Pictures of old American Cabovers and other junk

[ChrisArbon]

[Punchy Dan]

M60 Barton bridge Manchester

[ChrisArbon]

[ChrisArbon]

[ChrisArbon]

[ChrisArbon]

[Jelliot]

Great photos there Chris.
I had a mate that looked into subbing for American and the rates he was being offered were less than cost, but you see some of their guys having top of the line stuff and staying with them for years.

Jeff......

[ChrisArbon]

Hi Jeff, You are right about the rates for Owner/Operators; they are very poor when you work out how many hours they work. It's like investing $150,000 of your own money and then employing yourself at below the minimum wage.

Where I work; it's the opposite. The company has a very attractive deal for owner/operators. Six months ago, when I started, they were boasting that they had tons of work and couldn't cover it. Now the generous pay structure has attracted so many new trucks that there is not enough work to go round and it is a struggle to get good miles every month.

[newmercman]

I think you'll find you have got that a little wrong there, the huge flaw in your theory is that somebody else owns the truck you drive, he pays the finance, maintenance, taxes etc, pays your wages and employers contributions on top of all that and still makes a profit out of the deal.

Those owner operators are doing the same job as you and they will be earning twice as much as you after taxes, they will also have paid for a truck that will have a value that when added to the equation will, with the right truck, take their earnings up to around three times what you get for doing the same job

[ChrisArbon]

Yeah, I see that in my previous post it could be read that I was an owner/operator when I am in fact a company driver. Sorry if I confused anybody. What I was trying to say is that there are some very poor companies for owner/operators and also some very good paying companies. Very much the same choice as a company driver has when he starts somewhere new.

I think a owner/operator would take home roughly twice as much as a company driver, which is about right for the extra input they have to make. Two years ago, I had enough to buy a new truck but I bought a rental property instead. It provides extra income and has increased in value by nearly 20%. When I've saved up enough money to buy a truck again; I'll think I'll buy another house.

[newmercman]

Or buy a lorry and save for another house in half the time

[newmercman]

I was talking to your boss the other day, he said you were the only one getting good miles on the vans, so you have the right relationship with dispatch (which shocked me ) and your boss offers a very good deal in taking over his trucks.

You do the same thing you do now with no outlay and earn twice as much, sounds like a pretty good deal to me...

[prattman]

I found myself in a dilemma the other day I have some photo's of some American trucks but I did not know of any sites I could put them on till Kevmac 47 suggested past and present so I posted them on there then dazcapri mentioned this site and since it is dedicated to american trucks I have decided to put them on here as well so here is the first part of four.regards prattman

[ChrisArbon]

Some photos from a recent trip into Mexico and it is true that most of America's junk goes south of the border although the Mexicans do there best to look after it.

The Three Virgens volcanos in the background of Mex 1

Old Peterbilt abandoned beside the Sea of Cortez.

Fuel delivery companies seemed to have the smartest up-to-date fleets.

Typical roadside scene at the outskirts of most towns.

Well loaded Freightliner with bales of scrap metal.

I wasn't the only Brit on the road in Mexico. This was a Birmingham couple touring in a P'reg VW camper.

Most popular truck seemed to be an old Kenworth W900

Many of the old W900s were built in Mexico and wore the Kenmex badge.

mex08kenmex.JPG (28.44 KiB) Viewed 1884 times

A double trailer combination delivering to Ley Supermercados.

mex09double.JPG (33.75 KiB) Viewed 1884 times

Most roads had a good surface but no shoulder and usually a big drop-off at the edge.

mex10should.JPG (47.94 KiB) Viewed 1884 times

[robthedog]

From a while ago now

[robinswh]

Mid 1980 s Mack tractor 12 speed transmission pulling set of b trains (7 axle) doing fuel delivery driven by me in calgary alberta canada. This unit was definitely not junk!! Photo taken about 1988

[oiltreader]

Peterbilt.
Oily