Would You Choose A Freightliner, Volvo, Or International?
Topic 30700 | Page 1
Take the truck they assign you and go make money with it.
They are all the same, Volvo is just a bit better :-)
This is a bit of a difficult question to answer. The main reason being that every company sets the parameters on their trucks differently. Left at factory settings and depending a bit on configuration, the Volvo will definitely pull hills better under load than Freightliner and a little better than the International. The newer Volvo is also a bit more reliable overall than the other two for several reasons but that’sa really long post that would get a bit technical lol. I drive a Volvo and it’s really a pretty nice truck. The turning radius is pretty well unmatched, gets decent fuel economy and out trucks are untouched in the computer department so even maxed out, I out climb the majority of other company vehicles. Honestly, if you can drive one, you can drive them all and just starting out, the goal is consistency so don’t worry too much about other particulars just yet.
They are all the same, Volvo is just a bit better :-)
Well, hmmm..........................I'll take a Pedigreed Bulldog behind a Petercar ANYDAY! Others? .. idk.... lol!
~ Anne ~
They are all the same, Volvo is just a bit better :-)
Well, hmmm..........................I'll take a Pedigreed Bulldog behind a Petercar ANYDAY! Others? .. idk.... lol!
~ Anne ~
Mack now uses a Volvo power train
I've driven all of them. I prefer the Volvo. You just can't get a better turning radius than the Volvo provides. I like the Volvo engine and transmission. Everything Robert says is true. It's hard to guarantee your experience will be similar to ours. These companies set the parameters and limits on their various trucks how they want. That affects everything about the way it pulls and performs out here under varying conditions.
New Frieghtshakers are seemingly plagued with electrical problems and overly sensitive sensors lots of downtime and headaches. IMO International is a better product.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
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Morning folks! I start with Western Express on Monday and I know they run Freightliners, Volvos, and Internationals. Of course I’m well aware I may not have a choice in my truck assignment, but if I do, which would you go with and why?
I trained on a Freightliner, so I have experience with how they handle. When I ran solo I had a Peterbilt, which I will miss dearly, but move on I must lol. Aside from the fact that my Pete was an aesthetically beautiful rig, I feel that its tight turning radius (compared to the Freight) made me a much better backer. I had to be much more precise in my setup and steering (not that we don’t always, of course), so my backing skills dramatically improved in a very short time frame as a result of the less responsive steering. The downside was that my first week out, I simply wasn’t prepared for how little the steering responded on turns compared to a Freight, so I had to back up once or twice to clear a few turns. Yikes! I also feel that the Pete had a stronger transmission on grades; the two Freights I trained on seemed to struggle a bit more.
A Volvo and International I have no experience with, so I’d love to hear from those of you who do. Old School, don’t you drive a Volvo? I know better from this site not to believe the BS you hear from other drivers at truck stops, but I’ve met a few drivers who had Internationals and they really didn’t care for them.
What are your thoughts?
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.