That was just a couple of things on the list.That guy now works for a local grocery company that stills has it's quirks but they treat their drivers good and maintain the equipment. He managed to jackknife in a snowstorm and ripped the cab off the frame rails and he still has a job a year later.

 

they defuel the trucks to try to save fuel. they think if they limit the power then it will save fuel but that engine is working harder to get up the same hill as a truck that wasnt defueled. i guess they figure if it is turned down it will be less wear on the drive line but you more then likely have to drop 2 gears and there are very few drivers that can do that without "jumping" the driveline or grinding gears.

before people start saying "hey i dont do that" im referring to the majority of the company drivers that just came across the pond and jump into a truck. not the owner op guys

 

racer 9 is big time right on that one, as is motorboat, you first want to get in with the right folk not the corrupt kind, learn the ins and outs mechanically speaking with a big rig, their not overcomplicated just bigger. and their are many aspects and categories involved in trucking, OTR ain't your only option. lumber and agriculture biz is always up and down but if you want to do nitty gritty truck driving then get involved with those kinda folk.

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also and this is given make sure you can PROFESSIONALLY backup what you drive and haul. we had some dope from a delivery joint show up to drop off a part had one of the shorter trailers on his big rig with just the day cab. dude had tons of room to back-up first ten seconds he jackknifes it then proceeds to spend another fifteen minutes to back-up, when he was done he was crooked not even near the door. none of this is made up, i was half tempted to jump in the seat and back the SOB myself

 

Besides the many special tools required to fix them and that most normal truck shops won't touch them because of it? They're decent trucks.

 

Most of the guys from across the pond(mostly western Europe) have never experienced a real transmission. Over there the majority of class 8 trucks have clutch less auto-shifts or synchronized transmissions and they are never taught how to properly drive our stuff. I've seen it first hand at truckstops a guy blocking the intersection because he can't find a gear to get in.

 

Then they fit in with all the other gear jammers . Then again when I was working overseas as a contractor I replaced many a trans an American driver tore all the hell because they where driving a European truck like it was an American truck. They never would listen when we told then how they should drive it. Why should they I'm just a mechanic and they didn't pay for it so they didn't care.

 

I'll admit that I'm guilty of that. We had an old White-GMC with a volvo drivetrain and I about destroyed that gearbox before I figured out how to use it,shifted like a sports car after that.

 

Lol it's all good. You are ahead of the pack you figured out that there is a correct way of using that particular truck. Not all the same are they? I will say this I was impressed with volvos over there. Not many problems. Mercedes makes a good truck too. The trans is the week link on those. Just gota be carful driving them. Engines made good power though they seem to break at the wrist pins.

 

Just out of curiosity,how good are the scania's? I know people love them there but i've also heard that they are overrated.

 

To be honest with you I never touched one so I couldn't tell you.