Yellow penske trucks

westmicher

Veteran Expediter
I run 4 of these trucks. The fuel mileage is 10-11 1/2 mpg. They have nice bunk areas, portable ac mounted to wall, vented out the side, converters, generators. Yes, the payload is 3500 lbs max for these trucks.

One of the problems is that a lot of shippers, ( I know this first hand ) Want us to haul over weight.

I have to call B_LLSH_T on you on several counts!

First of all, there is NO WAY your trucks weigh less than 6,500 lbs. outfitted as you state, with a driver in it. IMPOSSIBLE!!! I build trucks and THE ONLY WAY your trucks have a tag that would SUGGEST that you might be allowed to carry 3,500 payload you state is ONLY if you had the original COMPLETED VEHICLE STICKER on the trucks, which would show either 12,300 GVW (GM) OR 12,500 GVW (FORD) WHICH WOULD REQUIRE YOUR TRUCKS TO LOG AND SCALE, REMOVED!!!!!!!!

I build trucks and nobody should drink your Kool-Aid!!!!!!

You must have removed the Box Manufacturer's Completed Vehicle Certification from the box, which is very illegal unless you, or someone else who did SUBSTANTIAL WORK on the truck, is CERTIFIED BY THE US GOVERNMENT AS QUALIFIED TO BE A COMPANY ALLOWED TO COMPLETE INCOMPLETED VEHICLES, PUBLISH AND PLACE (CERTIFY) COMPLETED VEHICLE STICKERS, (UPFITTER) ACCORDING TO LAW, ON YOUR "LEGAL" TRUCKS!!!

You are lucky most DOT officers don't know what you are doing. Give me 5 minutes with a competent DOT officer on each of your trucks and I'll bet they are all red tagged. Want to bet??? I have money.

If I followed my Incomplete Vehicle tag, my E350 cutaways can carry 5,600 lbs. Cargo each and still be legally under the 10,000 GVW Log & Scale limit, which is STUPID.

THEN YOU BLAME SHIPPERS FOR WANTING YOU TO HAUL OVERWEIGHT!!! WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE STUPID AGAIN?????

YOU state what weight you can carry in your trucks, THEN THERE IS CONTACT BETWEEN YOU AND THE SHIPPER WHERE YOU AGREE WHAT YOU ACTUALLY WILL HAUL! IF YOU TOLD THE SHIPPER YOU CAN ONLY HAUL LESS THAN 1,500 lbs., either on the load boards or in your contracts, I doubt you would be in business very long at all. I think its much more likely that you show on the load boards that your trucks can carry at least 3,500 lbs. IN FACT, I'VE NEVER SEEN A TRUCK WITH THAT BOX SIZE LISTED LESS THAN 4,500 lbs on the load boards. What cities are your trucks resting in right now? I'll tell you what the capacity claims on the load boards.

I looked in the government lookup files and I couldn't find your company as a certified upfitter (qualified to do upfits and rerates). I want to file complaints against your upfitter. Please tell me who your upfitter is! I'm sure you won't mind complaints filed regarding your legal trucks. Thanks, but NO KOOLAID FOR ME!!!

That's my opinion and its worth what you paid for it.
 
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mjmsprt40

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I don't build trucks but I have a pretty good instinct. When I see a cutaway based on an E-350 with a box that size, and especially dual rear wheels, I know good and well that thing isn't an under-10K machine. You can't haul anything legally like that. To have meaningful weight capacity, that set-up has to be pushing 12.5 and I would be willing to bet it's a wee bit heavier more often than not.
 

xiggi

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I have to call B_LLSH_T on you on several counts!

First of all, there is NO WAY your trucks weigh less than 6,500 lbs. outfitted as you state, with a driver in it. IMPOSSIBLE!!! I build trucks and THE ONLY WAY your trucks have a tag that would SUGGEST that you might be allowed to carry 3,500 payload you state is ONLY if you had the original COMPLETED VEHICLE STICKER on the trucks, which would show either 12,300 GVW (GM) OR 12,500 GVW (FORD) WHICH WOULD REQUIRE YOUR TRUCKS TO LOG AND SCALE, REMOVED!!!!!!!!

I build trucks and nobody should drink your Kool-Aid!!!!!!

You must have removed the Box Manufacturer's Completed Vehicle Certification from the box, which is very illegal unless you, or someone else who did SUBSTANTIAL WORK on the truck, is CERTIFIED BY THE US GOVERNMENT AS QUALIFIED TO BE A COMPANY ALLOWED TO COMPLETE INCOMPLETED VEHICLES, PUBLISH AND PLACE (CERTIFY) COMPLETED VEHICLE STICKERS, (UPFITTER) ACCORDING TO LAW, ON YOUR "LEGAL" TRUCKS!!!

You are lucky most DOT officers don't know what you are doing. Give me 5 minutes with a competent DOT officer on each of your trucks and I'll bet they are all red tagged. Want to bet??? I have money.

If I followed my Incomplete Vehicle tag, my E350 cutaways can carry 5,600 lbs. Cargo each and still be legally under the 10,000 GVW Log & Scale limit, which is STUPID.

THEN YOU BLAME SHIPPERS FOR WANTING YOU TO HAUL OVERWEIGHT!!! WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE STUPID AGAIN?????

YOU state what weight you can carry in your trucks, THEN THERE IS CONTACT BETWEEN YOU AND THE SHIPPER WHERE YOU AGREE WHAT YOU ACTUALLY WILL HAUL! IF YOU TOLD THE SHIPPER YOU CAN ONLY HAUL LESS THAN 1,500 lbs., either on the load boards or in your contracts, I doubt you would be in business very long at all. I think its much more likely that you show on the load boards that your trucks can carry at least 3,500 lbs. IN FACT, I'VE NEVER SEEN A TRUCK WITH THAT BOX SIZE LISTED LESS THAN 4,500 lbs on the load boards. What cities are your trucks resting in right now? I'll tell you what the capacity claims on the load boards.

I looked in the government lookup files and I couldn't find your company as a certified upfitter (qualified to do upfits and rerates). I want to file complaints against your upfitter. Please tell me who your upfitter is! I'm sure you won't mind complaints filed regarding your legal trucks. Thanks, but NO KOOLAID FOR ME!!!

That's my opinion and its worth what you paid for it.

That's a little overboard he is going by the same door sticker penske went by for years. There is a huge percentage of drivers out here doing the same thing in cargo vans, sprinters And box trucks. You going to start requesting info from them all?

Sent from my Fisher Price ABC-123.
 

spongebox1

Expert Expediter
I notice that gflight started to defend themselves but much like there trucks they disappear when challenged.

Sent from my VS910 4G using EO Forums mobile app
 

westmicher

Veteran Expediter
That's a little overboard he is going by the same door sticker penske went by for years.

Sent from my Fisher Price ABC-123.

No, he is not. Penske did not place illegal completed up fitter labels on their trucks. Go check them out at a Penske store. These trucks weigh 7,800 or more EMPTY!!!!!!!!! Add the equipment listed and the driver - those trucks weigh 8,500 lbs.!!!!
 
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mjmsprt40

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
For the record, I weighed my beast. The door sticker reads 8600GVWR. I had just filled up, so I had full gas tank. No freight, just my stuff and me in the seat. The van, as it stood then, weighed 5700 or thereabouts. 8600 - 5700 gives me 2900 that I can play with. Beyond that, I'm looking for trouble one way or another. Most loads have been well under 2K, very seldom do I see a 2500 lb load. This is a standard-length Chevy 2500.

I have thought of going up to a 3500 extended, again favoring Chevy because GM, in their wisdom, extended the wheelbase as well as the body. Keeping the rear wheels near the rear bumper is good, IMO. Ford extended the body but kept the same wheelbase, so that gives you quite a bit of rear overhang. That makes driving dicey if you have heavy weight in the rear, it tends to lift the front axle. My reason for wanting the extended is volume. I doubt that they'd try to get a van to do much more than 3K in weight regardless of what I buy as far as vans are concerned. The extended would allow for the possibility-- if you do it right-- of three skids, where a standard van can only manage two.
 

mjmsprt40

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
No, he is not. Penske did not place illegal completed up fitter labels on their trucks. Go check them out at a Penske store. These trucks weigh 7,800 or more EMPTY.

I would imagine that Penske has more sense than that, anyway. They have a corporate image, safety, a desire not to get sued into the ground and all the rest of that to consider. When I had one of their rentals, the GVW and the allowable payload were clearly marked--- which is one reason I don't think I'll buy one--- to have something that big with such a short payload-- only 3,500 in that case-- didn't make sense to me since it was apparent that something with that much volume could be packed with more. But, Penske seemed to have the idea that a cut-away was more for the do-it-yourself mover than it was for the professional hauler anyway.

My verdict: The company I drove for at the time had a perfect chance to show me that I could make more money with the larger vehicle, and they blew it. Same pay, but the larger vehicle drank fuel like a pig and undoubtedly would have larger mechanical expenses as well. You could go broke driving one of these things for that company.
 

bubblehead

Veteran Expediter
I have to call B_LLSH_T on you on several counts!

First of all, there is NO WAY your trucks weigh less than 6,500 lbs. outfitted as you state, with a driver in it. IMPOSSIBLE!!! I build trucks and THE ONLY WAY your trucks have a tag that would SUGGEST that you might be allowed to carry 3,500 payload you state is ONLY if you had the original COMPLETED VEHICLE STICKER on the trucks, which would show either 12,300 GVW (GM) OR 12,500 GVW (FORD) WHICH WOULD REQUIRE YOUR TRUCKS TO LOG AND SCALE, REMOVED!!!!!!!!

I build trucks and nobody should drink your Kool-Aid!!!!!!

You must have removed the Box Manufacturer's Completed Vehicle Certification from the box, which is very illegal unless you, or someone else who did SUBSTANTIAL WORK on the truck, is CERTIFIED BY THE US GOVERNMENT AS QUALIFIED TO BE A COMPANY ALLOWED TO COMPLETE INCOMPLETED VEHICLES, PUBLISH AND PLACE (CERTIFY) COMPLETED VEHICLE STICKERS, (UPFITTER) ACCORDING TO LAW, ON YOUR "LEGAL" TRUCKS!!!

You are lucky most DOT officers don't know what you are doing. Give me 5 minutes with a competent DOT officer on each of your trucks and I'll bet they are all red tagged. Want to bet??? I have money.

If I followed my Incomplete Vehicle tag, my E350 cutaways can carry 5,600 lbs. Cargo each and still be legally under the 10,000 GVW Log & Scale limit, which is STUPID.

THEN YOU BLAME SHIPPERS FOR WANTING YOU TO HAUL OVERWEIGHT!!! WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE STUPID AGAIN?????

YOU state what weight you can carry in your trucks, THEN THERE IS CONTACT BETWEEN YOU AND THE SHIPPER WHERE YOU AGREE WHAT YOU ACTUALLY WILL HAUL! IF YOU TOLD THE SHIPPER YOU CAN ONLY HAUL LESS THAN 1,500 lbs., either on the load boards or in your contracts, I doubt you would be in business very long at all. I think its much more likely that you show on the load boards that your trucks can carry at least 3,500 lbs. IN FACT, I'VE NEVER SEEN A TRUCK WITH THAT BOX SIZE LISTED LESS THAN 4,500 lbs on the load boards. What cities are your trucks resting in right now? I'll tell you what the capacity claims on the load boards.

I looked in the government lookup files and I couldn't find your company as a certified upfitter (qualified to do upfits and rerates). I want to file complaints against your upfitter. Please tell me who your upfitter is! I'm sure you won't mind complaints filed regarding your legal trucks. Thanks, but NO KOOLAID FOR ME!!!

That's my opinion and its worth what you paid for it.

The way he can carry that extra weight AND SCALE legal is really quite simple...2HE (HELIUM) is used in all tires and the drivers are required to suck large quantities of it every day... BTW complain loud and clear. As I said in an earlier post, the LEOs are aware of this growing segment of outlaws.
 

xiggi

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
No, he is not. Penske did not place illegal completed up fitter labels on their trucks. Go check them out at a Penske store. These trucks weigh 7,800 or more EMPTY!!!!!!!!! Add the equipment listed and the driver - those trucks weigh 8,500 lbs.!!!!

If memory serves me correct their trucks had two different curb weights depending on the model year. The older being lighter.

Sent from my Fisher Price ABC-123.
 

mjmsprt40

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
If memory serves me correct their trucks had two different curb weights depending on the model year. The older being lighter.

Sent from my Fisher Price ABC-123.

Not enough lighter to scale under 10K fully loaded. I've seen certain U-Hauls that have an under-10K rating, but those things are so small that you can't have much in there at all.
 

pearlpro

Expert Expediter
The Biggest issue with the Penske/Ryder used trucks are they arent really designed for long haul use, there geared for city driving and get terrible fuel mileage, Thats the basic truck, Now some places do sell a HD truck and with a few mods can become a decent legal truck. Ive rented enough of these over the years and most were decent but the fuel mileage is terrible.

The issue is we have a "New Driver" whose willing to sleep on the floor, live in the truck on a bench seat or buddy seat bunk, stay out for months, accept ANY load with no recourse for legality or DOT regs. There lack of English ability precludes them from hearing or reading about the dangers, they might be logging, or maybe not, The BOSS says go they go....

Its a danger that Owners hire these guys, get them a track phone, send themout in Non CDL trucks and basically at a wage these guys think is fine. If youve lived in a shack, eaten from Shelters or Garbage cans, then eating Subway is like the Taj Mahal.....sleeping in a warm truck on the bench seat is a Mansion...

I used to work for a company who hired several of these fellas, that was the last time I saw a Mileage bonus because these guys never went home, they took ANY load Anywhere, they got the bonuses every month because they had there kids and wife living in the condo truck, 6 people and they would work any hour, anytime, and didnt care what the log said, if they got busted they were bailed out by the Owner claiming they just didnt understand or were confused by regulations, AND THEY GOT AWAY WITH IT....

Face it guys these fellas are hungry, and they will drive for 50 cents a mile, drive a crappy truck, haul crappy freight, never complain and accept a 250 dollar a week check, THERE RICH...compared to where theyve been....and when this driver gets too many points of tickets hes replaced by that guys brother, cousin, dad....or with a new DL hes right back in the rig....

I drove a few good Penskes, but they were speced with the equipment for Long Haul work, not just old used worn out ole yellers like many of these companys buy, Penske and Ryder have huge inventory to sell, and its a ready made freight hauler for the Non Enrish speaking driver, who for a few thousand can get him a truck and be a trucker...
 

mjmsprt40

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I saw one of these things the other day. Cut-away van with a box, dual tires on the rear axle, yellow, and of course the "Under 10,000" marking on the door. It was also marked with expedited company markings, and I must admit to some problem understanding how they stay legal. That set-up can't haul more than 1,500 lbs given the weight of the truck itself.
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Heck I could put 5,000 lbs in my Sprinter and I wouldn't be illegal per say...just over manufacturers weight limits....I am not governed by any laws except common sense....BUT should I get into an accident and the other party sues my butt for everything I own....
 

zorry

Veteran Expediter
Wouldn't that make you illegal ? Subject to overweight tickets, same as a regulated truck ?
I would think just about any LEO could weigh you to see if you are over your registered weight, or over the gvw to become an "unsafe vehicle ".
 

highway star

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I agree with Zorry, your Sprinter would be overloaded. It would absolutely create an unsafe situation, and I'm sure there's a law they could use against you.
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Wouldn't that make you illegal ? Subject to overweight tickets, same as a regulated truck ?
I would think just about any LEO could weigh you to see if you are over your registered weight, or over the gvw to become an "unsafe vehicle ".

Yep....it would be a ticket....maybe $350 and a tow job IF the officer pulls my plate right there for being "unsafe" ....and then what....no CSA penalty for me....How many times do you even hear of this happening to John Q public?......These Yellow thingees play with them odds......
 

zorry

Veteran Expediter
Illinois used to weigh 1/2 ton pick ups if they were obviously overloaded and in the area of portable scales.
Or they would escort them to a permanent scale.
 

zorry

Veteran Expediter
I agree, just a nuisance ticket.

If so inclined you'd load 5000# the next day.

The lawsuit possibilities are what made me start running legal.
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Illinois used to weigh 1/2 ton pick ups if they were obviously overloaded and in the area of portable scales.
Or they would escort them to a permanent scale.

Obviously they are not doing it enough....since a lot of theses yellow beasties are Illinois registered...and next issue is.....are they really taking HUGELY overweight loads or just a few hundred extra?.....because these things have such a heavy suspension they don't appear to squat much...
 
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