|
About Me
I'm the Pickups host here at Edmunds CarSpace.com - be sure to check out the Pickups forums if you have or are interested in one!
Recent Posts
Categories
CarSpace
The Big Rigs
We're gonna talk about the big ones... trucks and buses that require those 3 marker lights front and rear. Everything from dual rear wheel pickups to class 8 trucks to the bus that takes you to work.
Sorry to have been so long since the last entry... been a wild year for me.
Let's see, what's been going on?
Well, my friend Vikki who piloted the red Peterbilt in the left margin has opted from the trucking ranks. That Pete spent too much time in her driveway and not enough on the highway. And when you're paid by the mile, that isn't gonna cut it, even for a company driver. So she returned the rig to headquarters this summer and has gone on to other work, although she is keeping her CDL just in case.
I stayed away from commenting on the Chrysler and GM bankruptcies (at least here -- I did comment elsewhere at Edmunds), but since they're out and re-establishing themselves, I will say this much... I think Chrysler under Marchionne has a far better chance than GM under Henderson. GM still has too many layers, too many executives from the past, and they are still trying to live on the old mantra of "as GM goes, so goes America." News flash, GM... America moved on without you a while ago. Marchionne assumed control of Chrylser to find a company that had not begun development of anything smaller than the next 300/Charger in nearly 3 years. But unlike the old multi-layered management structure of decision makers, Marchionne put in place a culture of fast action. He gave the design and engineering teams just 18 months to refresh the Avenger and Sebring - normally a 36 month project - which will get freshened product into the mainstream until the fully redesigned models on Fiat platforms can be implemented. GM has tried to look "lean" by dropping or selling brands, while they hang their hopes on a $40K electric compact. Yeah, that'll work.
Getting back to trucks, the 2010 Ram HD models are in production, the 2011 Ford Super Duty line was revealed in September for a winter start-up (somewhere around February 2010), and GM... oh yeah, remember them from the above paragraph... will hope that their production stock holds up because between January and March, they will be unable to produce any HD diesel engines. The Cummins used by Dodge was 2010-legal back in 2007. Ford is changing engine suppliers from International to in-house, so they can be up to speed with new engine prouction when the old engines run out. But GM has to shut down the Duramax plant and retool in order to make their 2010-legal engine - which means if a Chevy or GMC dealer doesn't have the HD pickup someone wants in stock, they're going to go to a Dodge or Ford dealer with the ability to custom-order the truck that meets their needs. Way to plan, GM.
As for the 2010 Ram vs the 2011 Super Duty... the 2010 Ram is a brand new body on a proven chassis with a proven powertain. The 2011 SD is a new front clip on a proven chassis (the cab and bed have been unchanged since the Super Duty line was introduced in January 1998 as early 99 models) and a completely new engine and transmission. Leem tell ya - in the world of trucks from class 2 and up, no one minds a new body if they trust the metal underneath. This will be Ford's third new engine launch in 6 years... and Dearborn better hope they get this one right, becauise the 6.0 and 6.4 Internationals hit the streets with lots of documented problems.
Could be the perfect storm that allows Chrysler to generate badly needed revenue until all the new cars are ready. Stay tuned.
 As the former owner of a 1996 Ram 3500 and the present owner of a 2005 Ram 3500, I've been awaiting this introduction for quite some time. It was going to determine whether I hung on to my 05 or started saving for a new one.
In my blog post on the 2009 Ram 1500, I noted three things that I hoped would appear on the 2010 Ram HD, and it looks like I scored on all three. The front bumper is indeed fully separate from the body (unlike the 1500) so that auxiliary equipment like plows and winches can be installed easily. The ST model offers an all-vinyl interior that you can get dirty. And the front springs in particular have been uprated and it now appears that they may permit a snow-plow package for the diesel pickups (a Dodge first, Ford has offered it for years).
As for the truck itself...
Likes:
I like the overall design appearance. Even though the cab is the same as the 1500 introduced last year, the HD doesn't have a "consumer" truck look to it.
I am very pleased to see that Dodge followed GM's lead and is using a steel integral fender on the dual-rear-wheel trucks. Ditching the bolt-on fiberglass fenders makes for a cleaner appearance, more paint options, better build quality, and better airflow.
I do like the more aggressive hood and grille. The 1500 has a smoother rounded look, while the HD has a chiseled grille, taller hood with extra clearance for the Cummins diesel, and even scalloped "louvers" on the sides.
The tow mirrors are slightly larger and incorporate a larger convex section. And I appreciate the return to black-faced gauges with white markings... I thought my white-face gauges on my 2005 were pretty cool when I got them, but after 4 years, that novelty wore off long ago, and depending on where the sun is, shadows can make them tricky to glance at.
Dislikes:
As I mentioned with the 1500, I'm no fan of single "uni-bulb" taillights. My 2005 has separate rear turn/hazard lights, which means people behind me have a better idea of what I'm about to do.
 While I like the hood itself, I am very displeased by what's under it. The underhood access on my 1996 was excellent. The 2005 is OK. Dodge knows full well these trucks use a LARGE inline six-cylinder diesel, so hood length should be taken into account during the design process. Not only is the underhood area more snug than my 05, but now they've added one of those huge black shrouds around the engine. I guess in their research, they forgot to ask how many HD truck owners do their own maintenance. When combined with the fact that the grille is no longer attached to the hood, anything in front of the engine (fan belt, etc.) will require the removal of this shroud... and I don't even want to think of what will happen if it's not tightly secured when it's reinstalled.
I'm a bit disappointed that the floor-shift for the 4x4 system is now limited to the base ST trim level and the off-road themed Power Wagon. I have always gotten the "comfortable" SLT trim level, but now that means I must have the electric dash control for 4WD. I had it on my 93 Ford F150, so I'm not a stranger to it, but I prefer the feel of that floor lever. (I know everything is computer-controlled anyway, but what the heck.)
Surprises:
 The Mega Cab is back! Who knew they were actually going to retain this, with the introduction of the new Crew Cab? But unlike the 1500, the HD line will no longer offer the Quad Cab (which is the equivalent to everyone else's extended cab model) - instead, they will offer the regular, Crew, and Mega cabs to the HD market. This makes Dodge the only truck manufacturer with 4 cab sizes.
Overall, I think Chrysler did a pretty good job on the redesign... I'll give them a solid B grade. Guess I should start socking away the money for a new Ram 3500 Crew Cab DRW 4x4... with the Cummins diesel of course!
A couple of good articles from the November/December issue of Road King magazine that are worth a look...
 Color Me Safe - High visibility seat belts encourage truckers to buckle up - more truck manufacturers are offering, and more operators are installing, brightly colored seat belts.
Trying Times - During some tough years this driver discovered his resolve to succeed - a 25-year veteran of the highway shares his experiences with health, family, and finances.
And of course, it's nice to report that diesel prices have dropped dramatically from this summer, although they have not matched the far steeper drop in the price of gasoline. In July, I paid a staggering $5.179 at my local station for diesel... just 4 months later, the price at the same station is down about 45% (around $2.95), and without too much effort, I can find it for quite a bit less than that - in the $2.60 range.
Thankfully, Vikki and her red Pete 379 have been on the road, although not nearly as much as a year or two ago. She said she was getting bored very quickly at home with the Pete in the driveway, instead of catching some z's in the sleeper at a truck stop. Even though fuel prices have come back down to more sensible levels and shipping rates have dropped the fuel surcharges, the economy means keeping tighter reins on the budget for people who need to get items from point A to point B. And with financing hard to come by, the buyers aren't there for the bigger ticket items that get shipped by 18-wheeler. So the loads aren't quite back up to snuff yet.
And more in line with my thoughts and wants, NAIAS is about a month away, and Chrysler is still scheduled to reveal the 2010 Dodge Ram heavy duty models, a direct replacement to what I have now. Hopefully, the automakers will be solvent enough to actually get to next month.
 TravelCenters of America (TA) and Pilot, two of the national truck stop chains, are reporting a few of their stations in upstate New York are selling diesel for (drumroll) $5.039 per gallon.
Let's stop and think about this for a moment.
A tractor-trailer pulls in and needs 200 gallon of diesel. That will cost over a thousand dollars at those stations. For ONE fill-up.
I don't care who you are, that's a lot of money.
And that price is being sent downhill to you, the consumer... simply because everything you buy is delivered by truck at some point in its journey - unless you're buying produce right at the farm and picking it yourself.
Fleets have resorted to adding/reprogramming governors on their trucks to reduce their top speed... it saves fuel but makes the trip longer, which doesn't negate the costs very much if at all. Trucks and truckers are now on the road longer, and if that slower speed cuts in just right, a delivery that could have been done in 2 driving shifts, may now require 3 (including that downtime that USDOT requires between driving shifts). Products now arrive a day later than before, and cost more anyway.
There was a poll today at CNN.com asking who is to blame for current pump prices...
- OPEC
- oil companies
- supply and demand
- [price increases] are unavoidable
At 10:49 pm Eastern on 5/22, nearly 95,000 votes had been recorded. Oil companies were first at 40%, supply and demand at 30%, OPEC at 23%, and unavoidable brought up the rear. What annoyed me was the fact that a 5th choice was conveniently left out... unregulated oil trading. Funds everywhere are grabbing oil as a hedge against the falling dollar value (it's traded worldwide in US dollars). With no regulation or oversight as with stocks or other commodities, that isn't contributing to the price rise? Waiter - reality check, please!
Try fueling a tractor-trailer these days. A few months back when diesel was around $3.35 or so, I was chatting with the pump jockey at my local station about the credit card shutoff... depending on the card, it will either stop at $75 or $100. He said "When the semis come in, I have to swipe that card 8 or 9 times."
An article at CNN.com today mentions the plight of the trucking industry and the rapidly escalating price of diesel fuel: CNNMoney.com 5/6/2008 - Think gas hurts? Try diesel. One of the stats in the article should make you take notice... "The American Trucking Association predicted that truckers will have to shell out $140 billion for diesel in 2008, sharply higher than the $112 billion they spent in 2007." I'll save you the trouble of grabbing a calculator - that's a 25% increase. And that gets passed on to the end user... eventually, that is John and Jane Average, who will be forced to absorb that increase in virtually everything they buy.
Vikki )driver of the red Peter on your left) said her company doesn't have as many loads as they did a year ago. In order to meet costs, they have to raise rates, and that means customers are now looking for whichever trucking outlet will do the job for less. But soon enough, even those who can afford to lowball will have to pony up at the pump. A fuel contract that locked in a low rate will eventually expire, and those suppliers will want to make up for their losses.
Unless a long term solution comes about, this isn't going to get any better for quite a while. Is algae-based biodiesel the answer? Food-crop biodiesel certainly isn't, as it will simply reduce the crop supply and cause food prices to spike. And biodiesel has yet to be standardized... if you have the equipment, you can "brew a batch" in the back yard.
Common sense tells me a tax suspension won't do much. What we need is a major increase in production and supply of a fuel that will do the job as well as petroleum-based diesel.. That's the only way prices will come down. Time will tell.
 CNNMoney.com - Diesel: The truck stops here
Yet another article about how diesel is affecting the trucking industry, and even makes note thatthe fleets are not exempt either...
"Federal Express may not like high diesel prices but they have no choice but to pay the numbers or shut down," Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at the Oil Price Information Service, wrote in a recent research note.
There is certainly the debate... and well-argued on both sides... whether the government needs to assist in some way. Whether or not they do, it's inevitable that prices are going to go up to account for the unusual price spike. It may be a temporary fuel surcharge or a permanent price change, but it's going to make this current economic downturn hurt even more.
Truckers ‘going broke’ and threatening to strike - Quad City Times 3/18/008
It's getting rough out there, and the independent trucker feels it the most. In the last month, I watched diesel rise at the station i use most often from $3.239 (Feb 12) to $3.959 (Mar 20). That's an increase of 22% in just 5 weeks. I know my paycheck didn't rise that much, consumer prices everywhere else didn't rise that much, and we can be sure that trucking rates did not rise that much, either.
So what is the answer? Should the fuel taxes be suspended on diesel to help the economy and the truckers? Should the truckers receive a tax break on income to help offset their expenses? Will a grass-roots strike bring the needed attention and response?
All questions I can't really answer. And it's affecting other heavy users of diesel as well. This message appears on the home page of DeCamp Bus Lines, a privarte commuter bus company here in NJ:
Ladies and Gentlemen/DeCamp passengers, it is never easy for any of us to discuss increased costs BUT, oil prices are literally out of sight! A fuel surcharge is becoming a necessity, and this in addition to the recent 48% increase in toll charges. We will continue to watch oil prices closely as our Government attempts an economic recovery, but it is a good guess that sometime in April, 2008, it will be necessary to institute a 6% fuel surcharge on our commuter fares. One positive thing about a surcharge is that if this oil pricing can be captured and reduced, DeCamp will be in a position to reduce this fee or possibly eliminate completely. These times are tough on everyone; we will get through it together. Thank you for your understanding.
And while the government-run transit systems buy in bulk over annual contracts and avoid fuel taxes, you can be sure to see fare hikes there when the next contract comes up as their suppliers will want to recoup losses.
Whether anyone wants to admit it or not, the economy runs on diesel. As the trucker noted in the article, “Our federal government is subsidizing railroads, airlines, banks and farmers,” [Dan Little] said. “Meanwhile, we’re being taxed to death.” As I noted before, if all the trucking ends up in the hands of large fleets because the O/Os are run out of business, prices will only go up - and it won't necessarily be the fault of those fleet companies.
usually diesel begins a seasonal decline in April as winter-mix fuel is no longer needed in the colder states, and home heating oil (a similar distillate fuel to diesel) production can be reduced. I can only hope this year is no different.
 It's almost universally accepted that as a country, the US needs to reduce its reliance on gasoline. The bulk of personal vehicle are 100% gasoline powered cars and light trucks. In this week's Automotive News poll, they asked "What will be the next big 'green' powertrain in the U.S.?" The 4 choices given were plug-in hybrids, diesels, E85, and 100% electric.
All day today, the clear leader in the poll has been diesel (45%), with plugged hybrids a solid second (28%). With no surprise, E85 has been dead last at 6% - despite its lower pump price, I think all the industry experts understand that the fuel efficiency penalty of E85 far offsets the cost savings. And with CAFE numbers about to make a substantial rise, you need the mileage numbers.
So why diesels?
Diesels are established technology. And with the 2007 and 2010 emissions regs and ultra low sulfur fuel (ULSD), diesel vehicles will actually be cleaner than gasoline equivalents in a couple of years. The infrastructure is already there - diesel is far easier to find than E85. And with the inherent gain in efficiency, diesels have the potential to be cheaper to operate.
Then we add in the biodiesel bonus. If a production standard can be established and B20 enters the mainstream, we can reduce the amount of crude oil that is used in diesel fuel - and unlike E85, there's not the significant drop in efficiency compared to the 100% crude-based fuel.
The problem with diesel is the variable pricing through the course of a year. Because diesel is the same distillate base as home heating oil,diesel prices increase in the colder months as refiners look to produce HHO, thus taking away production of diesel. In addition, diesel requires additional additives in colder areas to prevent gelling. Once heating season is over, the distillate refineries back off on HHO, increasing the availability of diesel and lowering its price.
Am I a diesel fan? Of course. I've owned diesels exclusively the last 12 years, and have been around them my whole life. The price disparity right now is the mosty it's been in ages and is really hurting truckers (see my blog post about that from a few days back). I certainly hope it goes down in April as it usually does. But for diesels benefits to become mainstream, the negatives need to be reduced. We will need more diesel refineries, more use of standardized biodiesel,and more education to consumers that "this is not your grandfather's tin-can-clattering, smoke-belching diesel."
We will see.
 March 8 2005 - I pulled in to my Dodge dealer's lot with my '96 Ram 3500 and left with my '05.
There's nothing like new car smell, especially when you order your vehicles like i do and wait patiently for them. This one took 7 weeks from my signature and deposit to the temp plate stuck in the rear window.
To my delight, this truck has unquestionably been the best I've had. I currently have 57,909 miles and 1387 engine hours on the odometer, and I actually still have the original tires and brakes. I have not needed an alignment - it still drives beautifully straight. No engine or transmission problems at all. All the electric and electronic systems and accessories are doing what they should. Stereo still does its job, whether it's radio, cassette, or CD. And even though I don't wash and wax as often as I should, the paint still gleams in the sun.
 This is the picture I took on March 5 2005 when I inspected and test drove it before delivery. (Still had the protective shipping plastic on it!) Even though the engine was the same block (5.9L Cummins turbo diesel), various upgrades and improvements raised the power output from 180 hp/420 lb-ft in my 96 to 325 hp/610 lb-ft. Even the truck is slightly larger and weighs more, the extra grunt has made it a dream to drive - no worries about merging or passing... even on short merge lanes where you need to get to highway speed fast.
Probably a coincidence that I got the statement for payment 36 today from Chrysler Finqancial, but it seemed to be an appropriate acknowledgement.
So... Happy 3rd Birthday to my partner in crime - and hopefully quite a few more!
Is a truck stop parking lot full of independently owned rigs soon to be a thing of the past?
This article was noted in the forums yesterday... Independent truckers see end of the road
Owner/Operators are definitely getting beat up by fuel prices, and they have no relief in sight. On Feb 12 (as I noted a few blog posts down), I paid $3.239 for diesel at the Sunoco station I've been using since 1996. This past Friday, the same station was at $3.599 - a 36 cent increase in 2 weeks.
The O/Os quoted in the article have a point. Trucks are still the primary mode of direct cargo delivery in the United States - a CSX locomotive doesn't pull up to your home with an overnight package or to the supermarket with that week's shelf stock. Boeing 747s can't bring things like steel girders to a highway bridge construction site. And if the economy and fuel prices force the independent truckers completely out of the picture, we will indeed be left with higher prices for everything if only a handful of large fleets remain... and that won't exactly be their fault, either.
Is the answer a tax break, a nationally-backed discount fuel card, periodic rebate checks, or some form of subsidy (as the article mentions were given to the independent farmers)? I don't know, and I don't want to guess what would help O/Os the most right now, besides the obvious. The quote from the repossession company was probably the most telling, and it almost seems to mimic what's happening with the mortgage mess... And it's taking less time to pick up a truck, which he sees as a sign that there's less work to keep them on the road — and out of his reposessors' reach. "It used to take weeks, now it takes days or hours,"
Wasn't all that long ago that O/Os could make a fairly good living. If you were willing to work hard and often, there was a financial gain. Your tractor could be upgraded into a showplace on the outside and a studio apartment on the inside, complete with toilet. There was a Harley-like attitude of being out on the open road with no one to answer to but yourself. Today, O/Os have to answer to the bank that financed that rig, and if they can't make enough money to cover the operational costs, they park the truck - then the repo man starts his rounds.
My friend Vikki is a fleet driver. That red Pete is her assigned rig and it's essentially her home away from home, but she is absolved of the headaches and heartaches of ownership. The home office worries about truck costs and insurance. A company credit card fills the tanks... she only has to handle personal costs like food, laundry, etc., and keeping her logbook up to snuff. A company dispatcher tells her where to go for the next load. In that regard, she's lucky.
The owner/operators she shares the interstates with aren't as lucky.
Now that I think about it, B. J. McKay is likely in another line of work today.
|
|
