Signs of times to come?

[FlyingVan]

The other day I stopped at the TA on I40 west of Asheville, NC for a quick shower. I just parked my truck and was getting ready to get out and a guy walks up to my truck. I was thinking it was one of those guys that his girlfriend's mother died and he needed money to get to the funeral, or any other variation of the same story that I have heard many times. But no, this time it wasn't like this.

The guy walked up to my truck and with a very thick Russian accent asked me if I spoke English. I said yes and immediately he responded the he doesn't speak English. Then he continued pointing to the back of my truck and his cell phone, and waving his hands, etc. After about a minute I realized that he saw my landing gear back there and he wanted to take a picture of it. I told him to go ahead, he took a few pictures and then left.

After taking my shower walking back to my truck I saw him sitting in the driver's seat of a fairly new 26k lbs Hino straight truck, no sleeper and no landing gear. On the door he had a DOT number, etc. I was in a hurry to leave and I didn't think of taking a picture of it. It would have been interesting to look it up and see who they were.

So, what do you think? Is this the beginning of the invasion of the straight truck market just like what happened to the van market a few years ago? What will happen to the straight truck rates if more of these trucks start showing up?

 

[Moot]

So, what do you think? Is this the beginning of the invasion of the straight truck market just like what happened to the van market a few years ago? What will happen to the straight truck rates if more of these trucks start showing up?

This has been happening since shortly after the pilgrims arrived. Immigrants come to this country to work and make a better life for themselves. They took unskilled, manual labor jobs like agriculture, mining, forestry etc. Today most of those jobs have been replaced by machinery and don't require large numbers of manual labors.

Trucking is is just like any other unskilled or semi skilled job which makes it perfect for 1st generation immigrants to get a handle on the American Dream. Also, trucking is a job that isn't very popular with the natives.

 

[jelliott]

No issue if the rules and regs are followed. No sleeper brings that into question quickly.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

we've had a couple members here that drove straights with no sleeper....they did out and backs....and if went longer got a motel room room for the legal portion.....no landing gear also no biggie...never in the 80's did I have landing gear not even with a 28 foot box....why they became popular who knows...losing a lot of load capacity with them

 

[Moot]

...no landing gear also no biggie...never in the 80's did I have landing gear not even with a 28 foot box....why they became popular who knows...

If you ever had a forklift get stuck in your truck you would know why landing gear became popular.

 

[FlyingVan]

Speaking of landing gear, one time I picked up at a place that had some kind of concrete slabs where the wheels go to raise the truck up, but the landing gear wasn't on the top of the slabs, so they did not reach all the way to the ground. When the forklift got on, the whole truck went down what looked like a foot or so. Even the fork lift guy went "Oh s$%#." Since then I don't allow a fork lift on my truck if I can't extend the landing gear.

Obviously this guy also ran into some issues without the landing gear if he was looking to get one.

 

[Ragman]

we've had a couple members here that drove straights with no sleeper....they did out and backs....and if went longer got a motel room room for the legal portion.....no landing gear also no biggie...

Still do.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Those were also the days before air shocks!

 

[davekc]

There is a driver and passenger door. Those are walk or crawl through sleepers.

 

[Moot]

Since then I don't allow a fork lift on my truck if I can't extend the landing gear.

Do you carry a pallet jack? Personally, if I owned a straight truck I would carry a pallet jack and whenever possible, which should be most of time, have the freight placed on the tail and I would use the pallet jack to position it.

Over the years I have seen so much damage done to trailer roofs, roll-up doors, walls and other freight by forklifts. No way would I want one inside a truck I owned.

 

[Moot]

we've had a couple members here that drove straights with no sleeper....they did out and backs....and if went longer got a motel room room for the legal portion.....no landing gear also no biggie...

Still do.

Uh, who might that be? (insert smiley face here)

 

[Ragman]

we've had a couple members here that drove straights with no sleeper....they did out and backs....and if went longer got a motel room room for the legal portion.....no landing gear also no biggie...

Still do.

Uh, who might that be? (insert smiley face here)

A certain person residing in Livonia, MI.

 

[Kip life]

I drive a straight m2 no sleeper and I bet you , probably make more net in a week than someone with a big rig or a box with a sleeper. The shipper does not care if u have a sleeper or not

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[FlyingVan]

Since then I don't allow a fork lift on my truck if I can't extend the landing gear.

Do you carry a pallet jack? Personally, if I owned a straight truck I would carry a pallet jack and whenever possible, which should be most of time, have the freight placed on the tail and I would use the pallet jack to position it.

Over the years I have seen so much damage done to trailer roofs, roll-up doors, walls and other freight by forklifts. No way would I want one inside a truck I owned.

Moot, no I don't. I am thinking about it though. A bit more work, but we need the exercise anyway. I have been at a few places that do not allow the drivers in the secure area, but I can make them use the pallet jack, I suppose. This truck is old so I don't mind too much if it gets a bit scratched on the inside. Maybe if I get a newer truck it would be more of an issue.

 

[Ragman]

Since then I don't allow a fork lift on my truck if I can't extend the landing gear.

Do you carry a pallet jack? Personally, if I owned a straight truck I would carry a pallet jack and whenever possible, which should be most of time, have the freight placed on the tail and I would use the pallet jack to position it.

Over the years I have seen so much damage done to trailer roofs, roll-up doors, walls and other freight by forklifts. No way would I want one inside a truck I owned.

I have been at a few places that do not allow the drivers in the secure area, .....

If I am responsible for the cargo and the safe operation of the truck, you better be damn sure I will be on the dock observing the loading of it. If I am not allowed to do so, I will leave and let them find somebody else.

 

[FlyingVan]

If I am responsible for the cargo and the safe operation of the truck, you better be damn sure I will be on the dock observing the loading of it. If I am not allowed to do so, I will leave and let them find somebody else.

Agree, I was talking about unloading. A few times delivering to food places I had to just back into the dock, they unsealed the box, opened it from the inside and unloaded it.

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[Ragman]

If I am responsible for the cargo and the safe operation of the truck, you better be damn sure I will be on the dock observing the loading of it. If I am not allowed to do so, I will leave and let them find somebody else.

Agree, I was talking about unloading. A few times delivering to food places I had to just back into the dock, they unsealed the box, opened it from the inside and unloaded it.

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Gotcha!

 

[Moot]

Since then I don't allow a fork lift on my truck if I can't extend the landing gear.

Do you carry a pallet jack? Personally, if I owned a straight truck I would carry a pallet jack and whenever possible, which should be most of time, have the freight placed on the tail and I would use the pallet jack to position it.

Over the years I have seen so much damage done to trailer roofs, roll-up doors, walls and other freight by forklifts. No way would I want one inside a truck I owned.

Moot, no I don't. I am thinking about it though. A bit more work, but we need the exercise anyway. I have been at a few places that do not allow the drivers in the secure area, but I can make them use the pallet jack, I suppose. This truck is old so I don't mind too much if it gets a bit scratched on the inside. Maybe if I get a newer truck it would be more of an issue.

Yeah, I guess an older truck would benefit from custom skylights and side vents.

 

[asap4u]

Here is one of my nonCDL Hino team trucks with a custom 68" sleeper built into a 26' box.


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[T270_Dreamin]

Is that a DOT approved sleeper?