bbigrig

The prices for gliders and the cost to change over wasn't so bad about 5 years ago. The manufacturers and dealers that up fit the gliders have taken advantage of customer demands. It's the usual make every dollar you can off of those who are trying to make a dollar. Most of the older technology has long been proven more reliable. It's the added expenses of repairing and maintaining dpf's and scr systems that will negatively effect your fuel mileage savings as units get older. Gone are the days when you mostly only worried about when your engine was going to need an overhaul. Now it's all of the failed components, sensor and wiring issues in between that can hurt a profit margin.

Too bad, in Canada you can't import a Glider that is less then 7 years old. I know lots of guys that want to import some Fitzgerald build ups but the government through up the road blocks back in January. If it comes up as an unfinished glider and there is a transferable old vin to the Glider vin it can be done. Otherwise we have been shut out of that market. No transferable Vin, it ha to have current emissions in the newly built Glider. Sucks.

Another customer in Ontario had 2 CL643's with 60" midrise bunks. 1 burned, the other he turned into a daycab gravel tractor. La Rue Haulage in Ravenshoe Ontario. Wanted to buy the daycab years ago but the truck was rougher then I expected so we decided not to. 430 series 60. Available as a spec from '93 to'96

Same Jerry that ordered 5 CL643's with 60 series Detroit's . Only took delivery of 2. My Father knew Jerry. He use to come into Toronto Mack for stuff a fair bit.

Did he not have another unit that was similar with a 102" sleeper? Jerry Doucett or something like that? Was this his other unit he ordered?

Congrats!

Pay isn't the issue. Entitlement before a days work is even finished seems to be the biggest hurdle. I'm from the same school of thought on trucks and their specs. It's a people problem. I wrenched in a fleet of over 1500 Volvo's at one time, I'm quite aware of the bullcrap that it's cab and sleeper and internal components are more complex and more difficult to work on. That is why we held off on getting a Volvo for so long. Macks cab and internals are far simpler and easier to maintain. But without drivers who enjoy their surroundings, you have nothing.

I've updated out fleet a few times in the last 5 years. We now have Macks that get better fuel economy with more break downs that are twice as expensive for every breakdown. By chance, we have also come to find our dealers in the area are less responsive to our needs because every customer they have is making the same complaints. Our drivers are happy with the performance of our newer Macks but complain about sleeper space. One of our drivers pleaded with us to get him a VN780, even he knew that the only difference is the cab and sleeper to our Pinnacles. Let's just say from his 2013 Mack to the VN he is much happier. If I could get drivers to drive 90's and older Macks I would change the entire fleet back and enjoy the bigger profit margin. Big Customer contracts and spoiled drivers demand newer units in our fleet, not economics and common sense. Well played Volvo, the demise of Mack's individuality is coming closer by the day. (fishhook, you sound like a focus group asking questions about you own product)

With the ridiculous pricing and reliability issues that comes standard on pretty much every make and model of "New" class 8 truck on the market......Ummmmmm, No.

Both engines are made in Hagerstown. If it's a Volvo problem, it's a Mack problem.

I had stainless installed in 2 of my 08's and had a couple fail a few years later. Don't think they were installed right on those ones. One of my 2013's had the stainless cups replaced at 36,000kms. It's hit and miss. It's a couple of grand to have them done, buy the truck and budget it into the purchase price. While your guy is in there he can check for fretted/cracked injector tips. Had a few of those on our 08-09 CXU's with MP8's.

Does it not need to be reprogrammed by the dealer after a clutch replacement?

We just sold one of our 2013 CXU's. I don't want to even mention what it was replaced by but it's pre SCR. If I could find guys to drive older Macks that's all of our fleet would be. Damn steering wheel holders these days have no pride, just entitlement. You cannot import a Glider kit to Canada unless it is a minimum of 6 years old. They just changed the rules in January. I will have to post the new Canadian rules when I get a chance. Guys up here were bringing them in like crazy to skirt the emissions regs. Canada pretty much shut all the loop holes up recently.

The MP8 is in wide use hauling Max gross weights across Canada and seems to be doing well considering it's a 13L engine. The 16 liter motors do much better but few up here are willing to shell out the extra coin on the Titan. Yes a Titan can be ordered with a "custom" sleeper and still be within legal lengths to haul "B"train combos. It couldn't be more then 60" in length. So the factory sleeper would be well within the limits. Most who need the big power order a Volvo instead getting the 16L motor and a factory installed 60". Midrise bunk.

Superliner Bumper Chromed no fog light holes Part# MM0613 (HDR prefix for Hendrickson bumper). 7 in stock in Chicago parts depot. Approx $650 Canadian. Price went up since last year.

Just memories. Sorry Bro. She was pretty rotten. Old Canadian Alumi Bunk. She was pretty stank.

These Volvo test trucks are I shift with D13 power 435hp. The drivers love them.

I would love to buy a Renault Magnum. Just for the hell of it. Robert Transport has the 2 Volvo FH cabovers running up here still. They have been doing well. Just the 24V system hasn't been a big issue. They just installed converters from 24-12 just for hooking to trailers.

It was damaged beyond repair by the Hiab crane that was mounted behind the bunk. It's been smushed already.

I think I answered your question on FB this morning. Sit tight, I will have your part # by this evening. Hendrickson part # at half the price of the Mack part. Same bumper. Should be a couple left in the Mack system.

Mack and Volvo share the same components and design, so same problems with either make. It really doesn't matter what you buy new, every manufacturer is having issues with their product. 90% of those issues are egr/exhaust after treatment related. May as well buy what gives you some pride in ownership. The EPA is going to shut the door on glider kits soon. Everything is getting it's fair share in check engine lights these days.

The Canadian military has very rarely ever ordered the same vehicles or products that the US has in inventory when it comes to vehicles. It has always seemed strange even to Canadian Armed Forces mechanics I know that have done tours in Iraq and Afghanistan that there is very little in the way of standardization between next door neighbors and there war zone fleets. Considering it would be nice to borrow a part or 2 between neighbors when some breaks down in the middle of a dessert. Canadian military fleet tender writers think they know better then their US counter parts. Meh.

On the flip side, a large Ontario customer in the 80's use to pull the gold Bulldogs off on delivery because they kept getting stolen and had chrome ones installed.

We use to order Midliners with Gold dogs for goodness sakes. Superdog has it right! Keep in mind everyone,for the last 35 years you could order a Gold dog off of the assembly line or have it installed on delivery just because you wanted a Gold dog. It's always been an option.

Mack Australia was a whole different ball of wax. Somehow, their engineering dept. Could dream something one night and start testing it by morning. There were Canadian customers that were willing to spend the money to purchase Australian designed Titans etc in the early 2000's just to get a heavy Mack. Those customers were basically told it will be too expensive and couldn't be converted to a left hand drive to be imported. Mack Australia seemed to be more in touch with customer needs and knew that without the customers input and design there was no product to sell. Canada's market mirrored Australia's minus the heat. Sure we do a lot of cross border freight that would require a similar spec to what's available in the US, but once we lost our engineering in Oakville assembly it seemed we had more in common with the always ahead of the curve Australian engineering.