New Truck Or Change Company

Isaac, I can get that you aren't wild about these safety features but I can't imagine they are costing you that much time.

The fueling issue seems odd, and may be an issue. I would track your mpgs, newer freightliners should be getting at least 8 or 9 mpg. Your company will be highly motivated to fix that if not.

Can you override the following distance sensor by putting your foot on the pedal? That's how I deal with merging traffic and such where I don't want it to slow me down, but it's a different company.

Regardless, I think you may be overestimating how much time those safety features are costing you. It's like when somebody gets all hot and bothered running through a construction zone 10 mph below the speed limit because the truck in front of them is going slow. Even if that zone is 20 miles long, they lost 3.3 minutes off their day. I just don't see how those issues could add up to hours (although extra fuel stops would definitely add some serious time).

Matt, i will conceded a couple points. First, i understand this is not truck exclusive. This is on everybody's truck not just mine.

Secondly, 2hours is probably an exaggeration, but running reefer means appointment times or coming back after reschedule and mess up all further trips.

However, i disagree with you on the amount of time you lose. Sure, I'm losing speed on a 20 mile stretch of road i wouldn't care, however losing 5mph in 10 hours is 50 miles. Multiply that twice because our trips sometimes need both of our clocks so that's 100 miles lost. Going 65 mph that's like 1.5 hours. I think that may is right although i may need errol to check my work.

Isaac, I can get that you aren't wild about these safety features but I can't imagine they are costing you that much time.

The fueling issue seems odd, and may be an issue. I would track your mpgs, newer freightliners should be getting at least 8 or 9 mpg. Your company will be highly motivated to fix that if not.

Can you override the following distance sensor by putting your foot on the pedal? That's how I deal with merging traffic and such where I don't want it to slow me down, but it's a different company.

Regardless, I think you may be overestimating how much time those safety features are costing you. It's like when somebody gets all hot and bothered running through a construction zone 10 mph below the speed limit because the truck in front of them is going slow. Even if that zone is 20 miles long, they lost 3.3 minutes off their day. I just don't see how those issues could add up to hours (although extra fuel stops would definitely add some serious time).

With my company pushing the accelerator in overrides the OnGuard/Assurance. Just set cruise the keep your foot on the peddle. Problem solved. You can also make the OnGuard not work by having either a dirty sensor or covering it during truck start up. But, you didn't hear that from me. ;)

I run reefer too, and if the truck is costing you 50 miles a drive shift, or close to an hour, then I would agree that you have a problem.

I run team with the wife at Prime, and we have a freightliner with most of the same features (locked into economy mode yada yada). I dont like a lot of these features, and the truck is a dog taking off. But when I look at our miles they are the same as my manual before. If we are straight running for a day, we are gonna cover around 1300 miles in that 24 hour period. Give or take a little for traffic and such, but that's a pretty common number for us when we're doing cross country runs. That is governed at 62 mph. That has not changed at all with the economy mode automatic. Now you may have had a bad arse Pete (I've only driven freightliners), but if they are governed the same speed and you aren't driving the Rocky Mountains all day long it shouldn't make much of a difference.

If the truck is slowing you down here and there, doesn't pull hills quite as well as the old truck, I could see 10 or 15 minutes in a drive shift. I just cant understand those little things costing you 5mph over a 10 hour drive period. There has to be something more to it.

Is your truck an automatic? Our newer 2017 Petes have the Collison mitigating system but it's only active if the cruise is on ( no idea about an auto). I never run muy cruise and it's since been shut off because it was having issues and putting on an oversized banner drives it crazy.

Thanks for your responses matt. It's a great help knowing your truck is the same way as mine. I'm pretty much going to suck it up. I think i got spoiled with the pete, lol.

I run reefer too, and if the truck is costing you 50 miles a drive shift, or close to an hour, then I would agree that you have a problem.

I run team with the wife at Prime, and we have a freightliner with most of the same features (locked into economy mode yada yada). I dont like a lot of these features, and the truck is a dog taking off. But when I look at our miles they are the same as my manual before. If we are straight running for a day, we are gonna cover around 1300 miles in that 24 hour period. Give or take a little for traffic and such, but that's a pretty common number for us when we're doing cross country runs. That is governed at 62 mph. That has not changed at all with the economy mode automatic. Now you may have had a bad arse Pete (I've only driven freightliners), but if they are governed the same speed and you aren't driving the Rocky Mountains all day long it shouldn't make much of a difference.

If the truck is slowing you down here and there, doesn't pull hills quite as well as the old truck, I could see 10 or 15 minutes in a drive shift. I just cant understand those little things costing you 5mph over a 10 hour drive period. There has to be something more to it.

Haha may be! Every once in awhile a company driver here scores a Pete, but we run mostly freightliners. Hope I get to try one someday.

If you seem to be running tighter on your schedules I would do some careful monitoring of the miles you are getting per shift and discuss with your dispatcher if need be. Keep a close eye on what your student is getting done while you sleep too. Maybe they are taking more breaks or running slower when you don't have an eye on em. They probably won't cover quite as many miles as you do, but if it's top gear running the interstate they should be close.

With my company pushing the accelerator in overrides the OnGuard/Assurance. Just set cruise the keep your foot on the peddle. Problem solved. You can also make the OnGuard not work by having either a dirty sensor or covering it during truck start up. But, you didn't hear that from me. ;)

Yeah the OnGuard just hit the pedal.

For the Jake on coasting....just hit the button to turn the Jake off. Both my Pete and FL would allow me to turn off the Jake and coast if the cruise is officers. With the cruise on, the Jakes engaged once I hit above 10mph over the cruise setting. I'm not sure I understand what you mean.

My concern is if you leave a job you are happy with only to find the same issues at another company then you solved nothing.

As far as the fuel, my 2015 FL usually got 1000-1200 miles on a full tank (8mpg). My 2016 is now at about 1300-1400 (9mpg) miles on a full tank. When my mpg dropped it was a clogged fuel filter and fuel line. They took care of it and VROOM. I was rolling again.

What are you considering "a full drive shift"? If you are saying you got 500 miles on 50gals that is 1500 miles on a tank of 150gals? Which would be 10mpg average? Or 550 miles which would be 1650 miles? Which is 11mpg?

Rick correct my numbers if I just figured that out wrong....but it seems to me if the companies could get 11mpg loaded climbing hills then we would all be driving Pete's.

Are you sure about your numbers?

I just changed trucks and I hated it. And went from a FL to FL. I'm getting used to I now. Maybe you just need Ij to adjust?

I know its not your trip planning etc cause you are awesome at that. Maybe its just I'm used to FL. I be also only ever driven manuals and am dreading the automatic.

Isaac maybe once you've had more time in the new ride, get used to it, things will improve for you. My first foray with an auto and On-Guard was an adjustment. Once I learned the whole system, became familiar with it, I actually prefer it now.

Good luck.

To the original poster, I also work for Werner on a dedicated out of VT....you could talk to your FM and raise your concerns, and see if they could check to see if you could get to a terminal that has a truck you would like. Springfield, OH has KW's, Dallas has PB's, etc.... The worst thing that your FM will say is that Fleet assignment said no or you'll have to wait until your current truck reaches whatever magic number they use for mileage....

If your FM and Fleet Assignment say yes, then your FM will have to find you a load to the terminal where you'll pick up the truck... That could entail either a load from your dedicated site, a load from Werner's board, or a load from a broker. From what I have seen from the trainers I met, they try to keep you all in newer equipment.....