Patrick's Trucks ?

[sean sherry]

I'm a Fan of "Out Back Truckers" Australia. I never see Volvos .. Scania.. pulling Road Trains .... just Macs.. Peter Built etc
Mercedes pull giant Logging Trucks at times They also own one of the USA truck manufactures.
Scania's have up to 600 H.P. .....why not I wonder. Can they lock the Diffs as the USA's can do......by pushing a button.

I'm surprised to see that some Truckers come ill prepared for the remote Out Back........and on their own !!!
No spare Water Pump ..Fan Belts.... Alternator.... Radiator Hoses ... A powered Wheel lug Wrench a decent Jack... etc
Maybe a Twenty litre can of Water for the Radiator....
"We cannot help People who, cannot/ will not, help themselves "...... .......comes to mind .....

 

[BenzBoy]

No Volvos?

I reckon that's a Volvo emblem there....
Regards,
Brian

 

[sean sherry]

Yes Brian, probably like Mercedes Volvo may wholly or part own one of the big Americans.
It is hard to know who owns what in today's integrated Global Market

 

[Patrick_R]

Sean,
You don’t see too many cab overs in outback truckers, as the outback guys tend to keep their bonnet trucks longer and longer as most outback workshops can still work on these low tech trucks and keep them going.
That’s why you don’t see too many Volvo in the show, as they have been pretty high tech since the 80’s.
Most outback places don’t have the tools or know how to talk to or work on a lot of the Euro trucks.

However it is getting harder with emission standards getting higher and higher, which drivers don’t care about much, but in a modern world the end user may determine in a lot of cases if the delivering truck is acceptable in his business as a low tech, high emission truck.
I spent the best part of twelve months delivering training on the Volvo product, and how clean and efficient it is to Australia Post, as its end users (the public) are now asking questions “is your truck delivering my post hurting the environment” even down to people asking the postie “is your bike affecting my babies health” that’s why you see all the ads from Aust Post now pushing electro mobility hard.

Also, we are very Americanised when it comes to trucks, which means the Aussies love a bonnet out front.
They always say it’s safer, but we all know, that modern trucks are far safer than old trucks, (just like cars we discussed a couple of weeks ago) as the crash technology is there in all modern trucks, be it with a bonnet, or a cab over.

America is the only place in the world where Volvo make a bonneted truck to compete with PACCAR (Pacific Car) which are the owners of Kenworth, Peterbuilt and DAF.
To answer your question Sean, Mercedes Benz owns, Fuso trucks and the American Brand Freightliner.
Volvo own Mack Trucks.
All of the big brands have a finger in the US and European Market. VW Group own Scania.

Volvo make a model with 750 horsepower, and Scania does 700 horsepower both over 3500Nm of torque which is more important than horsepower in trucks as we have discussed.

Volvo VNL for the USA market.



You will note the very long bonnet to rear of sleeper cab length. The Americans don’t have the strict length limits for heavy trucks as we do, so they can have these massive sleepers.
On outback trucks, you will note, they are very small.
However American trucks don’t tow more than one trailer like we do, A Double, B Double, Road Trains etc, more do they have to haul some of the weights we do.

We all know the term 18 wheeler, our typical truck and trailer are 22 wheelers.

 

[BenzBoy]

Hmmm. Clearly I need to get a Volvo truck for the dogs.... your pictures have sold me a truck!

 

[c107]

That cabin looks quite comfortable!

 

[abl567]

"However American trucks don’t tow more than one trailer like we do, A Double, B Double, Road Trains"

I've just done a "road trip" from Chicago to NYC after the M-100 group meet. On the interstates there were plenty of double trailer trucks and the occasional triple. Not like our B doubles with the turntable for the second trailer but like oversized truck and dogs, more like our road trains.

 

[Patrick_R]

They are great.
The pooches would love it Brian.
What a happy bunch of hounds you have, just gorgeous.
Too bad we don’t have them here in Oz.
This is the biggest we have.
The Volvo XXL Cab.

 

[Patrick_R]

"However American trucks don’t tow more than one trailer like we do, A Double, B Double, Road Trains"

I've just done a "road trip" from Chicago to NYC after the M-100 group meet. On the interstates there were plenty of double trailer trucks and the occasional triple. Not like our B doubles with the turntable for the second trailer but like oversized truck and dogs, more like our road trains.

Ah yes, trucks and dogs, I’ve heard of them doing the rounds now.
I’m sure these will start to get bigger.

We’re they “big” trucks like the prime movers above, or more of a rigid truck with one or two trailers like below?

 

[BenzBoy]

Sean - your interest in trucks might gain you a new career.
Read the following and then ask yourself if this could be just the job for you -

Sheffield lorry driver Brian Wilson, 90, says he is in for the long haul

Brian Wilson, from Sheffield, has been driving lorries since he was a teenager.

www.bbc.com

Regards,
Brian

 

[Patrick_R]

That’s a great story Brian.

 

[abl567]

Ah yes, trucks and dogs, I’ve heard of them doing the rounds now.
I’m sure these will start to get bigger.

We’re they “big” trucks like the prime movers above, or more of a rigid truck with one or two trailers like below?
View attachment 24305

They were articulated semis with a trailer

 

[Patrick_R]

Ok
I’ll check em out.
Maybe short trucks with no sleepers, thus an extra trailer.
Thanks for the tip.

 

[Patrick_R]

Like these?
I had to use the word tractor, that’s the typical name for a prime mover in America and Japan.

 

[c107]

Like these?
I had to use the word tractor, that’s the typical name for a prime mover in America and Japan.

Yes, these things are reasonably common on the interstate in the USA.

 

[Patrick_R]

Probably more volumetric loads.
Not many axles per truck & trailer = low carrying capacity.
Also no sleepers in the cab, so either one way, or back to base every day.

As it’s not in the range we play in, I don’t know much about them.
Looks like both trailers would be roughly 24 pallets.

Our singe tri axle trailers and 6x4 prime movers here do 36 pallet, and up to 63,000kg
This is the 22 wheeler I mentioned.

A very interesting level of truck and trailer that I am keen to know more about.

 

[sean sherry]

Well Brian it depends on them thar genes ... Some people are old at 50, and a few are young at 90.
With Grandparents from farms in Ireland, Fathers side, and Mothers side, Dublin City and Latvia
I fall somewhere in between . I'll know the verdict in a couple of years when no. 90 comes along.
Save up for my present !!! Sean

 

[c107]

Probably more volumetric loads.
Not many axles per truck & trailer = low carrying capacity.
Also no sleepers in the cab, so either one way, or back to base every day.

As it’s not in the range we play in, I don’t know much about them.
Looks like both trailers would be roughly 24 pallets.

Our singe tri axle trailers and 6x4 prime movers here do 36 pallet, and up to 63,000kg
This is the 22 wheeler I mentioned.

A very interesting level of truck and trailer that I am keen to know more about.

That UPS truck wouldn't be doing super long runs as the truck would likely hit a depot before. If you ship your package UPS ground, you'll see the various depots it goes through before it arrives to you (assuming it actually does).

The package industry is known for bulk but not weight, that's why they've been so successful with converted passenger airliners as freighters, as the weight limits that the big cargo operators have do not apply.

UPS is in louisville, which I have not been. But i've been through one of their smaller freight hubs (on a passenger plane) and the scale is incredible. Even bigger is Fedex in Memphis.

 

[Patrick_R]

Amazing insight Bryce.
Good information for me to follow.

Australia Post owns a fleet called Startack here in Australia.
The same thing goes for them, they buy heavy rated trucks, but don’t carry much weight, but the bulk or size of the payloads are huge.
A 12 pallet truck that could potentially carry 10 tonne or more only typically carry’s between 3 - 5 tonne of bulky poorly packaged and carried items.
Like you mention, they all congregate in massive hubs for distribution.

Looking at your pic Bryce, amazing sales must be also achieved by aircraft manufacturers just for freight.
I’ve also heard that many outdated passenger aircraft spend many many years after being retired from passenger service as freight aircraft.

 

[abl567]

Probably more volumetric loads.
Not many axles per truck & trailer = low carrying capacity.
Also no sleepers in the cab, so either one way, or back to base every day.

As it’s not in the range we play in, I don’t know much about them.
Looks like both trailers would be roughly 24 pallets.

Our singe tri axle trailers and 6x4 prime movers here do 36 pallet, and up to 63,000kg
This is the 22 wheeler I mentioned.

A very interesting level of truck and trailer that I am keen to know more about.

Yes, like those.
And most had "Hiring" signs on the back that highlighted "98% of our drivers return home every night"
I do hope that is due to operations not safety

On the Hiring Signs, they were absolutely everywhere, from small convenience stores to hugh factory's
Even the major hotel chains had them on the front doors, places like Westin and Hilton.