We just found this old pic, so I thought I'd share. It's from "Way back in the old days", before the advent of Class 8 Expediters... when the "luxurious FL70 :+ " was a pipedream ....
For those of you who were there, I present this flashback! Remember when the common expediter was a Mitsubishi or UD cabover, sometimes with sleeper, sometimes not? Or sometimes, there were those lucky guys with the Ford F450 trucks with a coffin sleeper?
I thought I'd show my first truck I drove for a friend back in '93. This pic is after it was taken off lease, and was being used for a construction truck. It was a 1987 Mitsubishi Cabover, 24 foot box, 24 inch daybed, spring suspension with hydraulic brakes. It had a whopping 185 hp, a 5 speed tranny, and topped out at about 68mph. It rode like a buckboard, but turned on a dime, and got over 10mpg. Nothing fancy, but I could get it in docks that todays conventionals could never fit it. I learned real quick to strap everything down, as you tilted the whole cab to check oil or anything!
Just a simple, money making truck during what many considered the heyday. (Later, when I did get into a 96 FL70 with a 60" sleeper, I thought I had it made..LOL.. now people get mad about less than a 72"!!)
Notice the 'aerodynamic' modification to the box.. LOL! A driver before me failed to notice a bridge height sign, resulting in, of course, a crunched box. The owner came up with the idea of putting the slanted panel on to attempt a MPG gain.. looked strange, definately unique, but it worked! We did see a slight increase, and save the cost of a new box!
I was fresh out of college, and had just realized I hated sitting at a desk.. (oops).. so I jumped at the chance to drive. Danged if I didnt' think I was a Super Trucker..LOL. We were leased on to Roberts Express (D1115, how's that for a low number?) That was my intro to expediting!
C'mon 'older guys'.. who remembers these!
Dreamer
Forums Administrator
For those of you who were there, I present this flashback! Remember when the common expediter was a Mitsubishi or UD cabover, sometimes with sleeper, sometimes not? Or sometimes, there were those lucky guys with the Ford F450 trucks with a coffin sleeper?
I thought I'd show my first truck I drove for a friend back in '93. This pic is after it was taken off lease, and was being used for a construction truck. It was a 1987 Mitsubishi Cabover, 24 foot box, 24 inch daybed, spring suspension with hydraulic brakes. It had a whopping 185 hp, a 5 speed tranny, and topped out at about 68mph. It rode like a buckboard, but turned on a dime, and got over 10mpg. Nothing fancy, but I could get it in docks that todays conventionals could never fit it. I learned real quick to strap everything down, as you tilted the whole cab to check oil or anything!
Just a simple, money making truck during what many considered the heyday. (Later, when I did get into a 96 FL70 with a 60" sleeper, I thought I had it made..LOL.. now people get mad about less than a 72"!!)
Notice the 'aerodynamic' modification to the box.. LOL! A driver before me failed to notice a bridge height sign, resulting in, of course, a crunched box. The owner came up with the idea of putting the slanted panel on to attempt a MPG gain.. looked strange, definately unique, but it worked! We did see a slight increase, and save the cost of a new box!
I was fresh out of college, and had just realized I hated sitting at a desk.. (oops).. so I jumped at the chance to drive. Danged if I didnt' think I was a Super Trucker..LOL. We were leased on to Roberts Express (D1115, how's that for a low number?) That was my intro to expediting!
C'mon 'older guys'.. who remembers these!
Dreamer
Forums Administrator
