Hello From Tacoma!

Welcome to the forum.

When you have a chance you might want to take a look at the TT starter-kit. Establishing a realistic set of expectations and knowledge base is really important as you move through the challenges of getting your CDL and landing your first job. The following links will definitely enable your potential for success.

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road Training Program

I read your point on classic trucks...same page as you. However, when learning and depending on the type of job, a long-nose/long-wheelbase tractor can be a difficult critter to maneuver in tight spots. For highway cruising though and overall esthetics...hard pressed to argue.

Good luck!

If you really want to get a good perspective on being an O/O, go over to the Love's in Fife and talk to the can haulers pulling freight in and out of the Port. And take special note of just how old and decrepit most of their trucks are. There's more duct tape in that parking lot than a Red Green episode.

If you really want to get a good perspective on being an O/O, go over to the Love's in Fife and talk to the can haulers pulling freight in and out of the Port. And take special note of just how old and decrepit most of their trucks are. There's more duct tape in that parking lot than a Red Green episode.

It makes me wonder who is BUYING all these NEW classic-look trucks? Peterbilt, Freightliner, International and Kenworth all have at least one conventional "classic-model" long-nose tractor in their respective lines. Are these exclusively purchased by rich men who want some big diesel toy and don't really have to rely on serious truck driving to secure a living? It almost seems like they are contradictory to themselves like plunking down tens of thousand of dollars on new Corvettes and Harley-Davidsons. Too bulky to move around in tight areas and too expensive to be practical for serious blue-collar profit-making in the first place.

Many construction companies have long-nose conventionals as dump trucks and low-boy haulers. You almost never see a "euro-look" rig pulling a bulldozer with oversize-load escort vehicles. American logging trucks are almost always a classic tractor.

It makes me wonder who is BUYING all these NEW classic-look trucks? Peterbilt, Freightliner, International and Kenworth all have at least one conventional "classic-model" long-nose tractor in their respective lines. Are these exclusively purchased by rich men who want some big diesel toy and don't really have to rely on serious truck driving to secure a living?

99 times out of 100, they're the guys who literally live in their truck. They don't have a house, an apartment, a car, or any possessions that aren't portable. They might use a friend or relative as a mailing address to establish residency, but they don't--or can't--take time off to go visit. They probably don't take more than 3 or 4 days off in a year. Some people actually enjoy that kind of lifestyle.

Many construction companies have long-nose conventionals as dump trucks and low-boy haulers. You almost never see a "euro-look" rig pulling a bulldozer with oversize-load escort vehicles. American logging trucks are almost always a classic tractor.

The reason most specialized heavy-haul trucks tend to be the long nose Petes and KWs is because you can get those with the big 600-700 hp Cat motors and 18 speed gearboxes in them. Your standard issue 500 hp Cascadia with a 10 speed is going to have a helluva time even getting moving with a 200,000 lb excavator behind it.