Another Freightliner horror story

TeamCaffee · Jun 10, 2008

Yes we are serious about the 14 mpg very serious. The DD13 is not in production yet but Bob spent some time with the Detroit Diesel fuel engineer while attending MATS this year. He was very impressed with what he have been able to get out of this CAT motor and the effort we are willing to put into a truck for fuel mileage. We are looking at purchasing in 2010; the engineer gave Bob his personal card and would like to be included on the truck build to see how far we really can push this issue. The engineer also feels as if this is a possibility if the truck is speced and drove correctly.
So heck yes we are shooting for the best that we can get out of the next truck and still be legal in California. I am beginning to think the 14 MPG might be the easy part. We are really hoping we can hold this truck together a few more years and keep putting money away for the next one.

layoutshooter · Jun 10, 2008

Good luck as you work on the truck specs, keep us informed. I am sure there will be many watching to see how things go. I know I will. We are a long way from a new truck, but, you never know. At least things will feel a bit better in our truck. Our new seasts are in and we get them installed on Friday at Stoop's in Lima OH. Then it's home for a week and then out for another 6 to 8 weeks. Layoutshooter

piper1 · Jun 10, 2008

The DD13 with the SCR emission system (2010) is going to be a real fuel mizer. Enough to make a person wait to buy one instead of an 09. If you can get 14mpg out of a truck Team C surely will!

ebsprintin · Jun 13, 2008

I drove a Freightliner Century class. Schneider standard issue. It was orange. I got the impression it was a disposable truck. The big fleets service their own fleets minimally for the three or four years until they replace the vehicle. The couple times I had to visit a dealership I felt like I had gone into a grocery store looking for assistance to fix my truck. Two dealerships in the Baton Rouge area couldn't even replace a key for the truck.

eb

PantherPower · Jun 13, 2008

I have driven 3 M-2's over the years and they ALL had A/C problems. Condensers, compressors, evaporators, driers, couplings. Seems like the whole system is flawed. And they all had headlight flicker. Anyone experienced that anomaly?

P51bombay · Jun 14, 2008

kg2149 said:
I have driven 3 M-2's over the years and they ALL had A/C problems. Condensers, compressors, evaporators, driers, couplings. Seems like the whole system is flawed. And they all had headlight flicker. Anyone experienced that anomaly?

YES - freaked me out, at the time I was going down a fairly narrow two lane (one each way) semi rural road, lots of traffic, dump trucks, etc in both directions in the early am, not dark but not really light yet either and then it starts. The whole dash illumination system (instruments, HVAC and all switches) and the headlights start flickering, them go off completely - then a few seconds later the come back on. Did that off and on for the next hour, had a second episode the next day then never did it again.

woodman5455 · Jun 16, 2008

I had a problem with Freightliner of Dallas as well this spring. My 1999 FL70 (which has a Cummins remanufactured engine with only 150,000 miles on it) was losing power so I limped it into the dealership. They informed me I had a pump going out and replaced it for $2,000. OK now they call me and said that my wiring harness was now bad but the pump really did need to be replaced. OK now another $1,200. After that repair they then inform me that there is a conector to the wiring harness that is bad and it needs to be replaced. Well long story short it was a $4,000 repair and 8 nights in a hotel. I really believe that the conector going to the harness was the cause of the harness failure which caused the pump not to work right.

I would never go back to them again.

Suds43 · Jun 21, 2008

I've driven T-300 KW's, Pete's, I believe they were the 300 series..........and ONE, and only one Freightliner..........Thank God it was only one..........Wouldn't want to climb into another. I got a chuckle out of the first owner I drove for. While hashing out the details of driving for him I told him I noticed he only had KW's and Pete's, he always 'fancied' his trucks up a little.......chrome wheels, bumpers, stacks, etc a few more running lights. Nothing real fancy, just 'prettied' em up a little......but no Freightliners.........his response??
Having a Freightliner and spicing it up a little is like putting lipstick on a pig......might look halfway good, but what's the use?? It's still a Freightliner and a pig is still a pig. LOL
This man has over 30 yrs. in the industry as an O/O.......he knows his stuff!!! He wouldn't have a Freightliner if his life depended on it.........Always had KW's or Pete's.
Give me a KW or Pete anyday!!! Come to think of it, make it a Pete!!!!

The KW's rode a little better than the Pete's, but were horrendous in the wind......Pete's were alot more stable when it was windy. All averaged 8-9 mpg.
Just figured I'd throw in my 2 cents worth.

Tennesseahawk · Jun 21, 2008

I won't argue that Freightliners are the Ford Escort of the trucking industry. But they are not garbage by any means. It all comes down to how they were taken care of. It's a cheap workhorse, plain and simple. Rides good, low maintainence (in my case), and gets me 8-10 mpg. Can't argue... it's doing what I need it to do. Finding a t-600 or pete 387 with 500k for around $35k is possible as a tractor. But already stretched? And I can't agree with the lipstick on a pig thing. Even a Chevelle looks good cleaned up.

davekc · Jun 21, 2008

woodman5455 said:
I had a problem with Freightliner of Dallas as well this spring. My 1999 FL70 (which has a Cummins remanufactured engine with only 150,000 miles on it) was losing power so I limped it into the dealership. They informed me I had a pump going out and replaced it for $2,000. OK now they call me and said that my wiring harness was now bad but the pump really did need to be replaced. OK now another $1,200. After that repair they then inform me that there is a conector to the wiring harness that is bad and it needs to be replaced. Well long story short it was a $4,000 repair and 8 nights in a hotel. I really believe that the conector going to the harness was the cause of the harness failure which caused the pump not to work right.

I would never go back to them again.

As I suspected, they appear to be consistent with the type of service they offer

Suds43 · Jun 22, 2008

G-Morning Hawk..........didn't mean anything personal by the lipstick remark.......just thought it was funny when my owner said that!

It was his personal preference to stay away from Freightshakers and go with Pete's and KW's. As long as whatcha got is doin whatcha need, that's what it's all about, right?
And your right about the pricing.........KW's and Pete's are priced above the Freightliners, but if you look at how their built it makes sense.
Speaking of Freightliner shops. This is what happened to me at Freightliner of Knoxville.
AC unit would only cool intermittenly......sometimes it would work, sometimes not. Called the owner and he said to go over to F of K and get it looked at (we were layed over in Knoxville). One of his other drivers always had good luck there and they did a decent job.
This 'technician' looks at the unit and says it needs recharging.........He did the usual pressure test, etc.........recharged the unit...........5 hrs. and $350 later, we head down the road. Get only a few miles away and whallah........same problem. I turn around, go back. By this time, the day shift is gone and afternoon shift is in...........The shift supervisor takes one look and says. "Here's your problem". The AC clutch is hanging up. He sprays some lube on the shaft and it works like almost new..........We told him how we'd just spent over $350 in his shop and wanted to make some sort of 'deal' to recoup some of the money, seeing how it wasn't repaired properly the first time............Of course we left empty handed. Even had the owner involved trying to work out some type of deal.
I'll never figure out why in the trucking industry some of these shops can get away not properly fixing something and charging an arm and a leg.