Ok you "schulbs" get out of the way - my "brandi" new KWT600 is comin' down the road! I'll get to that in a minute. But first -
Item #1 - The New York Times, Wed. Oct. 11th 2006, photo below the fold, of the homeless eating lunch at a soup kitchen in Trinidad, Colo. - or - is it a photo of "typical" truckers eating at a truck stop? I bet you can't tell the difference "drivers" and therein lies the problem of i-m-a-g-e. It's long overdue for all you disgusting fatbodies to clean up your act! I'd like to see uniforms come back. The Wal-Mart kind, white or blue company shirts with jeans. No long hair or Santa Claus beards! Real men do not have pony tails or wear earrings. That's for girls. I have requested permission to use the photo from The New York Times - we'll see if we get it.
Item #2 - also, The New York Times, Wed. Sept. 27th 2006 in the business section above the fold. The piece is by David Leonhardt: "The average cost of a family insurance plan that Americans get through their jobs has risen another 7.7 percent this year to $11,500, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. In only seven years, the cost has doubled, while incomes and company revenue, which pay for health insurance, haven't risen nearly as much." Leonhardt continues: "Many executives have decided that they cannot afford to keep insuring their workers, and the portion of Americans without coverage has jumped 23 percent since 1987."
I've yet to meet an owner operator that has his own health insurance. "Oh, my wife has it at her job." Many drivers can't afford even basic coverage. I once drove for an owner/operator - his Blue Cross/Blue Shield (second rate) coverage would have cost me $650 a month. That was about four years ago.
Item #1 - The New York Times, Wed. Oct. 11th 2006, photo below the fold, of the homeless eating lunch at a soup kitchen in Trinidad, Colo. - or - is it a photo of "typical" truckers eating at a truck stop? I bet you can't tell the difference "drivers" and therein lies the problem of i-m-a-g-e. It's long overdue for all you disgusting fatbodies to clean up your act! I'd like to see uniforms come back. The Wal-Mart kind, white or blue company shirts with jeans. No long hair or Santa Claus beards! Real men do not have pony tails or wear earrings. That's for girls. I have requested permission to use the photo from The New York Times - we'll see if we get it.
Item #2 - also, The New York Times, Wed. Sept. 27th 2006 in the business section above the fold. The piece is by David Leonhardt: "The average cost of a family insurance plan that Americans get through their jobs has risen another 7.7 percent this year to $11,500, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. In only seven years, the cost has doubled, while incomes and company revenue, which pay for health insurance, haven't risen nearly as much." Leonhardt continues: "Many executives have decided that they cannot afford to keep insuring their workers, and the portion of Americans without coverage has jumped 23 percent since 1987."
I've yet to meet an owner operator that has his own health insurance. "Oh, my wife has it at her job." Many drivers can't afford even basic coverage. I once drove for an owner/operator - his Blue Cross/Blue Shield (second rate) coverage would have cost me $650 a month. That was about four years ago.
I have in my hands a lease operator expense estimator from a major carrier. The projected expense for occupational/accidential insurance is (annual) $2,017.08 or 0.016 cpm. That is not health insurance. The drivers estimated take home is *$46,734.30. No health insurance. If we give him/her coverage for the family, based on what the Kaiser Foundation says is the cost - $11.500 - his annual income goes down to $35,234.30! So much for all those promises of "big bucks" in trucking company advertisements.
Item #3 - The Trucker, Oct. 15-31 2006, Barb Kampbell (front page) writes that: "OOIDA is in the process of drafting a (letter) in opposition to the petition (re: 9 motor carriers and Road Safe America to require speed governors set at not more than 68 mph)." Campbell goes on: "the group (OOIDA) has not determined who to send it to besides FMCSA Administrator John Hill." Wow! You go OOIDA! Why are you wasting time with letters! Move that damn ugly headquarters of yours, with no truck parking, to Washington, DC and press the flesh! Does it take 22 of you to figure out how to do what's right?
Look at that photo of Rick Craig of OOIDA on page 22 of The Trucker - darn does he look a buck caught in your headlights or what? And Bill Graves of the ATA, is a Republican and former two term governor of Kansas. He is not one of us. He is a bureacrat and even worse - he is a p-o-l-i-t-i-c-i-a-n. When the chairman of JB Hunt, Schneider or Covenant scratches his ass, there are traces of Bill Graves on his hand. Need I say more? You're damn right I'm angry.
Look at that photo of Rick Craig of OOIDA on page 22 of The Trucker - darn does he look a buck caught in your headlights or what? And Bill Graves of the ATA, is a Republican and former two term governor of Kansas. He is not one of us. He is a bureacrat and even worse - he is a p-o-l-i-t-i-c-i-a-n. When the chairman of JB Hunt, Schneider or Covenant scratches his ass, there are traces of Bill Graves on his hand. Need I say more? You're damn right I'm angry.
Drivers, can you communicate? Can you write your own letter or e-mail? Can you pick up the phone? You can't all be that lazy. Well, you better get off your fat asses and grab a hold of your elected representatives. Ever hear the expression - "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it any more!" OOIDA, the ATA, Road Safe America, Schneider, JB Hunt, Covenant, Dart, US Express - I never heard of H.O. Wolding, ATS Intermodal, or Jet Express - DO NOT REPRESENT YOU!
Item #4 - I want you to go to the Road Safe America's web site www.roadsafeamerica.org and see what a few people can do to influence how thousands of others do their job. Don't ever tell me that a few can't make a difference. God forbid, if I lost a loved one because of a speeding truck, I'd be pissed too. What are "they" gonna say when some poor soul gets killed by a truck going 55 mph? Should be slow everyone down to 35 mph? You can legislate all you want, accidents, unfortunately, will happen, no matter what the circumstances are.
Item #5 - After suffering a few days with a severe pinched nerve in my right thumb, I managed to take delivery of my new KW T600. I've had it for 3 days - the truck, not the pinched nerve - and I'm still trying to get settled in. The truck must have been designed by one of those "soccer" moms. The interior reminds me of a Jeep Cherokee. I feel like putting a "my son beat up your honor student" bumper sticker on the door. KW reminds me of a of things in trucking these days, they're all are out of touch with what drivers really need and want.
Gone from inside is just about everything you knew and probably loved about a truck. Forget about going to that chrome shop to "juice-up" the dash - nothing will work. The only thing traditional inside are the red and yellow brake knobs.
Your CB radio goes above the windshield in a "drawer" that slides in and out. When the "drawer" is closed, the CB looks like it's built in. I have a Galaxy DX959 . The mike screws in on the left side. KW never thought about that. I can't use the mic unless I drill a hole in the "drawer" and if I do that the mic cord will still be "squashed" on the left side and the radio will be lopsided. I'm not buying a new radio. Only because of those shippers stuck in the 60's, who insist on talking to drivers using the CB, do I ever turn the damn thing on.
Open either window for ventilation and you get that famous KW annoying whistle. I still miss the old side vent windows. Good luck trying to install a Wilson cell, scanner or satellite radio antenna. There never has been provision made for this type of extra equipment on the 600. Every driver I know has improvised some very creative solutions to getting around this.
The passenger seat has a right side arm rest. When you pull it down it brushes against the door handle. You can't raise the seat when its down. The leather already a small rip in the seam of the arm rest because of this design flaw. The truck has 76 hours on it.
When you figure out how to turn on the interior "courtesy" lights, you will think you're at a night game at Yankee stadium. You can be seen for miles with these lights on. What idiot dreamed this up? I have to change the bulbs as soon as I can find the right ones. The back bunk is typical T600. Our "soccer" mom decided to add two drawers next to the bed. I feel like buying a Gideon Bible to put in the top drawer. Would make it feel just like a cheap Motel 6. KW should of thought of that, too.
Now I caution you. This is not the truck for you big buffet type disgusting fat bodies. You and your equally super-sized "partner" will not be able to get through the two front seats to the bunk. You will have to remove the two front seat armrests in case one of you gets stuck back there. Folks, this is truly a one person truck. Teams order something else.
Item #4 - I want you to go to the Road Safe America's web site www.roadsafeamerica.org and see what a few people can do to influence how thousands of others do their job. Don't ever tell me that a few can't make a difference. God forbid, if I lost a loved one because of a speeding truck, I'd be pissed too. What are "they" gonna say when some poor soul gets killed by a truck going 55 mph? Should be slow everyone down to 35 mph? You can legislate all you want, accidents, unfortunately, will happen, no matter what the circumstances are.
Item #5 - After suffering a few days with a severe pinched nerve in my right thumb, I managed to take delivery of my new KW T600. I've had it for 3 days - the truck, not the pinched nerve - and I'm still trying to get settled in. The truck must have been designed by one of those "soccer" moms. The interior reminds me of a Jeep Cherokee. I feel like putting a "my son beat up your honor student" bumper sticker on the door. KW reminds me of a of things in trucking these days, they're all are out of touch with what drivers really need and want.
Gone from inside is just about everything you knew and probably loved about a truck. Forget about going to that chrome shop to "juice-up" the dash - nothing will work. The only thing traditional inside are the red and yellow brake knobs.
Your CB radio goes above the windshield in a "drawer" that slides in and out. When the "drawer" is closed, the CB looks like it's built in. I have a Galaxy DX959 . The mike screws in on the left side. KW never thought about that. I can't use the mic unless I drill a hole in the "drawer" and if I do that the mic cord will still be "squashed" on the left side and the radio will be lopsided. I'm not buying a new radio. Only because of those shippers stuck in the 60's, who insist on talking to drivers using the CB, do I ever turn the damn thing on.
Open either window for ventilation and you get that famous KW annoying whistle. I still miss the old side vent windows. Good luck trying to install a Wilson cell, scanner or satellite radio antenna. There never has been provision made for this type of extra equipment on the 600. Every driver I know has improvised some very creative solutions to getting around this.
The passenger seat has a right side arm rest. When you pull it down it brushes against the door handle. You can't raise the seat when its down. The leather already a small rip in the seam of the arm rest because of this design flaw. The truck has 76 hours on it.
When you figure out how to turn on the interior "courtesy" lights, you will think you're at a night game at Yankee stadium. You can be seen for miles with these lights on. What idiot dreamed this up? I have to change the bulbs as soon as I can find the right ones. The back bunk is typical T600. Our "soccer" mom decided to add two drawers next to the bed. I feel like buying a Gideon Bible to put in the top drawer. Would make it feel just like a cheap Motel 6. KW should of thought of that, too.
Now I caution you. This is not the truck for you big buffet type disgusting fat bodies. You and your equally super-sized "partner" will not be able to get through the two front seats to the bunk. You will have to remove the two front seat armrests in case one of you gets stuck back there. Folks, this is truly a one person truck. Teams order something else.
My carrier ordered a Bostrum extra wide leather drivers seat. I can lower both arm rests over my "love" handles. And despite my large rear, there is about an 1/2 inch of free space on either side of the seat. $955.63 was the price. The passenger seat is standard KW upgraded to grey leather.
Now the positive side of things. The truck shifts very smoothly. 1100 rpm. No clutch. Super 13 Eaton. CAT 15 engine with that new CERT technology. I'm pulling a 45,000 load of pipe from Shawnee, OK to Laredo. A few hills on I35S and I only had to go down a gear once or twice. I was getting about 5.5 mpg in my old T600. I have not activated the Sensortracs system yet - we'll see what kind of mpg this new unit gets.
Now the positive side of things. The truck shifts very smoothly. 1100 rpm. No clutch. Super 13 Eaton. CAT 15 engine with that new CERT technology. I'm pulling a 45,000 load of pipe from Shawnee, OK to Laredo. A few hills on I35S and I only had to go down a gear once or twice. I was getting about 5.5 mpg in my old T600. I have not activated the Sensortracs system yet - we'll see what kind of mpg this new unit gets.
The truck came with a factory installed Delphi radio (CD/MP3) system that seems ok. One of the 4 speakers on the passenger side has a short in it and needs to be replaced. The radio is pre-installed with XM, but I'm a Sirius subscriber. I still don't understand what MP3's are. I thought the Panasonic cassette player in my old truck with 2 larger speakers sounded better.
Switching trucks is a pain in ass. Sitting in the new unit next to the older one, I was angry at myself for how dirty my former "environment" was. I should have replaced the mattress at 200,000 miles. I have to come up with a whole new way of organizing all my "stuff." A lot of it will just have to be thrown away.
Switching trucks is a pain in ass. Sitting in the new unit next to the older one, I was angry at myself for how dirty my former "environment" was. I should have replaced the mattress at 200,000 miles. I have to come up with a whole new way of organizing all my "stuff." A lot of it will just have to be thrown away.
I promise myself I will take better care of this unit . CAT has made it a leasier to check and add oil and made the power steering fluid container - clear plastic. Despite the "better" drivers seat, my butt still hurt after 300 miles. I've gotta take more breaks. I've got to take better care of myself and my new truck! Be safe out there drivers, don't tailgate and (please) give the other guy a break.
For more info on the above material: www.thetrucker.com and www.nytimes.com
* Projected annual revenue of $155,607.40 or $1.234 cpm (cents per mile)
