Thanks! I went through it again with the same interest! But, one again, why do the Yankees stick to their ridiculously small cabs?
Froggy55:
Thanks! I went through it again with the same interest! But, one again, why do the Yankees stick to their ridiculously small cabs?
Because that’s the way they’ve always done things. They do not like change at all.
Froggy55:
Thanks! I went through it again with the same interest! But, one again, why do the Yankees stick to their ridiculously small cabs?
Froggy my choice was the smaller cabbed yanks although the last long distance unit I owned a Mack Titan was anything but small probably influence from the Volvo/Mack ownership but the windscreen area was adequate but slightly smaller than the European cab overs and I found this an asset as the smaller cabs and windscreens in our summer climate are easier to keep cool.
Perhaps you should ask NewMercMan why his preference is for bonneted trucks and smaller cabs other than being old fashioned. 
Dig
As always, double click for a better look. 
BTW, the long tailback behind ‘Coventry’ was not of his making. He was well back in an enormous line which instilled in me a sense of smugness. I had overnighted at Delice d’Annie at Bressols and started well early to beat the rush to my rdv in Toulouse. A clear run all the way and arriving 45 minutes early was well worth it.
At Bressols the standard was not diminished and the place was rightly heaving. Took me 15 minutes to get served at the bar and there were at least 30 drivers outside with their aperos.
There were actually 3 of those in one convoy, the car driver in front of me kept jumping the gun and had to pull back in each time. 
This one was only a minute or so behind.
Spardo:
newmercman:
I’m very good at making it appear that I work hard, it’s a skill I’ve developed over the years. I rarely work a 12hr day and I only work around 20days a month and realised long ago that I wasn’t going to get rich in this game lol. I also enjoy what I do, so it isn’t really work anyway, just poodling around listening to the wireless isn’t that difficult when you think about it.More or less the same as me then, NMC, albeit on a smaller scale these days.
Rarely the radio for me though, unless I am in range of Radio 4, audio books keep me company these days.
Hmm, some say that I pretend to work hard too… I just blame the comfort of the Volvo for it
As most radio stations are crap everywhere you go nowadays, I always had two big shopping bags with me filled with cd’s until my brother introduced me to the modern world… so a USB stick, Spotify on the mobile phone and having a DHB+ radio so I can listen to BBC R6 have solved most of that.
DEANB:
“newmercman” Heres a clipping from your part of the world.Click on page once to read.
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883T Dean■■? So… why didn’t they used one Scammell Contractor?
DIG:
No photo of the truck involved but I will obtain it later suffice to say it belongs to an old work mate owner driver of mine who is still doing it,he took these pics of a typical Northern Australian sunrise which brought back some memories for yours truly of a view I rarely see these days.
A lot of our main Highways run east west or vicky versey so its always a bit of a squint until the sun gets above the visor or below the horizon.
.Thanks Crooksy I hope our european counter parts enjoy it to.
Cheers Dig
Looks great DIG, make sure to thank Crooksy please. One of the things I do like about getting up early, watching the sunrise…
DEANB:
Scania for Johnny from 1988.Click on pages twice.
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Nice article Dean, cheers. Don’t spoil the man though 
Interesting to read that they’d fitted a 15 speed Fuller 'box… I wonder who else swapped the original "box for a Fuller/Eaton/Allison option.
DIG:
Froggy55:
Thanks! I went through it again with the same interest! But, one again, why do the Yankees stick to their ridiculously small cabs?Froggy my choice was the smaller cabbed yanks although the last long distance unit I owned a Mack Titan was anything but small probably influence from the Volvo/Mack ownership but the windscreen area was adequate but slightly smaller than the European cab overs and I found this an asset as the smaller cabs and windscreens in our summer climate are easier to keep cool.
Perhaps you should ask NewMercMan why his preference is for bonneted trucks and smaller cabs other than being old fashioned.Dig
Spardo:
As always, double click for a better look.BTW, the long tailback behind ‘Coventry’ was not of his making. He was well back in an enormous line which instilled in me a sense of smugness. I had overnighted at Delice d’Annie at Bressols and started well early to beat the rush to my rdv in Toulouse. A clear run all the way and arriving 45 minutes early was well worth it.
At Bressols the standard was not diminished and the place was rightly heaving. Took me 15 minutes to get served at the bar and there were at least 30 drivers outside with their aperos.
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There were actually 3 of those in one convoy, the car driver in front of me kept jumping the gun and had to pull back in each time.
This one was only a minute or so behind.
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Busy as usual then Spardo? Waiting at the bar to be served I mean… 
About that black Coventry Volvo, they run to Toulouse every week or so I reckon, coming from Derby.
As for the Altead convoi, rumour has it that they’re going to be taken over by Capelle? One of the topdogs at the board pulled out his money, so the financial situation at Altead isn’t all that great apparently?
As for for that knobhead driving that grey Peugeot, every once in a while you bump into that sort of people, most of them know what the craic is though and make sure they’re out of the way.
oiltreader:
New Zealand and a rare one.
Oily
Cheers Oily.
I’ve posted some more about this one on the Saviem fan club thread, but don’t ask me on which page…
pv83:
Busy as usual then Spardo? Waiting at the bar to be served I mean…About that black Coventry Volvo, they run to Toulouse every week or so I reckon, coming from Derby.
As for the Altead convoi, rumour has it that they’re going to be taken over by Capelle? One of the topdogs at the board pulled out his money, so the financial situation at Altead isn’t all that great apparently?
As for for that knobhead driving that grey Peugeot, every once in a while you bump into that sort of people, most of them know what the craic is though and make sure they’re out of the way.
All I wanted was a kir and to pay for my meal, the ticket machine was getting too hot to handle, but I must learn to be more pushy.
Yes, the RR wagons from Derby, I met and ate with a driver from there once south of Alencon and expressed my appreciation (as nobody else had realised what he was doing) for his double circuit of a roundabout near Le Mans to allow the tailback to pass him. He worked out of Derby but lived in Glasgow.
I am trying to remember how Alte’Ad came about, they merged with someone else a few years ago. If they do merge with Capelle I hope they keep their colour scheme, Capelle’s always seems a bit drab to me. 
Never mind the engine or the box, get the colour right.
Froggy55:
Thanks! I went through it again with the same interest! But, one again, why do the Yankees stick to their ridiculously small cabs?
Having driven both euro/ aero/ traditional, I take a trad Pete every time as a solo driver not so much as a team though
Similar reasons as before but also
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significantly more stable in windy weather
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virtually no cab roll no matter how hard you hit the the go pedal around bends…
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superior/ better ride over rough roads and also in general mainly due to the set forward axle…I always thought Volvo vn670’ s were way overated btw with new driver/ beginners set back axle position…euro canoes can’t match them eithet
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better central view of road ahead…think tesla semi
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easier to clear passenger side window if required,
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reach glove box easy
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stored my bag on the passenger seat, or if with female company other things ahem
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weight control, if I started getting fat I couldnt get into the sleeper lol
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quicker to heat/ cool with sleeper curtain drawn
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makes you reverse like a pro, not with your head out the window like dummy who passed the test yesterday
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quicker to clean the full windscreen
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most important looks/ felt like driving a piece of Americana heritage which I enjoyed every time I drove it, job sait’s faction is very important don’t underestimate it…
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ticks the schoolboy dream of driving a truck from convoy and other period films…don’t underestimate that either
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not many UK guys will ever get the chance to drive one, which also means they often slag them off accordingly
Perhaps a few more things too but fed up of typing now lol
I didn’t actually buy a truck, I bought an engine, the truck came with it. Although saying that, given the choice between the new style aero cab Peterbilt 579 and the classic 389 I would’ve chosen what I’ve got, as RSG said, they are so nice to drive, especially when the weather is bad, on icy roads the long nose Peterbilt is rock solid, whereas the Volvo didn’t inspire confidence at all. Residuals are also much stronger on the classics, the aero trucks are worth two balloons and a goldfish when they’re 5yrs old, the classics still demand a good price.
Mine, being a glider with the pre treehugger engine is a bit different as they’re soon to be almost impossible to register unless they have a fully compliant emissions engine, which defeats the whole purpose of them. This means they’re like gold dust on the used market, I could literally get back what I paid for mine 2yrs and 250,000miles down the road, the day after the new regs come in, I could make a healthy profit over what I paid for it.
newmercman:
I didn’t actually buy a truck, I bought an engine, the truck came with it. Although saying that, given the choice between the new style aero cab Peterbilt 579 and the classic 389 I would’ve chosen what I’ve got, as RSG said, they are so nice to drive, especially when the weather is bad, on icy roads the long nose Peterbilt is rock solid, whereas the Volvo didn’t inspire confidence at all. Residuals are also much stronger on the classics, the aero trucks are worth two balloons and a goldfish when they’re 5yrs old, the classics still demand a good price.Mine, being a glider with the pre treehugger engine is a bit different as they’re soon to be almost impossible to register unless they have a fully compliant emissions engine, which defeats the whole purpose of them. This means they’re like gold dust on the used market, I could literally get back what I paid for mine 2yrs and 250,000miles down the road, the day after the new regs come in, I could make a healthy profit over what I paid for it.
newmercman:
I didn’t actually buy a truck, I bought an engine, the truck came with it. Although saying that, given the choice between the new style aero cab Peterbilt 579 and the classic 389 I would’ve chosen what I’ve got, as RSG said, they are so nice to drive, especially when the weather is bad, on icy roads the long nose Peterbilt is rock solid, whereas the Volvo didn’t inspire confidence at all. Residuals are also much stronger on the classics, the aero trucks are worth two balloons and a goldfish when they’re 5yrs old, the classics still demand a good price.Mine, being a glider with the pre treehugger engine is a bit different as they’re soon to be almost impossible to register unless they have a fully compliant emissions engine, which defeats the whole purpose of them. This means they’re like gold dust on the used market, I could literally get back what I paid for mine 2yrs and 250,000miles down the road, the day after the new regs come in, I could make a healthy profit over what I paid for it.
Interesting NMM so as yours is already registered for the road it docent have to comply when the new registration regs come in,as you say a win win for you in the future.
Your Peterbuilt and my old KW are out of the same era and in hindsight which really means what I should have done was keep the KW I had already owned it for 12 years got rid of 3 trailers and 2 dollys purchased a new drop deck with ramps and a beefed up main frame and got into a similar industry your doing now ,the old W model would have still been percolating.
Whats the old saying “If Only”
Dig
Dig, the idea when I bought it was that although it was at least 25% dearer than an equivalent new truck, over ten years it would be less than half the price of the three newer trucks required to last that time without any major expenses.
Since then the price of a new truck has risen to the point that with the next price increase for the 2020 models they will be the same price I paid, albeit 3yrs earlier and at the time I had the most expensive tractor unit ever sold in Manitoba, a title I held for about 6months. Now a Volvo VNL or similar with a decent spec is nearly the same price.
With the residual holding up as well as it has and the prices balancing out, it’s turning out to have been an extremely good long term decision, much better than I hoped it would, hopefully nothing happens in the future to change that.
DIG:
Your Peterbuilt and my old KW are out of the same era and in hindsight which really means what I should have done was keep the KW I had already owned it for 12 years got rid of 3 trailers and 2 dollys purchased a new drop deck with ramps and a beefed up main frame and got into a similar industry your doing now ,the old W model would have still been percolating.
Dream on Dig, you’re too old. Come to think of it though, you’re younger than me, so maybe not. So as you once said you could have done with knowing me when we were both, almost, living in Oz, just let me know when you go for it and, if you need an offsider, I’ll be there.
As long as you can sort out out my visa, multiple licence etc of course. 2 old codgers kicking up a right old dust cloud.
But NMM, can you run everywhere in the States with that engine, even California for instance? But perhaps you don’t want to go there anyway.
Spardo:
DIG:
Your Peterbuilt and my old KW are out of the same era and in hindsight which really means what I should have done was keep the KW I had already owned it for 12 years got rid of 3 trailers and 2 dollys purchased a new drop deck with ramps and a beefed up main frame and got into a similar industry your doing now ,the old W model would have still been percolating.Dream on Dig, you’re too old.
As long as you can sort out out my visa, multiple licence etc of course.
But NMM, can you run everywhere in the States with that engine, even California for instance? But perhaps you don’t want to go there anyway.
Not a problem Spardo I can get you on an indonesion fishing boat get you a refugee visa which means you can go straight on the dole on arrival and as terms of employment with me include “Bring you own wages” you pay me the dole and off we go and rest assured I still know where theres some bull dust highways so I will have you coughing your lungs out on a daily basis.
As a thought bring Patrick with you we can give him an education he won’t get swanning around in his MB mansion on wheels teach him how to cook and eat off a shovel he will think christmas has come early. 
Dig
We will follow the bloke kicking up the dust in front if it turns out were lost we can blame him.
An Indonesian fishing boat? Do they know where they are going or do I have to bring my sextant? 
Well used to coughing, living with a wife who shares all her smoke with me, giving up smoking 50 years ago has made no difference to my lungs. 
And the dole eh? They weren’t giving out dole to a Pommie swagman in 1969, place is obviously on the up and up.
As to Patrick, best not risk it, a bit too young and delicate for the bulldust I reckon.