This Freightliner look any good?

[Sterling_owner]

http://www.p3psales.com/equip_pics/1074608739.jpg

http://www.p3psales.com/inventory/61

2 1999 Sterling Semis
2000 Ford F650 24ft box truck

 

[Weave]

If you like the bouncy, bone jarring ride of the good 'ol cabover, I guess it looks pretty good. For a cabover
One and only thing I like about COE's is the high seating position- you get a bird's eye view of everything. Then you hit a bump...pow..your head hits the roof. A Wile E. Cyote style lump forms on the top of your head, and a few of your teeth fall out.
And yes, you guessed it, with all the aerodynamics of a barn door, expect fuel mileage in the "gallons per mile" range. Real fun to have to take anything that moves out of the cab, and crank the cab up just to check the condition of things under the hood- something that should be done daily. You can check and add oil and washer fluid without lifting the cab, but that is about it. That climb up into the thing is a joy on snowy or icy days. Did anybody know that the main reason for driver turnover at Schneider and JB Hunt years back was because of the cabover tractors they used to use? It's true- they are every bit the fun machines they look like!
-Weave-
...cabovers-- trucks for trucking companies that hate truck drivers...

 

[Sterling_owner]

hmmm Thanks again weave. The role of the truck is just a backup truck. Today our one truck was doing the texas run and the other truck had to do 6 local loads. Our drivers have been running the one truck 16 hours today. Just need it for days like this, split it between two trucks and we have a 8 hour day.

2 1999 Sterling Semis
2000 Ford F650 24ft box truck

 

[Weave]

If it's cheap and runs good, it would be a good backup. Most of them old cabovers have wound up at farms and driving schools.
-Weave-

 

[BigBusBob]

Sterling Owner, I have to put my 2 cents in here. I've driven Cabover Box trucks. Hauled glassware to wholesale clubs all over the S.E. US-mainly FL & Southern GA & Southern AL. Key word is Hauled-past tense. They're great for tight runs in tight towns/cities, long distance though? I would not want to go back to running in a cab over truck 1,500+ miles a week, let alone 2,000+ miles in a week, and I've done both & then some. They are great in traffic for turning because you have a great turning radius-most of the time. However-if something needs to be checked under that cab-nearly daily-you have to put everything that moves on the floor in the front-or on the dashboard-OR-On the Street. Why? Why Not? if it's not bolted down/tied down then it's going to end up there anyways. I will say this-you can put a cabover box truck many places that a conventional can simply only look at from a distance. You can swing a cabover around turns that conventionals would have to make a 2 or 3 point turn to make it. I've seen CabOvers with the front axles set behind the drivers seat though-maybe look into them as they'll give you an even tighter turning radius. Are you looking for a sleeper or a regular day cab or what? How and when exactly do plan on using this...as I can almost guarantee your drivers will most likely like it in the begining perhaps. However over time and/or overall-you probably won't have happy/healthy drivers with this truck and/or a cabover truck. That cabover looks to have a small wheelbase, how big of a box do you think you'd be putting on there? While I'm on a roll, AASleeper has pics on their site of what looks to be a Mitsubishi C/O truck with a sleeper & it looks like you just unboot the sleeper thats mounted behind the cab & tilt the cab-there may be something for you to look into as well.
ok, I think thats all-thats enough isn't it?!
Later, Bob.

 

[BigBusBob]

One more thing Sterling...Leg Room, if you have a tall driver of 6 foot plus-and/or you yourself are-get in the drivers seat of these cab overs into a driving position & sit back & see just how much room you really have-then jump back in your sterling and count your blessings. Remember, a happy driver makes for a happy company. You'll find yourself wanting to unbolt the seat & sit against the backwall on a milk crate to try & get leg room in some cabovers.

 

[Sterling_owner]

This would be truly for local runs under 200 miles and would do maybe 1 run to texas a year. It would be a backup truck for when the sterlings are in for repair or when we have to much work for two trucks to handle. Btw this would be used as a semi truck, no plans to make it in to a expiditor.

2 1999 Sterling Semis
2000 Ford F650 24ft box truck

 

[louixo]

The first 3 trucks I had in my long trucking career, were cabovers. We ran team and did tradeshows and electronics. Last one (12 years ago) was a K-whopper big cab...plenty of room...ran great...but a real pain to sleep in on the move. They do bounce. Add to that, when you shut down in the summer, it takes a while to cool down the sleeper, as the engine is right underneath. Then there is the hassle of lifting the cab for any maintenance, other than fluid levels. It´s a good truck for a single, that doesn´t have to sleep while moving, and doesn´t mind a little extra work, and wants to save some money. They are cheap if you can find a decent one. It was useful getting into tight docks in hotels and convention centers, but most conventionals could do the same, except for the custom jobs. The saying back then was , "if there was an accident, you would be the first one there". Also, they were no fun to bobtail any distance. It´s no wonder they went the way of the Edsel.