord then I come back down 93 and hit the Manchester Starbucks across from the Hummer dealership.
"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough" - Mario Andretti
money or gallons? either way I don't know. probably has 2/3 of the tanks still in it when it gets filled each day, the gauge switches back and forth as the fuel pump switches back and forth between the tanks. but I think the right tank is 100 gallons and left 75.
the air diffuser on the roof probably helps the mileage a bit compared to the old one. its probably around 6mpg maybe 7. better than the buses I drove back in college. those got anywhere from 2.5-4mpg. usually right around 3.5 was average though.
"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough" - Mario Andretti
It is still a freightshaker though. But it is better than a Mack any day. My 770 Volvo w/ a 435 cummins used to get about 6.5 - 8 mpg depending on load and how fast I drove. I had 2 150gal tanks and would usually fill up everyday when I was on the road. But Diesel was a lot cheaper then too. I have hauled my 954 in the back of my trailer a few times before. We had e-track on the walls so tie downs were not an issue. I used to find a lowes or home depot close and dock up and slip the dock hand a $10 then roll it out through the store.
Amateurs practices until they get it right. A professional practices until they can't get it wrong.
whats interesting to note is my route was 220 miles with the old truck. this new one its 218. I drive the same places each night so one of them is wrong.
Shiny truck!
But you do realize that you're talking about a 1% difference right?
Zoltan's discrepancy is much bigger.
2002 945RR...She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid.
I'm always on the lookout for other bikes. I don't particularly like them riding around me because I've seen the tires blow apart and go flying. but yours is Silver right?
if you see a black truck with multi colored lettering on the trailer chances are its me since I do the route 4 days a week. If I'm on 293 by the river I'm heading to Concord then I come back down 93 and hit the Manchester Starbucks across from the Hummer dealership.
Thats like a 3 min walk from my house, and yes my bike is the silver/black scheme.
It is still a freightshaker though. But it is better than a Mack any day. My 770 Volvo w/ a 435 cummins used to get about 6.5 - 8 mpg depending on load and how fast I drove. I had 2 150gal tanks and would usually fill up everyday when I was on the road. But Diesel was a lot cheaper then too. I have hauled my 954 in the back of my trailer a few times before. We had e-track on the walls so tie downs were not an issue. I used to find a lowes or home depot close and dock up and slip the dock hand a $10 then roll it out through the store.
it actually rides really nice. it doesn't bang and hop and skip over bumps like my old one. and yes thank god its not a Mack. but we wouldn't have gotten any macks anyway since the boss don't like them. a couple weeks ago when my old truck was going in for an oil leak my boss said to the guy "anything but a Mack" sure enough the next day I come in and I have a Mack rental. but its mostly because we already have all their decent Internationals and Freightliners while we're waiting for our new trucks to come in. I think that time I had one of the newer Mack Visions. still a piece of crap. had 300k miles and I think it was a 500lb guy that drove it as the seat was broken and cocked back/sideways, the door was sagging heavily and you could see the wear mark on the door from where his elbow rested.
and yes we have e track on the walls also but I wouldn't be sure how to strap the bike in. and no dock needed for me, since we have ramps on all but one trailer and that one has a lift gate. not that it matters because I'll never put the bike in.
Originally Posted by davef
Shiny truck!
But you do realize that you're talking about a 1% difference right?
Zoltan's discrepancy is much bigger.
true but his were in different vehicles, mine is the same basic vehicle so you'd think it'd be the same. sometimes it would come out to 221 miles but that was because of rounding off the tenths.
Originally Posted by DEPO
Nice trucks..... How many phone books do you need to use to drive it....
Then do you tie blocks of wood to your feet.
Hold on to your potatoes Dr. Jones!
air ride seat only thing its missing is the front part under the knees isn't adjustable but I can deal with that.
"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough" - Mario Andretti
Me personally I have had tires on trucks right next to as well as infront blow a out. The first time it happen I was next to it. SCARED THE SHYT outta me. The more recent time it's happened was on the way to NM for my last trackday before I sold the bike. ROTFLMMFAOWPMP....the front bumper of the ex's Scion got demolished from the re-tread that decided to fling off the truck and make direct contact with her car. She was sleeping until that happened. I laugh about it now, that fuggin bitch.
Reaper and I were on our way up to Phoenix watching some trucks wheel wobble like crazy, Reaper made the comment of the tire going to explode and he wasnt going to pass the truck before it did, well then Billy Bada** is his Geo Metro jumped on the highway south of Phoenix, shot right over to the left lane and started tailgating this 18-wheeler like touching the thing with his front bumper. Then all of a sudden BOOOM!!! the tire blows and a huge chunk went right up this guys hood & windshield, so hes all over the brakes going side to side while locking up his brakes.
"It's not debt per se that overwhelms an individual, corporation, or country. Rather, it is the continuous increase in debt in relation to income that causes trouble." --Warren Buffett
Reaper and I were on our way up to Phoenix watching some trucks wheel wobble like crazy, Reaper made the comment of the tire going to explode and he wasnt going to pass the truck before it did, well then Billy Bada** is his Geo Metro jumped on the highway south of Phoenix, shot right over to the left lane and started tailgating this 18-wheeler like touching the thing with his front bumper. Then all of a sudden BOOOM!!! the tire blows and a huge chunk went right up this guys hood & windshield, so hes all over the brakes going side to side while locking up his brakes.
Funniest dang thing I saw out there.
I called that shit fo sho. I felt bad for the guy but seriously what a dope. It was quite funny.
haha what an ass. thats why I hate when people tailgate me. I had one blow and almost hit the one other car on the road behind me. They were lucky they weren't tailgating me because it was the left outside rear trailer tire that blew. I heard it blow and looked in my mirror to see it go shooting out the back. came out right where it would have went through the drivers side windshield and probably killed someone if they were right there.
"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough" - Mario Andretti
ok so the truck is a couple weeks old now and has 5500 miles on it as of when I parked it a couple hours ago. just getting broken in.
did a day shift today for some extra money. they gave me my truck which was sweet cause there are some decent hills out in western MA/southeast VT and across NH. that thing climbs the fuck out of a hill. If I had one of the single axle trucks I might still be out there.
and to sort of answer the fuel question. I roughly figured out the other day that it uses about 25 gallons of fuel less a night compared to the old truck. not sure if its more the different engine or the roof air diffuser. and it has more power and more emissions crap (that button I didn't know what it was before, its an exhaust filter regeneration button. it has some complicated extra filters in the exhaust and also monitors the temperature of the parts)
"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough" - Mario Andretti
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Originally Posted by MrX
of you behind the wheel! 
only thing its missing is the front part under the knees isn't adjustable but I can deal with that.
douche can 
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