Truck driving in China

[dnoblett]

I drove long haul from 79-90. Started out running sleeper teams for Shoemaker Trucking out of Boise Idaho. We pulled reefers with cabover Macks. Later I went to work for Circle B Transport out of Ontario Oregon pulling flatbeds. Eventually I bought an 82 Western Star conventional with a 60 inch sleeper and a 45 ft flatbed. I did the owner operator thing for 5 years leased to a few different companies. I got tired of pounding the pavement and went back to work for Circle B as a dispatcher and eventually ended up as their General Manager. Got tired of that and moved to Portland where I've been ever since.

I know where Ontario is, use to pick up things like potatoes, french fries, and Beer Hops in that area.

 

Marten has a terminal in Willsonville, been there many times.

 

http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=s&lat=45.30...ontario%2C%20or

[dnoblett]

Started out running sleeper teams for Shoemaker Trucking out of Boise Idaho. We pulled reefers with cabover Macks.

Well, I'll be. I drove for Shoemaker for a while about the time they put those new Macks into service. Comfy cabs, but those 5 speed fuel-squeezers sucked.

5 speeds, must have been fun running up and down the hills out there, always enjoyed the equipment that Marten provided, 10 speeds and Jake breaks.

 

Went through 4 trucks in my time 1 KW T600 flat top, 1 Freightliner FDL 120 Flat top, and 2 FLD 120 Condos 2 flat tops, and 2 condos, loved the condos.

 

The first Condo had a few miles on it when I was assigned it, it had a Super-10 but the clutch had been beaten badly by the driver before me, I managed to get home with it, and got it serviced at the dealer while I had home time other problem was a leaky steering box, had that fixed too while getting the clutch replaced. After that I drove it for about a year the steering box never leaked but looked like it was, at about a year after getting the steering fixed, I rolled int Wilsonville shop and the mechanic decided to replace the seals on the steering box, everything looked OK with it so I drove up to Bellingham for some Strawberries going to Fulton NY and home. Drove 3000+ miles home with that load, spent a night at home and was just starting to drive east to deliver the load when within 8 miles of my home the pittman arm popped off the steering box leaving me with no steering at about 50 MPH, I managed to stop the truck upright but off the highway with some damage to the cab, and trailer. I called the local DOT cop out to inspect the rig, and he wrote it up as not my fault. Needless to say the you-know-what hit the fan back in Willsonville, the company flew me out to Willsonville to take ownership of a shiny new FLD120 with only 10,000 miles on it, loved the last truck, but missed the super-10, the new truck had a standard road ranger 10 speed.

[dnoblett]

I went through a bunch of trucks with different companies. Probably the best was a KW with a 440 Cat and a 13 speed. Next best was a White with a pumped 400 Cummins and 13 speed. Both made the hills out here seem flat and could run the north face of the grapevine at 40MPH grossing 80k. Worst was a 1950's something KW conventional with a 250 NA Cummins and 5x4 boxes. Had to grab three gears to get over a speed bump.

Yep Loved those Cummins N-14 motors, 3 trucks with them, one had a Detroit hated it, the Detroit had the big problem of TOO much inertia, it would rev down very slowly making hill climes a PAIN in the ASH! Get it wound up going up a grade, and try to grab the next gear, it would tach down so slowly that by the time you get lined up with the next gear the truck would loose so much speed that you would have to return to the gear that you just shifted out of. This was NOT a problem with the N-14 Cummins.

 

While out on the road I had the chance on test driving a truck with Cummins revolutionary Signature 600 600HP pulling, and a 600HP jake break, now that monster could haul 80,000 lbs from 0-60 in a very short time.

[Mike62356]

Yeah but I bet it still took it over 300 feet to get it stoped at 60 mph.

[whutthapho]

guizhou . sichuang and yunnan cross places lots of bandits, if nervous you will get caught and robbed.

 

Babba just not care . squash them under wheels or they run. i learnt to drive truck at 17 years old. no power steering. make us very tired in arms.

 

was good to travel though.

 

The prarie dogs better watch out...