ABF | History lesson

The one that came through Little Rock, ( the Ryder tractor), was painted white. As I remember it had 8V Detroit power. The engine & transmission were mounted on a cradle that could be easily slid out & put back in a short time. Low maintenance costs was a selling point to fleet managers. As I remember the manufacturer claimed it would scale heavy loads because of it's weight & axle location. Also I remember the rig wouldn't scale like the manufacturer claimed. I don't remember how long the company used it but I didn't see it many times.
Our maintenance director at the time didn't think the Strick cab under was feasible. He was a forward thinker but he knew the Strick rig wouldn't work.
 
The one that came through Little Rock, ( the Ryder tractor), was painted white. As I remember it had 8V Detroit power. The engine & transmission were mounted on a cradle that could be easily slid out & put back in a short time. Low maintenance costs was a selling point to fleet managers. As I remember the manufacturer claimed it would scale heavy loads because of it's weight & axle location. Also I remember the rig wouldn't scale like the manufacturer claimed. I don't remember how long the company used it but I didn't see it many times.
Our maintenance director at the time didn't think the Strick cab under was feasible. He was a forward thinker but he knew the Strick rig wouldn't work.
Think you are right Birmingham had 2 with 8v71s, 3 in Charl had 903 cummins.
These were all lettered RTL and painted yellow.
They pulled them out of service after the wreck, never saw another one.
 
The one that came through Little Rock, ( the Ryder tractor), was painted white. As I remember it had 8V Detroit power. The engine & transmission were mounted on a cradle that could be easily slid out & put back in a short time. Low maintenance costs was a selling point to fleet managers. As I remember the manufacturer claimed it would scale heavy loads because of it's weight & axle location. Also I remember the rig wouldn't scale like the manufacturer claimed. I don't remember how long the company used it but I didn't see it many times.
Our maintenance director at the time didn't think the Strick cab under was feasible. He was a forward thinker but he knew the Strick rig wouldn't work.
I saw that Strick tractor once at a ts in Berwick Pa, interesting, but I wouldn't want to hit a deer with it, it would be inside with you.
 
Heck, I would think a startled, leaping groundhog would be windshield height,.....and in it would come. And you know we ain't got any of those nasty little brutes in Pennsylvania........
What about snow? I mean can you imagine? Or even when the snow is cleared and chunks fall out of the wheel well or off the bumper of other vehicles? Any of that can take you out.

Tire treads. Any road debris could be lethal.

P.S. - I want to see the guy that got in and out of that. He would have had to be a double jointed yoga master. Or a toddler.
 
The NMFA had a section to deal with the cab under tractors. They were banned as unsafe.

That's my point, Brother. There is new technology being introduced to trucking as we speak. The "lane minders",....and automatic braking devices,.......How about super-single tires?......Fine for a standard trailer configuration where the tires are run in groups of four,....two on each side of the tractor, and trailer,.......

What about running super singles in a doubles operation? A single blowout,...a single road hazard,......and down you go. At least with conventional tires, you had a 50/50 chance of having at least one tire to help you maintain stability. Having a super single tire on a converter gear fail,...for whatever reason,.... at high speed in heavy traffic, would be absolute disaster......

Yet, there are fleets out there who are running these configurations,.....with NO input,...or regard,...for the driver's safety. They could care less about the driver's opinion......Drive it, or look for another employer.

Automatic braking devices,......Look fine on the computer model and on the test track,.........Put them on a half-full tanker of gasoline running around the ******* Circle (Wash. D.C.) through rush hour,.......Anybody see a problem?

Since the Teamsters are no longer the dominant force in trucking, like they were when they addressed the issues in Article 16, Equipment, Safety, and Health,.......there is no longer a driver's advocacy group to point out how some of the laboratory-tested new technology performs in real-world conditions. Employers welcome new technology to get insurance breaks, or to cut operating costs,..........and could care less about how the DRIVER feels about risking his life with this equipment. Drive it , or Quit!
 
The NMFA had a section to deal with the cab under tractors. They were banned as unsafe.

Also, Brother,.....They weren't "banned" as unsafe..... The Teamsters inserted that sentence in the contract in 1978 when 60% of truck drivers were Union. Strick dropped the program when major trucking companies with Teamster labor cancelled their orders for these new pieces of equipment. Several large freight carriers were contemplating running these in linehaul. No legislature "banned" them......
 
Also, Brother,.....They weren't "banned" as unsafe..... The Teamsters inserted that sentence in the contract in 1978 when 60% of truck drivers were Union. Strick dropped the program when major trucking companies with Teamster labor cancelled their orders for these new pieces of equipment. Several large freight carriers were contemplating running these in linehaul. No legislature "banned" them......
The NMFA banned them from use at Teamster employers is what I was attempting to put out their.
Their was also a cab over tractor I believe it was a White Road Commode with the sleeper on top of the cab that was also in the same boat as the cab under.
 
The NMFA banned them from use at Teamster employers is what I was attempting to put out their.
Their was also a cab over tractor I believe it was a White Road Commode with the sleeper on top of the cab that was also in the same boat as the cab under.

Yes, I saw a few pictures of those.......frightening to think of a team operation, sleeping on top of the cab. I'll bet the heater worked real good up there...
 
That would start an argument.............My brother and I ran team to the west coast for about 3 months. One night I was in the bunk and he decided to stop at a truckstop, so he parked way, way in the back of the lot,.....under a streetlamp,....and left the windows open.

I woke up like a science-fiction movie, covered with bugs, crickets, and all sorts of ugly flying things that wanted to investigate the bunk.......

He found me standing outside the truck, shaking and breathing heavy........

"What?"
 
That's my point, Brother. There is new technology being introduced to trucking as we speak. The "lane minders",....and automatic braking devices,.......How about super-single tires?......Fine for a standard trailer configuration where the tires are run in groups of four,....two on each side of the tractor, and trailer,.......

What about running super singles in a doubles operation? A single blowout,...a single road hazard,......and down you go. At least with conventional tires, you had a 50/50 chance of having at least one tire to help you maintain stability. Having a super single tire on a converter gear fail,...for whatever reason,.... at high speed in heavy traffic, would be absolute disaster......

Yet, there are fleets out there who are running these configurations,.....with NO input,...or regard,...for the driver's safety. They could care less about the driver's opinion......Drive it, or look for another employer.

Automatic braking devices,......Look fine on the computer model and on the test track,.........Put them on a half-full tanker of gasoline running around the ******* Circle (Wash. D.C.) through rush hour,.......Anybody see a problem?

Since the Teamsters are no longer the dominant force in trucking, like they were when they addressed the issues in Article 16, Equipment, Safety, and Health,.......there is no longer a driver's advocacy group to point out how some of the laboratory-tested new technology performs in real-world conditions. Employers welcome new technology to get insurance breaks, or to cut operating costs,..........and could care less about how the DRIVER feels about risking his life with this equipment. Drive it , or Quit!

When I went to work @ ABF I was told if you lost both tires on the rear box or the convertor on 1 side the unit would flip on its side in a heart beat. And I did pull a lot of sets running the city for 18 years. The one thing I checked every time was the pin being locked & kicking the tires. I also saw a driver making a hard turn to fast in the yard & almost laid the rear box over. That was scary just watching it. von.
 
When I went to work @ ABF I was told if you lost both tires on the rear box or the convertor on 1 side the unit would flip on its side in a heart beat. And I did pull a lot of sets running the city for 18 years. The one thing I checked every time was the pin being locked & kicking the tires. I also saw a driver making a hard turn to fast in the yard & almost laid the rear box over. That was scary just watching it. von.

Von, This is not true, I lost a set on left rear box on straight road, I95 just crossed the Fla. line, not a 10 hole Budd wheel.
8 lugs held on both wheels, didn't know I'd lost it until one passed me.
Brake drum didn't dig into pavement, trailer just leaned a little, no where close to turning over.
I don't recall any weights, trailer had springs.
It was early am and light traffic,wheel stayed in median.( did scare my mule after I stopped)
 
Von, This is not true, I lost a set on left rear box on straight road, I95 just crossed the Fla. line, not a 10 hole Budd wheel.
8 lugs held on both wheels, didn't know I'd lost it until one passed me.
Brake drum didn't dig into pavement, trailer just leaned a little, no where close to turning over.
I don't recall any weights, trailer had springs.
It was early am and light traffic,wheel stayed in median.( did scare my mule after I stopped)
Copy that. I have never experienced something like I described (thank God) & hope no one else does. But the turning to sharp to fast in the yard, I did witness that & he came oh so close to laying it down. von.
 
Top