newmercman:
Those auto boxes are basically a 13spd Fuller, which should be a good thing, all the Euro auto-shifts start off with a constant mesh gearbox, as the 13spd Fuller is one of the best, if not the best constant mesh gearbox there is you would assume that is was a good thing to drive, unfortunately the ones in the BFS trucks act like early EPS, lots of neutrals & beeping, they change when they feel like it & not always smoothly either, in this case a stick would be so much better, but that’s the way it’s done over here. The Volvo that Neal has got is a really nice drive, apart from that gearbox, just like an FH with a bigger cab & a bonnet sticking out at the front, so much better than the KWs they have, those things dont appear to have any suspension at all & they’re freezing cold in the winter, draughts everywhere, for some reason though the Canadians prefer the KWs to the Volvos, strange people
They do have curtainsiders over here, but as a lot of things are craned on or off they would need to be stripped right down, so a set of sheets (tarps) makes more sense, also at -50c a curtain will freeze solid & you wouldn’t be able to slide it very well, luckily, for me, my reefer doors dont have that problem
It all sounds a bit confusing but the only autos which I knew were all Allisons with two stroke Detroits.The torque of a 16V71 used to nearly shake the truck to bits each time it went into the next gear because the ratios were so wide in the six speed box.I also drove an EPS once in a Merc.It was a joke too.But an automated fuller? I just can’t understand why they want one?.I thought that there was some reasoning for all those flats out there but I also spent most of my time driving box trailers and demount boxes over here so at least I was lucky there too.I’ll try to stay with those if I go back to it all as well if I possibly can but a tilt would’nt be as bad as sheeting up a load?.
A tilt is the most evil thing ever invented, I could sheet 2 loads in the time it would take to put a tilt back together, a flat is also far more versatile than a tilt or curtainsider, you can load oversized loads on a flat, a lot of farm machinery is hauled around up here & most of it will overhang the sides, there is also the weight factor, running down into the USA we’re limited to just over 36tons, a curtainsider would eat into the payload & on things like timber or oil pipes (very common loads in Canada) you get paid by the foot, it may seem an old fashioned way of doing things but it works.
You are confused about the gearboxes too, they’re not automatics, they’re auto shift, it’s a normal gearbox that works by computer or pushing a button instead of pushing/pulling a gearstick. The reason a lot of people use them is just as Wire & others have said, too many of todays drivers couldn’t change gear in the traditional gearboxes.
One of our owner operators has a VT880 Volvo (Wire’s favourite lorry, I think they’re ugly wannabe Peterbilts ) it has a 600hp ■■■■■■■ ISX engine & an 18spd Fuller box, I asked him why he didn’t get the Volvo D16 engine & I-shift & he looked at me as if I were stupid
A tilt is the most evil thing ever invented, I could sheet 2 loads in the time it would take to put a tilt back together, a flat is also far more versatile than a tilt or curtainsider, you can load oversized loads on a flat, a lot of farm machinery is hauled around up here & most of it will overhang the sides, there is also the weight factor, running down into the USA we’re limited to just over 36tons, a curtainsider would eat into the payload & on things like timber or oil pipes (very common loads in Canada) you get paid by the foot, it may seem an old fashioned way of doing things but it works.
You are confused about the gearboxes too, they’re not automatics, they’re auto shift, it’s a normal gearbox that works by computer or pushing a button instead of pushing/pulling a gearstick. The reason a lot of people use them is just as Wire & others have said, too many of todays drivers couldn’t change gear in the traditional gearboxes.
One of our owner operators has a VT880 Volvo (Wire’s favourite lorry, I think they’re ugly wannabe Peterbilts ) it has a 600hp ■■■■■■■ ISX engine & an 18spd Fuller box, I asked him why he didn’t get the Volvo D16 engine & I-shift & he looked at me as if I were stupid
That one about tilts is also what I said about having to use a flat when I had to do some time on general haulage when got laid off for a few months from my job on night trunking with box trailers.Ironically the thing was a totally stripped down tilt and I had just the tilt cover as a sheet.I was using it on news print paper rolls.It put me off of ever wanting to get involved with any thing needing to be sheeted ever again.But I also used a multilift type flat like they use in the army logistics on plant haulage on the council and that was ok as no sheeting.But I almost took my head off once with an over centre type chain tensioner when it came back at me when I was releasing it with the 2 foot length of pipe I’d used to do it up with.The guvnor then got me a set of those brilliant ratchet screw type ones which you use over there.I think I’ve got the difference between the type of Allison auto boxes which I knew and these new modern automated fullers sorted out but I still reckon that they’re as bad as each other and it’s up to the modern day guvnors to only employ drivers who can/will use a ‘proper’ box.But I still can’t get my head around American Volvos,■■■■■■■ ISX or Volvo D16 engines and I shift.You’ll have to use proper English like KW,Pete,White etc and Cat 3406 or 3408 and Detroit two stroke 71 or 92 series and proper fuller 9,13,or those great sounding 18 speeders all with a proper clutch and shift at least until I’ve spent a bit longer getting used to being in the 21’st century.At the moment I’m just getting used to the idea of a four stroke Detroit so I’ve got around nearly 20 years to catch up on.
You didn’t mention how it went with the nice man from Kent, Neal… Did he enjoy his trip? And who is in C603? He was in Regina on Sunday night and I passed him going towards Calgary when I was heading down here on Monday afternoon (after getting to Calgary, waiting 3 hours to tip, reloading and getting out of town and nearly to Brooks).
You do a good diary. I should think about actually getting the camera out again sometime.
