Rob K:
Casey:
you just keep living the dream there BTBig Truck:
Your the one living in a dream
Rob K is that popcorn you are eating or does that meen you are sitting in the peanut gallery… Popcorn …pass it around ,somebody get some beer to go with it.
Spardo:
Sorry BT, but do you think that maybe Casey has a point?Casey:
You may have driven the usual old retired highway truck that they usually use for hauling from a combine in a field, but you have never driven the new 379`s and 387s that you are calling down here.If you haven’t driven the newer stuff it hardly makes sense to be so condemning.
Mind you the same goes for Casey not having driven a Euro truck.
Each to his own, it seems to me.
David,
In 2002 I drove a 4 month old demo unit Kenworth T-2000 hauling combines from Langdon in N.Dakota to Creston in Iowa for 5 days solid and it was plastic junk as it literally fell to bits around me in those few days 
As far as I can see from KW’s own website a 07/08 model T-2000 is little different 
I also can’t see much difference from the Peterbilt website between a 2001 359 and a 07/08 389 
Just to amuse Casey when he’s parked up in some smelly “flying J” for a while:
roundtable.truck.net/viewtopic.p … highlight=
A quite amusing “who’s truck is King” debate between TrucknetUK members(including the long missing 
mod of this forum 
) and TrucknetUSA members from 3/4 years ago. 
It seems that I’ve started something here, and just to answer some of the points made, as I’m on dial up here. I will give a full report later.
Vastley Ex; the point I was making about the 11 and 17 was in answer to Canadian Citizen saying the roads out here are built for the transportation of goods, what I was getting at was and I maybe should have explained more is they should be dual by now, I have no problem driving them, but they are outdated for the TCH, How long have I been driving you ask; 33 years on heavy trucks, 2 years before that on light trucks and vans and 3 years before that as a truck drivers mate, I think that gives me enough experiance to comment here and before anyone asks I’ve covered all western Europe with all types of loads and trucks. I love fuller gearboxes but hate the drafty cold cabs with no ergonomics.
Canadian Citizen; yes I knew the rate of pay and when I was told I would get layover pay if I had to wait for a load untill the next day, in the contract, only to find they only pay after 2 days and that I would receive $175 plus mileage and a half if I worked holidays, only to find they didn’t, I think I have the right to be a little peaved. As I’ve told Big Truck in a private message, I will reveal all when I have my final pay cheque.
Casey; unless you’ve driven both, but out!!!
dieseldog6:
It seems that I’ve started something here, and just to answer some of the points made, as I’m on dial up here. I will give a full report later.
Vastley Ex; the point I was making about the 11 and 17 was in answer to Canadian Citizen saying the roads out here are built for the transportation of goods, what I was getting at was and I maybe should have explained more is they should be dual by now, I have no problem driving them, but they are outdated for the TCH, How long have I been driving you ask; 33 years on heavy trucks, 2 years before that on light trucks and vans and 3 years before that as a truck drivers mate, I think that gives me enough experiance to comment here and before anyone asks I’ve covered all western Europe with all types of loads and trucks. I love fuller gearboxes but hate the drafty cold cabs with no ergonomics.
Canadian Citizen; yes I knew the rate of pay and when I was told I would get layover pay if I had to wait for a load untill the next day, in the contract, only to find they only pay after 2 days and that I would receive $175 plus mileage and a half if I worked holidays, only to find they didn’t, I think I have the right to be a little peaved. As I’ve told Big Truck in a private message, I will reveal all when I have my final pay cheque.
Casey; unless you’ve driven both, but out!!!
Gee thanks for that dieseldog6, i was wanting to find out more about your problems to see if I could point you to someone in Winnipeg, who could help you with your problems. My comments about trucks was not to you , but to BT, and I`m too polite to tell you what to do with your comment and your attitude. Your response is probably indictive of how you respond to most things, hence your lovely experience trucking in Canada… Thanks for visiting and do come again when you can stay longer. Bye
Big Truck:
Just to amuse Casey when he’s parked up in some smelly “flying J” for a while:
roundtable.truck.net/viewtopic.p … highlight=A quite amusing “who’s truck is King” debate between TrucknetUK members(including the long missing
You are right, it was very amusing. It the old apples to oranges over and over. What was really funny was you as Eurosupertruck. But i will say this , I have heard more than one complaint about T2000 but I havent heard the same quality gripes about the 387. I quite like 387s.
And no Im not at a J, Im in the office today and in between talking to customers and booking loads, I`m letting you and dieseldog entertain me.
Casey:
Big Truck:
Just to amuse Casey when he’s parked up in some smelly “flying J” for a while:
roundtable.truck.net/viewtopic.p … highlight=A quite amusing “who’s truck is King” debate between TrucknetUK members(including the long missing
You are right, it was very amusing. It
the old apples to oranges over and over. What was really funny was you as Eurosupertruck. But i will say this , I have heard more than one complaint about T2000 but I havent heard the same quality gripes about the 387. I quite like 387s.
And no Im not at a J, Im in the office today and in between talking to customers and booking loads, I`m letting you and dieseldog entertain me.
Yes,
the “Eurosupertruck” was meant to be a little “pulling of the chain” of the “Billy big riggers” on Trucknet USA but I’ve kept the same name and posted quite a few times since.
You comment about the difference in build Quality of a T-2000 and 387,are they not built on the same production line
The Paccar owned Euro truck company is DAF and the word from the Trucking press overhere is that Paccar will soon be selling class 8 trucks in NA with the DAF MX engine
You have posted before that you own a Canadian trucking company in Alberta I think:
1.Have you a website
2.Care to post your mileage/extra’s rates
3.Whats your driver turnover
4.Do you have any UK drivers via TWP/ABPNP
5.Are you reefer/flat/van company
6.How many power units do you currently run
BTW,
I am genuinely interested.
Casey; your right that was uncalled for and I apolagise (spelling) please accept that, but I do have a bad taste in my mouth over this and at the moment I am quick to defend myself. working hard I don’t mind being ripped off I do. my Wife wants to go back to England so that’s that.
Big Truck:
Casey:
Big Truck:
Just to amuse Casey when he’s parked up in some smelly “flying J” for a while:
roundtable.truck.net/viewtopic.p … highlight=A quite amusing “who’s truck is King” debate between TrucknetUK members(including the long missing
You are right, it was very amusing. It
the old apples to oranges over and over. What was really funny was you as Eurosupertruck. But i will say this , I have heard more than one complaint about T2000 but I havent heard the same quality gripes about the 387. I quite like 387s.
And no Im not at a J, Im in the office today and in between talking to customers and booking loads, I`m letting you and dieseldog entertain me.Yes,
the “Eurosupertruck” was meant to be a little “pulling of the chain” of the “Billy big riggers” on Trucknet USA but I’ve kept the same name and posted quite a few times since.
You comment about the difference in build Quality of a T-2000 and 387,are they not built on the same production line
The Paccar owned Euro truck company is DAF and the word from the Trucking press overhere is that Paccar will soon be selling class 8 trucks in NA with the DAF MX engineYou have posted before that you own a Canadian trucking company in Alberta I think:
1.Have you a website
2.Care to post your mileage/extra’s rates
3.Whats your driver turnover
4.Do you have any UK drivers via TWP/ABPNP
5.Are you reefer/flat/van company
6.How many power units do you currently runBTW,
I am genuinely interested.
I`ll bet you are!
There is a reason that we all try to remain anonymous, and it has to do with seperating personal and business life from what ever is floating by in cyber space. Im happy to answer general questions about Canada and trucking if and when I can, but Im not about to bring it down to the personal info level.
But if you want to post your name and telephone number for everybody well that`s your choice.
dieseldog6:
Casey; your right that was uncalled for and I apolagise (spelling) please accept that, but I do have a bad taste in my mouth over this and at the moment I am quick to defend myself. working hard I don’t mind being ripped off I do. my Wife wants to go back to England so that’s that.
No need for an apology, you`ve had a tough go for what ever reason and I should have chosen my words more carefully.
Hope every thing works out for you .
Big Truck:
[David,
In 2002 I drove a 4 month old demo unit Kenworth T-2000 hauling combines from Langdon in N.Dakota to Creston in Iowa for 5 days solid and it was plastic junk as it literally fell to bits around me in those few days
Fair enough BT, but I still don’t think that 5 days in one, possibly Friday night, motor is sufficient to become an expert on all modern NA trucks.
For this reason I have not entered the debate myself as my own experience is from the days when there was little to choose and would therefore be an unbalanced view.
Well I have driven both NA and Euro trucks. I have been playing this game for 20 years now and I imagine I have learned a thing or two.
How on earth can anyone defend Euro specced trucks that are Euro 2 or higher? Ever since the advent of Euro 3, everything has been computer managed and is nothing short of a nightmare. Trucks from there may well be quieter, but they are no more reliable the NA trucks. Neither do I think they are any more comfortable in reality. Certainly. my 05 model T800 is perfectly comfortable enough for me. It is quiet enough and, most importantly, takes all that I can throw at it.
That is a fleet spec vehicle. I have been driving it for 2 years now. I am on the original batteries, have got 300000 ks out of a set of steer tyres and am still on original drive tyres. It has always started, steered and stopped on demand. The autoshift is a little slow, but it doesn’t register fault codes every 3 weeks and is likely to outlast any transmission you get in Europe.
I took a T800 on the winter roads and I will bet anything you like that there is not a single European truck that would take that kind of work. I bet the last one from that side of the Atlantic that was up to it was the Scammel Crusader.
Most of those who ■■■■■ about the KWs are those who insist on running their inverters all night, or the bunk heater for 3 days, then wonder why it won’t start. Or they had a topliner and expected the same tricks and toys out here on a fleet truck. Unreasonable expectations lead to disappointments which serve the complainant right…
bobthedog:
. I bet the last one from that side of the Atlantic that was up to it was the Scammel Crusader.…
Perhaps because it was ‘bolted’ together using the same technology?
Overall, Bob’s post is the most useful and reliable contribution to this debate so far. Can’t beat the views of one who has seen both sides of the fence in all conditions and seasons.
As we say here to all those Brits thinking of buying property, check out the area all year round as we did, don’t just come in the summer.
Well I would quite happily take my Renault Premium 
over the 99 T800 with a ■■■■■■■ N14 in it that I had for a bit,especially if it was me paying for the diesel 
Of couse you can get 300k out of a set of steers you are driving for hundreds of miles/day in a straight line 
Yes a NA truck will take alot of abuse but they are agricultural after all 
BTD,
Check out your 2005 KW T800’s cab interior/ ergonomics compared to a KW W900 from 1975, not much difference is there
Actually, there is. They upgraded the dash and interior in 05, and the dash and set up is comparable to Euro trucks in many ways now. In all honesty, why would they bother changing overall design just to make it more aestheically pleasing when they don’t need to? If you jacknife a KW and mangle the cab, they can simply drill the rivets, replace the panels and paint it. You can’t do that with your Premium.
As you so astutely point out, the Premium is far lighter on diesel, but the fuel here is cheaper and that makes them less concerned. Believe me, they are finally waking up to rising costs and the Daf and MAN engines are set to put in an appearence at some point.
As for simply driving hundreds of miles in a straight line, where do you get your idea of how things are here? I spend quite a lot of time in the oilpatch, on farms and in mines. The Euro trucks would not take the punishment without being specced for ruggedness in the first place, which would make them agricultural by design. The trucks we take to these places, and on the winter roads, are fleet tractors. Every truck on the fleet has the same base design and is there to do a specific job.
Besides, the Renaults, Scanias, and the Dafs,etc., wouldn’t handle the 11 or 17 for very long. Not much point in having electric windows if they have frozen up, or having low slung plastic bumpers driving across fields or through snowdrifts.
They may be a little less pleasing but they do exactly what it says on the tin.
Ok BTD,
I take your views and you do have a number of good points.
Something I always wondered especially about Kenworth,
they have the T2000(aero),W900(traditional),T800 and T600 all as far as I can see the same type/size of truck, WHY
T600/800 and W900 have the same aluminum cab with different hoods.They come with Cat or ■■■■■■■ engines, and what ever transmission ,rear axles,fuel tanks and suspension you spec.The frame rails come in different thickness’s and lengths.
The T2000 shares it’s cab with the Pete 387.It has a full width cab like a euro truck and uses bonded aluminum honeycomb construction. Again you can spec it as you like it.
I’ve driven all of them.Have a soft spot for the T600,my first truck,and still drive one on the weekends.I prefer the T2000 only because of the wide cab.Also drive a Volvo 770 occassionally. It’s ride is a bit better, once you get used to the sway,than the KW’s but is heavy .It is very difficult to get the front axle weight legal if your at full gross weight with a 770.
Incidently I did a run from NY to Miami and back this weekend in a T600 (2 drivers,2600 miles) .Got home feeling pretty chipper so how bad can the truck be.
Almost forgot…5 thing’s that are not ergonomic on English trucks
1.Big lump in floor where engine goes
2.Coffin size matress
3.RHD … unless your a lefty
4.Cab that dumps personal items on floor in “raised” position
5.Enormous glass screen that can’t be cleaned without a ladder.
anymore anyone
Longwayround:
Almost forgot…5 thing’s that are not ergonomic on English trucks1.Big lump in floor where engine goes
Unless you have a Magnum.
2.Coffin size matress
Granted, but that is down to silly Euro regulation rather than the manufacturers. 
3.RHD … unless your a lefty
I suppose you mean left handed for changing gears - all the same to me which side of the cab I sit. Being right handed I thought before I had ever driven anything that it would be impossible to change gear with my left hand, but it isn’t, comes naturally after a few hours.
4.Cab that dumps personal items on floor in “raised” position
Presume you are talking about cabovers here, don’t American cabovers tilt?
Better than having filthy fitters climbing all over your stuff. 
5.Enormous glass screen that can’t be cleaned without a ladder.
Ah but, we have in Europe brushes with telescopic handles. Didn’t realise that Yanks hadn’t cottoned on to them yet, do I see a slot in the market ready for an enterprising chap
My only gripe with high screens is less than adequate sunprotection - cue Magnum again No problem.
You may not think so, but I am a fan of NA wagons - but then I’m an old fashioned kind of bloke.
Was in England last week. Trucks all looked nice and tidy ,so did the roads for that matter. Most noticeable was the container skelly’s,everyone I saw was in top shape.Over here they ALL look like they’ve been resurrected from the scrap yard for one more trip.
