Spec'ing the Expedite Truck

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
That was a beautiful touching story. I am still not sure how that translates into a nearly two year old truck build? Seems like the truck would have little value upon completion because of the age.

Davekc
 

RichM

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
But it will have a bathroom in it,so a 2 year waiting period to avoid walking across a parking lot really isn't all that bad.:p
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
Truck will be too old eventually to drive so I quess a bathroom is a good addition. Maybe plants some trees and shrubs as well.
I quess it does give meaning to the nation being his backyard.
I hadn't considered that.

Davekc
 

RichM

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Have to wonder how many $ were lost in the original design by switching vendors and changing concepts.. This is a good example to show how you should deal with an experienced expediter truck supplier rather then design it solely on what you desire,since your desires may put your axles over weight etc.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
I was explained what this is all about a couple times but really what is the big deal?

I appoligize for the rant A Team.
 

cheri1122

Veteran Expediter
Driver
ATeam: do the last three sentences of your response completely contradict your tag line, or what? It looks like you're spending a whole lot of time, money, and effort for "just a truck"!
If "just a truck" is your home, when's the housewarming? I, for one, would love to see it....
 

gojack

Expert Expediter
Have not been following EO of late
ATeam is STILL building the ultimate truck???

Last time I was hanging out here, I was building
a truck, Now I have been thinking about trading
in that little Pete 335 On a class 8 and Ateam is STILL
Talking???
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
Have not been following EO of late
ATeam is STILL building the ultimate truck???

Some things never change.
After nearly two years it is still a topic.
Primarily because most of us can't grasp the concept of sending a man to the moon in less time than this supposed truck build.
Like you, many have bought and sold a truck in this same time period, and he is still talking about it.
It would be my opinion it doesn't exist anymore. Pretty much like that averaging over $3.00 per loaded mile he claims.

Davekc
 

gojack

Expert Expediter
Davekc

<<averaging over $3.00 per loaded mile>>

I want to sign on w/Ateam as a sub!!!
What's he hauling? For whom?
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
<<averaging over $3.00 per loaded mile>>

I want to sign on w/Ateam as a sub!!!
What's he hauling? For whom?


I believe he is the only one at Fedex hauling at that rate according to his claims.

If you beieve that, I have some oceanfront property in Nevada I would like to sell you.


Davekc
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
DaveKC's statement that I claim to average $3.00 a mile is without merit. A careful and fair re-reading of the post that he refers to will clear that up right quick. Perhaps DaveKC would be kind enough to provide the link to the entire post, and not to an out-of-context segment lifted from it.

As for the truck, I'm certain DaveKC, RichM, and their ilk will continue to make assumptions, criticisms, and jokes about it for years to come. I'll leave it to readers to decide their reasons for doing so and the value of their words.
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
I reread it as well as a host of others, and the same conclusion was drawn.

Here it is again.
=============================

LAST EDITED ON Nov-02-05 AT 10:06 PM (EST)

>Ateam wrote
>
>So far, we've ony had to do this once because we've received
>mostly short runs since the new rules went into effect. But
>the one time we did ask for an additional three hours, it
>was granted
>=====================================================================
>October is one of the busiest months with our trucks
>averaging over 5,000 miles a week.
>If you are only doing short runs since Oct 1st, your company
>has already addressed your personal situation.
>Not a likely path that most expediters are willing or
>wanting to follow.
October is a busy month for ALL expediters. It's not true that our carrier has addresed our situation by assigning short runs and you know it. NO trend can be divined from a few short days. There is absolutelty NO evidence to support the conclusion you draw. Despite your denials in a previous thread, it seems your anti-FedEx theme continues.

The implication that your trucks are doing better than us is also without merit. The FACT is, DaveKC, that if our daily revenue average from Nov 1 to date holds through the end of the month, we'll have a month over $30,000 gross to the truck. And if our mile average holds, we'll have earned that having driven less than half of the miles your trucks drive. Not to worry, though. We don't expect to gross $30,000 in November. We've had some great months on the road, but none that great. My point is simply that November will likely be a great month for your trucks, our truck, and the trucks of all other expediters that run hard in the busy season.
=====================================================================
=========================================================
Look familiar? It should, as it is your post.
Our trucks averaged 5,000 miles a week or 20,000 miles for the month of October. You state if you average holds to date you will have a month over $30,000 driving less than half the miles we drive.
So.....less than half is 10,000 miles or less on your estimated "over $30,000 gross to the truck"
In my world that is over $3.00 per mile.
Even the implication that you are running at twice the rate we run at is total foolishness.
No other way to interpret that post.


Sorry to burst your bubble, but we call them as we see them.
Think your posts through so the information is not damaging or misunderstood by the new folks. Same with the anti- Fedex claim. I never mentioned them.

Pour another one, as this thread is about specing a truck.



Davekc
owner
21 years
 

rustbucket

Expert Expediter
I thought the A Team had his truck built by Volvo and Benz a couple of years ago.I remember him on other web sites stating that he had meetings with high level engineers. Anybody know what happened.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
Hey A Team

I don’t want to be considered part of that ‘ilk’ you refer to. Even though the people you mentioned have been nice to me and given me a lot of advice - like you have, I am not part of anything and want to remain so.

I posted my comments out of frustration, going though what you have (I assume) gone though trying to get a truck put together for expediting. I am of the opinion it is not expediting that makes it special but the fact that it has to be put together correctly to be safe. The ‘want’ to know is part of the benefit of this site and with secrets, even though I concede it is your money and your truck, the information is lost or ignored when it is finally presented. Does this make any sense?

But as I apologized for my comments and did this without being asked to do so, I still would like to know. I didn’t post to antagonize you or poke fun but to prompt you to tell us to stop the messing around - as you can say for your benefit.

Here are some things I have heard not only from posts but other sources, SO I will assume if you don’t correct them then they are true. It is funny that fact may be stranger than fiction but when rumors and innuendos fly there is always misinformation about the subject.

You used a Volvo 770 with a large sleeper

It has a 144 PLUS inch motor home type with a home theater and Jacuzzi

The frame and axle were not spec’d accordingly

The frame (different accounts have different stories) snapped, bowed or went so out of alignment under the weight of the sleeper that it is scrap

The axle were too far back and too small for the truck

It has a 26/30 foot box with an aluminum lift gate

The truck is over length by 5 feet, 3 feet, 12 feet – again different accounts of what the figure is.

I can comment on one thing, the Volvo is a really find truck but it is not made for anything but pulling a trailer. I not only have been told this by a number of people, but also looking at the specs and the design of the truck (also driving one a couple weeks ago for fun) there is no way that one can balance the truck weights without being front heavy. Volvo’s primary market, Europe and Africa don’t use conventional trucks and this is why they have little expertise in conventional truck design, hence the front axle farther back. One of my sources is the automakers and their competitive information reports.
 

RichM

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
If I remember correctly I think it was about a year ago that Volvo's were coming out of the factory with the front axle overweight.
I believe they had to do a lot of mods to get the tractors legal.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
>If I remember correctly I think it was about a year ago that
>Volvo's were coming out of the factory with the front axle
>overweight.
>I believe they had to do a lot of mods to get the tractors
>legal.

Yep you're right but legal is one thing, safe is another.
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
Several years ago they had all kinds of legal issues with front end fires and axles coming off. I would think they addressed this in recent years. There was a group at a MATS show in 2004 boycotting Volvos display, but I think that was either electrical fires or axle issues that Volvo was refusing to fix under warranty.
They were carrying pictures around with a Volvo burnt up in the front.
To be clear, I don't remember all the exact information from several years ago. I am sure a internet search would bring some of it up.

Davekc
 

RichM

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
I remember that situation. Volvo was looking at some serious litigation plus the US DOT and the large fleets going after them. Guess it worked out..
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
There was some people there this year, but not in the numbers of previous years. We didn't talk to them but assume it was a ongoing issue from lawsuits filed several years ago.


Davekc
 
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