Well sorry Cliff old mate but I have done the unthinkable
I love my Volvo, it is a dream to drive and has now clocked up 700,000 miles, so when the gaffer called today and asked did I want a brand new Frightliner Columbia with a condo cab at first I said a firm âNO THANKSâ But seeing as how when something falls off body work wise they donât replace it and allthough it will out pull anything on the fleet, I got back in the yard, looked at the gleaming â â â â â truck with a 500 Cat and twin turbos, with twice the room, twice the beds, twice the storage cupboards and even a built in office that slides out and caved in to accept it
âWe tried to get you another Volvo Pat but they wanted $15 K moreâ
It seems all the trucks will eventually be this type as from next week we will have 6 identical white Columbias whereas the others are differnt liveries and colours It seems that Volvoâs are loosing the battle on our company so I may as well take a brand new one now as opposed to getting a hand me down in a year or more
Youâll enjoy that C15 motor, Pat-itâs undoubtedly the most reliable motor available today. Freightliners are much better than they were only a few years ago, so donât worry too much. You can even get them fixed at most TA truckstopsâŚ
Pat Hasler:
Well sorry Cliff old mate but I have done the unthinkable
I love my Volvo, it is a dream to drive and has now clocked up 700,000 miles, so when the gaffer called today and asked did I want a brand new Frightliner Columbia with a condo cab at first I said a firm âNO THANKSâ But seeing as how when something falls off body work wise they donât replace it and allthough it will out pull anything on the fleet, I got back in the yard, looked at the gleaming [zb] truck with a 500 Cat and twin turbos, with twice the room, twice the beds, twice the storage cupboards and even a built in office that slides out and caved in to accept it
âWe tried to get you another Volvo Pat but they wanted $15 K moreâ
It seems all the trucks will eventually be this type as from next week we will have 6 identical white Columbias whereas the others are differnt liveries and colours It seems that Volvoâs are loosing the battle on our company so I may as well take a brand new one now as opposed to getting a hand me down in a year or more
Been driving a Columbia now for about 2 months and I like itâŚno major problems as yet with it. Mines fitted with automatic transmission which I love.
Pat Hasler:
âŚWe tried to get you another Volvo Pat but they wanted $15 K moreâŚ
Not only that, but the resale value is lower than that of a Freightliner within the same timeframe. Thatâs the problem Iâll have to face with my VN soon. I also have a Columbia and in terms of driveablility it stands on the same line with the VN in my opinion. As far as fuel efficiency is concerned though, my Columbia works much better than the VN.
i wish my truck had 700,000 on the clock. hardly a thing works on mine, but do i get a new one, nooo. i get to watch pat complain about the name badge on his. cheer up, pat. according to you, theyâre all bone shakers anyway.
To be honest, It isnât too bad but then itâs brand new. Itâs got some guts but not as much as my old Volvo. I came home from northern VT over Killington mountain to test it with the normal 44,000lbs on, it was a lot slower but I put a lot of that down the the 10 speed as opposed to the 13 speed I am used to.
Bad points ;- The seat is nowhere near as comfortable. The steering position is uncomfortable, itâs not ergonomicaly designed in any way and with less than 3,000 miles on the clock (delivery miles) it rattles and shakes with noise like a 5 year old truck.
aw man pat. i feel sorry for you. i guessing that if youâre going from a 13 spd to a 10 spd then youâre probably missing out on some other options as well. if you got a rockwell than that freighshaker is definately a dog. thatâs a shame.
gorgeousload:
aw man pat. i feel sorry for you. i guessing that if youâre going from a 13 spd to a 10 spd then youâre probably missing out on some other options as well. if you got a rockwell than that freighshaker is definately a dog. thatâs a shame.
I went from an 18 speed to a 10 speed auto got know where to rest me arm, not to mention I still go to grab thin air for a gear.
My Columbia has a 500 Detroit with a sure shift eaton auto 10 speed which takes some getting used toâŚit pulls like a freight train but seems to shift at low rpms which just dont seem rightâŚI like to hear my motors talk. We had 5 new Columbiaâs arrive last week fitted with Merc Motors but have yet to speak to any of the guys driving them to get any kind of input on there performance.
The 500 Detroit gives me on adverage 5.7 mpg which aint bad I guess. Patâs right they do have alot of rattles etcâŚbut all in all I dont think itâs a bad truck.
As it happens The driving seat has two arm rests and I have to admit that although itâs slower, pulls like crap and rattles when climbing hard, I am going to keep it Especially after climbing in my red Volvo yesterday to get something left behind and seeing the interior almost destroyed by dirty pigs, my very clean cab now filthy, the passenger door broken and the overhead locker doors all broken off I have been out of that truck for one week and it has been used twice, how can these animals do years worth of damage in one week
seeing as how when something falls off body work wise they donât replace it and allthough it will out pull anything on the fleet, I got back in the yard, looked at the gleaming â â â â â truck with a 500 Cat and twin turbos, with twice the room, twice the beds, twice the storage cupboards and even a built in office that slides out and caved in to accept it 
Well come on PatâŚlets have it? Its Monday & we all want to know how your getting on with the freightshaker 
