What is more comfortable after driving 700 miles a straight truck or sprinter?

[cheri1122]

Can you go into detail about the mental exhaustion? So 90% of trucks are semi's on road. Do you think those guys enjoy their job or is it too exhausting compared to a sprinter?

Mental exhaustion is a factor because there's just so much more to keep in mind: logs, permits, lights/tires/brakes/reflectors [got dinged on an inspection when one was missing], all safety equipment, etc that might be inspected at any given moment, whether at a scale, a random, or post accident.
Add to that the numerous truck restrictions on height, weight, axles, width, lanes, even time of day [love the street in FtWayne that doesn't allow trucks from 6PM to 7AM!], and finally, throw in the difficulty of finding a name that doesn't exist [because the consignee was bought out years ago] and a street address that isn't posted, and the stress climbs pretty high - exploring is risky business in a truck. Miss a turn or sign [amazing how many 'truck entry' signs face only one direction] and find yourself in a residential area not meant for trucks....
Do it in the predawn darkness, surrounded by 4 wheelers in a hurry, and you can find yourself chanting "I love my job" over and over to stay calm, lol.
I do love my job!

 

[T270_Dreamin]

I would think a 22ft box behind you would be less exhausting mentally then a 53?!


The problem with getting exhausted and expediting is the time between p/u and drop never seems to be enough. I stopped for dinner last night in Chicago for a hour and I wish I would not have ate and used that hour to sleep. It's quite demanding. I got about 5 hrs sleep last night and woke up to 15 degree weather, no espar just a 0 degree sleeping bag and hopes of a espar next year. The hardest part is running to your ignition with the key starting it up and diving back into the bag. Sprinters don't really warm up until you get on highway... Nashville has warmer weather thankfully!

 

[T270_Dreamin]

I have only driven 07 and newer never the old model.

Sent from my Fisher Price - ABC 123

I think the 07+ may be a smoother ride but the older ones are more reliable and get better MPG. Maybe the latest ones have become more reliable since mercedes took back the sprinter.

 

[mjmsprt40]

I think the 07+ may be a smoother ride but the older ones are more reliable and get better MPG. Maybe the latest ones have become more reliable since mercedes took back the sprinter.

Since Mercedes took back the Sprinter??? When did they give it up? They've had it since the beginning, I thought, only badging some for Dodge for a while and Freightshaker from 2002 until now-- I know I saw new ones on the Freightshaker lot that I passed the other day. Mercedes-badged Sprinters don't appear to me to be more or less reliable than their fellows with the other badges.

 

[T270_Dreamin]

Since Mercedes took back the Sprinter??? When did they give it up? They've had it since the beginning, I thought, only badging some for Dodge for a while and Freightshaker from 2002 until now-- I know I saw new ones on the Freightshaker lot that I passed the other day. Mercedes-badged Sprinters don't appear to me to be more or less reliable than their fellows with the other badges.

I'm referring to in 07 and 08 the sprinters had a lot of issues compared to the previous t1n generation. I would think by 2013 since Mercedes has the marketing back in their hands they would have fixed the issues on earlier NCV3 Sprinters had.

I hear we will have to wait for 2017 before the next sprinter comes along.

 

[Maverick]

Short 6 months in a ST and 673 miles was the most I ever drove. 600 mile stints can be tiring for the very reasons Cherri already expressed.

700 in a Sprinter seemed like a breeze.

 

[zorry]

I've driven Oversized,Triples,and some very nasty haz-mat.

Oversize to me was exhausting. Did a seventeen foot tall without an escort. Wrong turns not allowed.

Triples were tiring. Any momentary lapse could spell disaster. Sometimes you drive them. Sometimes they drive you.

My straight is the easiest vehicle I've driven commercially. My recruiter kept mentioning that I should lease on an E unit. I pulled the fifth wheel and installed the box telling the recruiter that "driving a D unit would be like having a day off."

Driving my Volvo, and having ridden in Caffee's Cascadia, I'm very confident the ride is better than a $printer.

Big Cat. I think I'd check to see if your air bags are set at the proper height, if your shocks have been changed, and air pressure in your tires. Bags and shocks on the cab too.

 

[BigCat]

Yea I'm going to check stuff when I make it to house. It drove good at first but now it's like a log wagon.

 

[T270_Dreamin]

Zorry I agree with you. I'd think a 130K volvo with air suspension would surpass a $40k sprinter. I know that the sprinter is going to be redesigned in 2017. I'm curious to see how that one will ride. I know the 07+ sprinter are more comfortable then the 2006 I have.

expedited services are stretching those KW trucks, I wish they'd do that to some volvo 780's with the premium sleeper. Double bunk, ceiling higher then most houses I think I could handle a 22 box, but 53 I'll save that for the other 95% of trucks I pass on road. I'll stick with my class b.

53 footers are always passing me... with my cruise on 67-69. I finally had my chance last night to seek revenge last night i40 from Knoxville to Asheville NC. Speed slowed them down to 50 and I set my cruise at 65 and sliced though the turns with my 640 lb single skid in the rear strapped down. Must have passed over 30 trucks in a hour. They all hang in packs 5 in a row, and only dream of doing the work we do when they see us pass by...

 

[truckblue]

I drive an '08 Cascadia straight truck with an upgraded drivers seat.....very comfortable. I have been in a small Hino and an M2 Business class also. They both beat me up. For me, A class 8 tractor is the way to go driving OTR.

 

[zorry]

Oregon Aero Softseat
It turns the Sprinter's auf Deutsche seat into a butt-caressing thing of beauty.

After my divorce I was looking for "a butt-caressing thing of beauty ".

I never thought of looking in a $printer,LOL.

 

[Ragman]

After my divorce I was looking for "a butt-caressing thing of beauty ".

I know of a guy that did that before the divorce.

 

[zorry]

I know of a guy that did that before the divorce.

FYI, the man of rags aint talkin about me !

 

[Opel2010]

I wish my sprinter was more comfortable but I think I'm getting banged up hard on the road. I don't think new shocks would improve it that much the 2017 sprinter is very far away, I'm sure that will ride nice.

I drove my E-350 many times over 1200 miles a day and it was just ok... And I presume the Sprinter is much more comfy that an E-350...

 

[the_hungaria]

Yea I'm going to check stuff when I make it to house. It drove good at first but now it's like a log wagon.

Also I noticed on mine that it's rather finicky about how the weight is distributed between the 3 sets of axles. When everything is even on a cat scale, the ride is awesome. when it's heavier on the drives or trailer it's bad. Also I go through a set of shocks on my truck in about 100k-120k miles average. If it's been longer, it's time. The shocks don't have to leak for them to be worn out.

I drive a 780 though with the premium sleeper that was mentioned

I'll probably miss it when I go to driving a Sprinter. If and when...

Also check the leveling valve. A bad one an cause bad vibrations and grinding of the rear end. and it's expensive to replace. (I just did and everything said and done with a new set of brakes and pads all around cost me ~$8700. Still think keeping up your sprinters is expensive? lol)

gluck!

The Hun!