Well time for something different......

FREE TO FAIL · May 1, 2009

Thought i would inform the forum of my recent adventures to see what you guys thought of this. As you are all no doubt aware the expedite freight rates are in the toilet. It is almost impossible now to make a decent living. So in an effort to go down swinging I sold my truck....great truck I am going to miss it very much.

I sold my truck to get out from under the note and take my equity to....Suprise..... Build another truck! Now for the tricky part... I put together a cabover curtainside with a 29ft Tautliner box. The truck is a 1997 freightliner twin screw COE tractor with a 255 inch wheelbase. I welded frame extentions to extend the frame 8 foot so i can get the 29ft box on.

The box is fantastic 102" wide 109" high with a very heavy 2" oak deck (box weighs in at 5000lbs.) The tractor is not so fantastic with a very simple 36" sleeper, cummins M11 and 10 speed. 293 rear axle ratio and gross weight of 22K makes it great on fuel though.

I want to take a minute and thank my carrier Landstar Express America, for allowing me to put this rig on with them, they were more then willing to think out of the expedite box and see their might be the potential to develop a market for this type of equipment as well as allow an owner to be able to have more flexability to take freight from their sister carriers. Kudo's to you Landstar.

Will it work? Time will tell, but I for one am not giving up on this industry. Wish me luck. pictures attached.

P.S. looking for a cheap set of dolly legs.... help a brother out!

OntarioVanMan · May 1, 2009

I was always wondering why there wasn;t more curtain sides or those slide back tarpy things like the flatbeds have ...on straight trucks....one could do box loads or do pipeline-steel work that loads from the field....very versatile....

greg334 · May 1, 2009

That's cool. Why the 97? Why not a flat floor argosy?

I'm wondering what the length is?

Did you take a lot of pictures of the build?

Softside? That's good, tell us how it works out, it maybe a step up for some of us.

Oh..... shhh on the LEAM thing... remember our oath to secrecy.

FREE TO FAIL · May 1, 2009

Agrosy was way to expensive to buy couldnt find one under 22k got this tractor out of california for 6k. Did not want to have a note on a truck anymore with the way things are. No pictures of build was in to much of a hurry to get it on the road! Over all length is 39ft just got room for a liftgate now...

rottie3007 · May 2, 2009

hope it works out well for ya,seen ya missing from the board for some time. glad your back. lot of drivers quitting or losing their trucks. we are from mi also, getting bad up here for freight, almost scarry to even come home for fear of not getting out and deadheading? where? trucks piled up everywhere. have 2 cargo vans as yard ornaments right now and teamed up in the pete387 to survive these times. try sister co looking but their rates are so low on what might fit in a 22 ft. box, they pay less than what my sprinter was getting a few months ago. our pete will get 10 mpg if we stay outta the pedal but to run for .80 pm we cannot do. again, good luck! home in silverwood

The Enemy · May 2, 2009

Nice looking setup. I always did wonder why you don't see more curtainside straight trucks out on the road. Have you thought of putting a deflector on the cab to help push some of that air ar you're going down the road?

FREE TO FAIL · May 2, 2009

I am planning on a cab deflector as well as third axle, know where i can get a deflector cheap?

wallytrucker1 · May 2, 2009

Why not just pull a 28-40 trailer with liftgate? Nosecone .com for a trailer nose cone.. What is the weight on the steers? Any problem with sealed loads? Good luck and yes LEAM is a lot more flexible now with Dave Dallas back.

greg334 · May 2, 2009

Where would you put the third axle, behind the back axle about four feet or so?

FREE TO FAIL · May 3, 2009

yep plan on putting one more 20K airlift axle on the rear.

Cabover is suprisingly light with box and 1/2 tanks 9800# on steers 22k overall. Couldn't go to an A rig with my carrier would have had to leave and spend a year with another company before they would let me sign back on. Dont want to do that!

As far as sealed loads go, I dont know, I can put a seal on the back door for what its worth. If it comes to it right now I would rather give up the sealed loads for the specialty freight. Like I said earlier, I am trying to do something different as their is just to much competition in the marketplace for general expedite to pay well anymore.

touble · May 3, 2009

What a great rig you have there. It is nice to see someone think out side the box. Good Luck and hope to hear more about your new ride.

wallytrucker1 · May 3, 2009

Hey Jim, Got your Pm. Didn't think about the licsense thing. Really light on the steers, what weight did you go with for your registration? This set-up should certainly open you up to more load offers. Yes on Richard...lol.