Connecticut Construction Trucks

[Red Horse]

On 10/11/2025 at 11:05 AM, james j neiweem said:

I thought those Granites looked familiar.I wonder how long Tilcon will keep the Granites. It would be a shame to see them all replaced with Paccars. Nice to see Macks in the Tilcon fleet again. I think the last ones were RD's and a couple of CL's. I see they have the new 300 numbering units. I wonder if the original 200 numbering units were in the sale. It didn't take long for Tilcon to give them Tilcon numbers. For those who don't know Tilcon is owned by Irelands New Castle. More buying up of America!

How true.  Wish I understood the economics that makes this work for the Europeans????

[Red Horse]

On 10/12/2025 at 7:04 PM, blackdog2 said:

Roger Sherman Riggers!  I remember being at my grandparents house on Rt 5  sitting on steps "truck watching"- a good sighting was a chain drive Roger Sherman go by.  Another one was a "straddle carrier" going by with a full load of lumber.  Talk about chain drive noise.  In my memory the driver and engine/drive train was about 8 feet or more in the air so the chains to the driving axle must have been 6 ft or more- 12ft+ total.  

[blackdog2]

[blackdog2]

21 hours ago, Red Horse said:

Roger Sherman Riggers!  I remember being at my grandparents house on Rt 5  sitting on steps "truck watching"- a good sighting was a chain drive Roger Sherman go by.  Another one was a "straddle carrier" going by with a full load of lumber.  Talk about chain drive noise.  In my memory the driver and engine/drive train was about 8 feet or more in the air so the chains to the driving axle must have been 6 ft or more- 12ft+ total.  

Suzio has another Roger-Sherman crane with a double steer witch was built in house .......Another Hallamore take over back in the day....

[Dave8069]

Been lurking on this thread for a while, new account just made.

Wanted to add to the original post of Tilcons acquisition of American Industries. Snapped this pic a few days ago of one of AI's Macks (with new Tilcon look) off I95 during an ongoing paving project.

Always seen American Industries as dominating the Eastern side of CT when it came to state resurfacing projects. Hoping they keep the red Macks for a while.

[blackdog2]

On 10/14/2025 at 9:03 PM, Red Horse said:

How true.  Wish I understood the economics that makes this work for the Europeans????

Tilcon called Gabrielle truck sale's wanting to sit down and spec out some truck's and ask if somebody  could stop down ........and there comment was were here .........so called Pete not Kenelworth  also owned by Gabrielle in Conn in witch a lot of Mack fleet's are switching to Kenyworthless truck's selling multi brand's out of 1-dealership ......? 

[Red Horse]

1 hour ago, blackdog2 said:

Tilcon called Gabrielle truck sale's wanting to sit down and spec out some truck's and ask if somebody  could stop down ........and there comment was were here .........so called Pete not Kenelworth  also owned by Gabrielle in Conn in witch a lot of Mack fleet's are switching to Kenyworthless truck's selling multi brand's out of 1-dealership ......? 

Well I may have an interesting story..Local guy, very successfull  small excavator.  Started buying Petes.  Last one a triaxle.  then I go by the yard the otherday and the Pete-like a year old now is not there and looks like a new Granite is there.?????

But fact remains..seems like all the old  Mack construction fleets now have new Paccars🤔

[Joey Mack]

When I was a new driver I came off the road after 1 year + and went local with a prominent construction company in Scarborough Maine. I learned how to drive!!! I drove 1975 -1979 R's and DM's. 9 spd, 12 spd. And twin stick 107's..  fast forward 25 years.... Those old Dogs were hard working trucks that could take a beating, and give me a beating at the same time.. Just my thoughts born from only a few years working Macks in the dirt... 

[mowerman]

Joey Mack’s were never known for comfortable ride lol also around here alotta Pete fleets are switching to western star. I’m hearing the new Pete’s have gone down hill with way too much downtime due to recalls… bob

[Joey Mack]

Bob. That was one of my points. Designed to work.  Not give me a Caddilac ride.  Luv u bud..

[other dog]

2 hours ago, Joey Mack said:

Bob. That was one of my points. Designed to work.  Not give me a Caddilac ride.  Luv u bud..

Yes they were. One of many things that annoy me on Facebook is when somebody posts a picture of an old truck and somebody will always comment "makes my back hurt just looking at it". They probably never even drove one, but they gotta criticize it anyway. I expected a truck to ride like a truck, because it was a truck, and it never bothered me.

[mowerman]

lol thats one of the finer points LNT 9000 fords,,,,nice and bouncy,,,,and yes thats what most us were into 

[Mark T]

1 hour ago, other dog said:

Yes they were. One of many things that annoy me on Facebook is when somebody posts a picture of an old truck and somebody will always comment "makes my back hurt just looking at it". They probably never even drove one, but they gotta criticize it anyway. I expected a truck to ride like a truck, because it was a truck, and it never bothered me.

Those trucks made better drivers too.

[70mackMB]

1 hour ago, other dog said:

Yes they were. One of many things that annoy me on Facebook is when somebody posts a picture of an old truck and somebody will always comment "makes my back hurt just looking at it". They probably never even drove one, but they gotta criticize it anyway. I expected a truck to ride like a truck, because it was a truck, and it never bothered me.

Before we were married (42 yrs ago) we turned Baltimore twice (sometimes three times) a week from NH and or central Maine. '77 R model with a 300+, 10 spd RR, with 38,000 camel backs, 36" crawl thru bunk, and manual steering. Man we were styling l don't care what you say! lol BUT the truck that made me all the money was an ex Yellow Brigadier. 270 Cummins, 7 spd, another manual steering with solid (Non-any ride) seat. l painted it white and put six tires on it and ran the wheels off of it doing local P&D freight! Oh how we could go back to when it was fun!😀     .....Hippy

[Geoff Weeks]

I found with flatbed any way, how well it rode depended on how well you loaded the trailer, far more than what suspension the truck had.

I did my share in a SWB Fleetstar on walking beam. Also had a SWB cabover on 4 spring. Load over the axles and not "belly loaded" and the truck will ride fine.

Fleetstar only had a T bar seat, empty and a good frost heave will send you, but loaded well it rode fine.

If your playing in the dirt, it doesn't matter what suspension, you are off road, and you are going to feel it.

[terry]

My first dump truck in “73” was a B 421 six cylinder gas with a baby quad, drove it for one year for another guy, bought it and drove it for another year, then bought a B61 , 711 with a turbo ,triplex trans, tractor, stretched it for a dump box and put p/s on it and drove it for ten years, then bought a DM487 had a scania with automatic, pulled all that out, then put a 237 with a quad, ran that for quite a few years, then got real ambitious and done a newer cab, 285 engine with a mack 12 speed, and a whole different cutoff 4:17’s with camel backs, i could bury that 80MPH speedometer, engine would turn 2300.  Terry. 

Edited October 19 by terry

[blackdog2]

[Red Horse]

4 hours ago, blackdog2 said:

Talk about high center of gravity? If that tank was half empty can you imagine going into a turn too fast??

Then again it probably couldn't "go to fast"

[mowerman]

a couple of my uncles started on trucks like that,,,,rough way to travel..bob

[blackdog2]

37 minutes ago, Red Horse said:

Talk about high center of gravity? If that tank was half empty can you imagine going into a turn too fast??

Then again it probably couldn't "go to fast"

Better Head pressure ?

 

[james j neiweem]

Yes if you were lucky enough to have survived the turn.

[Red Horse]

21 hours ago, james j neiweem said:

Yes if you were lucky enough to have survived the turn.

For sure..We had a training slideshow called "Mass in Motion".  Showed a liquid load when tank was say half empty.  Truck at rest, and the liquid load would be a level line from side to ride.  Then say you went into a right hand turn.  That "level line" would creep up on the left hand side of the tank, shifting the center of gravity closer to the left.  And the faster and tighter the turn, the worse it became and the end result would often be a rollover. You wouldn't think you had to explain that to a driver.  And the same would apply if you had a peddle load and the discharge manifold allowed you to open multiple compartments.  Instead of draining one completely and taking a lesser amount out of the other compartment  to minimize "slop", you had two compartments adding to the risk.

And sad fact, it applies to freight that is not secured in a box...." the load shifted" said the dumb ass driver to the news camera!🤔

[blackdog2]

Tilcon..

[mechohaulic]

17 minutes ago, blackdog2 said:

Tilcon..

triple C's got quite a bit of use back then, remember them not only the mixer version , also the dumps as picture shows.