MAN-ing in the USA

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS EX-PAT BRITISH TRUCKERS (INTERACTIVE)
21

wire:
New Brunswick is very green and picturesque and I guess a very nice place to live but from what some of you Eastern guys post on here the jobs available don’t sound so good.
I obviously don’t know your circumstances regarding family and such but maybe you could consider moving west to Manitoba here.
There are loads of decent companies running decent trucks paying decent wages and with your experience and PR status you would have no problem getting a good job.
At least then you would be able to run the whole 48 states.

I do often give it some thought. I’d definetely be getting more of the type of work that I want if I lived in Manitoba, but the thought of starting over again in a completely new place etc is putting me off at the moment. I’m actually considering moving back to England this year, though my mind is far from made up on that.
I would like to visit all 48 lower states and I have 39 so far and I only need BC in Canada.

I do really like NB, I’m as settled here as can be, though I am single and only have a rented apartment so I’m not tied to the place but yes, the standard of work here is pretty dreadful on the most part. The vast majority is eastern seaboard triangle work, which pays well if you keep moving, but with trip legs of only about a day in each direction, theres almost always lengthy delays at all stages of the triangle which make the money crap as it takes you 5 or 6 days to do what should take 3 or 4.

22

robinhood_1984:

wire:
New Brunswick is very green and picturesque and I guess a very nice place to live but from what some of you Eastern guys post on here the jobs available don’t sound so good.
I obviously don’t know your circumstances regarding family and such but maybe you could consider moving west to Manitoba here.
There are loads of decent companies running decent trucks paying decent wages and with your experience and PR status you would have no problem getting a good job.
At least then you would be able to run the whole 48 states.

I do often give it some thought. I’d definetely be getting more of the type of work that I want if I lived in Manitoba, but the thought of starting over again in a completely new place etc is putting me off at the moment. I’m actually considering moving back to England this year, though my mind is far from made up on that.
I would like to visit all 48 lower states and I have 39 so far and I only need BC in Canada.

I do really like NB, I’m as settled here as can be, though I am single and only have a rented apartment so I’m not tied to the place but yes, the standard of work here is pretty dreadful on the most part. The vast majority is eastern seaboard triangle work, which pays well if you keep moving, but with trip legs of only about a day in each direction, theres almost always lengthy delays at all stages of the triangle which make the money crap as it takes you 5 or 6 days to do what should take 3 or 4.

Come West young man, to Alberta.

Some decent firms here, and I have managed to avoid the dirty side with my company.

23

wire:
It is 6 axles for semis in Canada with a gross weight of 45,500kg.
In the north western states of Washington, Montana etc the law allows 7 axles and a higher gross weight again and Michigan allows an incredible 13 axles on a single trailer semi.
Most US states are fixed at 5 axles and a gross weight of 80,000lbs though. It might seem a bit strict especially considering the long distances but on the other hand the cost of using most roads, ie fuel duty and VED is far lower.

But surely running tri axle trailers are safer as more rubber on the road and also that extra set of brakes. Just a thought as not much idea about running your side of the pond.

24

mickfly:

robinhood_1984:

wire:
New Brunswick is very green and picturesque and I guess a very nice place to live but from what some of you Eastern guys post on here the jobs available don’t sound so good.
I obviously don’t know your circumstances regarding family and such but maybe you could consider moving west to Manitoba here.
There are loads of decent companies running decent trucks paying decent wages and with your experience and PR status you would have no problem getting a good job.
At least then you would be able to run the whole 48 states.

I do often give it some thought. I’d definetely be getting more of the type of work that I want if I lived in Manitoba, but the thought of starting over again in a completely new place etc is putting me off at the moment. I’m actually considering moving back to England this year, though my mind is far from made up on that.
I would like to visit all 48 lower states and I have 39 so far and I only need BC in Canada.

I do really like NB, I’m as settled here as can be, though I am single and only have a rented apartment so I’m not tied to the place but yes, the standard of work here is pretty dreadful on the most part. The vast majority is eastern seaboard triangle work, which pays well if you keep moving, but with trip legs of only about a day in each direction, theres almost always lengthy delays at all stages of the triangle which make the money crap as it takes you 5 or 6 days to do what should take 3 or 4.

Come West young man, to Alberta.

Have seen a few people on here saying AB is a better place to be based and also lower taxes :slight_smile:

Some decent firms here, and I have managed to avoid the dirty side with my company.

25

taffytrucker:
But surely running tri axle trailers are safer as more rubber on the road and also that extra set of brakes. Just a thought as not much idea about running your side of the pond.

The Americans dont seem to like change when it comes to truck design. As for safety, thats not important. They dragged their heels for years over disc brakes and only now are they becoming an option on new trucks. The DOT over here are obsessed with brake adjustment, I think its one of the biggest reasons for putting trucks out of service and issuing fines…that wont happen with disc brakes, and thats why the US DOT resisted them for so many years, in my opinion. They have to justify their existence just as Vosa do, if the biggest safety issue is removed by modern technology they’re afraid that their jobs will be surplus to requirement. Hence the move to ever more tighter driving hours and electronic log books etc, nothing to do with driver or public safety, they just need something, anything, to enforce.

As for three axles on a trailer, they wont do it because they’re stuck at 80,000lbs /36ish tons. Adding another axle will just decrease payload.

26

robinhood_1984:

taffytrucker:
But surely running tri axle trailers are safer as more rubber on the road and also that extra set of brakes. Just a thought as not much idea about running your side of the pond.

The Americans dont seem to like change when it comes to truck design. As for safety, thats not important. They dragged their heels for years over disc brakes and only now are they becoming an option on new trucks. The DOT over here are obsessed with brake adjustment, I think its one of the biggest reasons for putting trucks out of service and issuing fines…that wont happen with disc brakes, and thats why the US DOT resisted them for so many years, in my opinion. They have to justify their existence just as Vosa do, if the biggest safety issue is removed by modern technology they’re afraid that their jobs will be surplus to requirement. Hence the move to ever more tighter driving hours and electronic log books etc, nothing to do with driver or public safety, they just need something, anything, to enforce.

As for three axles on a trailer, they wont do it because they’re stuck at 80,000lbs /36ish tons. Adding another axle will just decrease payload.

The Elogs then work much the same as our digi tacho then do they?

27

taffytrucker:
The Elogs then work much the same as our digi tacho then do they?

From what I can gather they are not as bad as digi tacho’s but the princepal is the same. From people I’ve spoken to, they do say you can move a small distance ‘off card’ but only a mile or two at most. Not much good when you’ve been sat all day in Detroit having a meat inspection, run out of time and then are forced by law to park over night on the side of the road in one of America’s worst crime ridden cities.

In the UK if you run out of time and park in a dodgy area, you may have your curtains slashed or at the worst, some load stolen or diesel etc. In America things are somewhat different, getting robbed there could easily lose you your life and not just in Detroit but in any of their towns and cities. I dont know if you’ve visited the US before, but if not, when you get in your truck and go to some of these crap holes, you’ll be shocked at just how run down, deprived and crime ridden the place is.

Another thing worth bearing in mind in North America is that while in the UK on a digi tacho, if one layby is full, the next one is probably a few miles down there road, or there’ll be an industrial estate or whatever. Here if a layby/service area/truckstop is full, which in some areas they all are by 6pm, the next one could be 30/60/80 miles away. The life as a trucker is only so pleasant and carefree at the moment because you can do what you want to park places in comfort, with showers, toilets and food…not with an E-log you cant. Then you’ll be finding yourself in the same situation as those Agromex drivers, parking in industrial estates and ■■■■■■■■ into bushes because the US government has seen fit to regulate that on to you.

E-logs are a horrendous idea in my opinion for all the above reasons. If it was about stopping people running bent, then for God’s sake, stop this ancient method of milleage pay. European style regulation isn’t appropriate here when the distances are so much vaster between places and parking opertuntities and being made to park in the wrong place is a whole world of difference to almost any where in Europe.

28

It amazes me that people move to another country for a better life and then moan that they don’t do things the same they do them back in Britain :open_mouth:

That is exactly the same thought process that the Muslims use, you know the ones everyone hates, the ones that want to turn Britain into Iran :open_mouth:

Statements about the trucks being prehistoric just further show your ignorance in all things transport related :open_mouth:

So listen up and I’ll tell you why you’re all wrong :laughing:

Firstly, the fact that the lorries seem old is because a lot of them are, it’s nothing for an American truck to run for well over a million miles, get rebuilt and run another million, try doing that with an MAN or a Scania :open_mouth: I was in the office for a company that run Merc Actros, 4 Series Scanias, FH12s, MAN TGX, Daf XF and Renault Premiums, the only ones that were never constantly in the workshop were the Renaults and that was because they were simple 385s with nothing fancy to go wrong, so you might have soft feel plastics and a nice high tech dashboard, but it won’t do you a bit of good when you’re constantly breaking down because the rest of the truck is crap :unamused:

All this talk about Volvo FHs with I-shift being the best thing since sliced bread is total BS, Volvos have the worst wiring of any lorry anywhere, put a Euro spec FH to work in a Canadian winter and it would catch fire before it left the yard. Also check out the power and torque on the US versions, it’s higher than the Euro equivalents, so there is no way that a Euro Volvo will pull better than a US one, it’s impossible :bulb:

Disc brakes? Standard fitment on new Peterbilts and Kenworths, options on fleet trucks like Freightliner, International and Volvo, options because the fleets don’t want them, brakes last far longer than they do in Europe so the cost benefit of switching to discs is not there. I agree the performance of drums is inferior, but if you drive properly the only time you should be applying full brake pressure is when you’re doing a 6 pack to keep them adjusted, so, nice as it would be, who needs discs :question:

Mileage pay? Get a decent job and you’ll earn decent money, so simple :bulb:

Oh and the engine that is in the Kenworth/Peterbilt/Volvo/Freightliner sitting at the dealers today is the same engine that will be in the Daf/Volvo/Mercedes Benz trucks in Europe next year, so outdated? I don’t think so :open_mouth:

29

^^^This.^^^

30

I’m only talking through experinece here in europe and was fishing for info as no idea over there and just trying to get an idea thats all.

I agree the electics in volvo have never been great but by euro spec the mechanical side is sound. Not keen on the new renaults at all driven them a few times and not find them comfy to drive cramp driving area for me. As for Iveco and MAN find them very plasticy inside and feel and look as if they fall apart at anymoment. From what I have seen your units look as if they can last and solid built (although I probs be wrong and get shot down in flames lol)

31

taffytrucker:
From what I have seen your units look as if they can last and solid built (although I probs be wrong and get shot down in flames lol)

Only one way to find out and you’ll be doing that in October.

32

Back to the subject. I was driving to PA down I-95 wednesday morning and much to my surprise passed a Scania R112 4 wheeled rigid with NY plates on. Never seen a Scania over here before!

33

I put some pics on here of a Scania 4 series and an FH that were dragging those offshore powerboats around, they had green licence plates and I think we came up the idea that they had shipped into Montreal and come in through Vermont (green plates) I saw them on I-95 in Virginia heading south.

Seen a few Scanias in New England, mostly bonnetted 112 rigid tippers, but there’s a few p cab 112s too :wink:

34

taffytrucker:
From what I have seen your units look as if they can last and solid built (although I probs be wrong and get shot down in flames lol)

My Pete had almost half a million miles on it when I got it, I’ve got it up to 1,160,000ish in the last 3 and a bit years and it’s still as tight as a drum, everything still works as it should and that’s saying something considering the amount of switches and gauges it has on the dash, the interior is as good as new, I had a new seat cushion recently as the old one got to be a little uncomfortable, but apart from that it’s as it came out the factory.

Engine wise, it was rebuilt at the beginning of the year, the head gasket had gone and even though the bottom end was fine (it used less than a gallon of oil between 12,000mile changes) they did a proper job while they had it in pieces, so apart from the block, almost everything under the hood is new, including the wiring harnesses, I think the power steering pump is the only thing they never swapped for a new part :wink:

Because of the problems associated with the trucks with engines that meet the 07 EPA emission regs, all our newer stuff has been traded in for new models with the Daf engine, so for a few years they never bought any new motors, so some of the older trucks are on their second rebuild, they look a bit tired and some of them need a bit of TLC, but mechanically they’re spot on :wink:

35

Jarvy:
Back to the subject. I was driving to PA down I-95 wednesday morning and much to my surprise passed a Scania R112 4 wheeled rigid with NY plates on. Never seen a Scania over here before!

I saw a 143 in Saskatoon the other week it looked well but well out of place if you see what I mean…

36

Jarvy:
Back to the subject. I was driving to PA down I-95 wednesday morning and much to my surprise passed a Scania R112 4 wheeled rigid with NY plates on. Never seen a Scania over here before!

Seen quite a few 4 wheel (maybe six wheeler?) Scania rigids in NYC. Often see one on or near the George Washington Bridge.

37

Long, long time ago Scania was trying to sell trucks here. It seems that every time I get to NYC or N New Jersey area I see one.