Holland | 16 & 17 hundred series Trucks

scottsbarnparts

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We will be getting a couple of new trucks soon and I need some feedback on the Smart-Axle system these trucks come with. Driving in the snow it seems would be challenging!
 
We will be getting a couple of new trucks soon and I need some feedback on the Smart-Axle system these trucks come with. Driving in the snow it seems would be challenging!
I can't help you with the snow I have no experience yet. I have had some problems with 17 series not airing up when you first start them and you have to start driving them and then they air up going down road. I have been informed that you turn the key to the on position wait for the gauges to cycle and then start the truck. You have to watch for green suspension light to flash and while it is flashing you push the button to air suspension once and it will inflate, I was told this only works if you catch it while the light is flashing and not while it is staying lit solid. When you first start driving them you have to get use to making sure your foot is on brake when you put it in drive or reverse. Be prepared when people cut you off or pull in short in front of you or even if a truck makes a curve ahead of you into your path those brakes will come on quick and hard and it sure does wake you up if you have the adaptive cruise control on. I got to check out one of the two Peterbilts they are trying out in Jackson earlier this week #17999 I sure did like the looks of it and the driver talked very highly of it. It looks a lot nicer that the Freightliner in my opinion. The driver said the fuel mileage was very good once Holland kept their hands off of it. Hard to believe that Peterbilt knows more about getting fuel mileage out of a truck than our crack staff of mechanics!
 
One time there was a broken down car sitting along side the road (had been there for about three days), and had a police sticker in the back window. I couldn't get over into the other lane, plus I knew that the car had been there for several days, and the truck's breaks slammed on because the sensors detected that car approaching me really fast. The brakes slammed on.......scared the :crap: out of me.
:tr10driving03:
 
Hey Flash. You'll know the winters up here. Wouldn't you be nervous with that smart tag axle over my old twin screw volvo?
These smart axles are supposed to drop air out of the tag in low traction conditions to help the drive keep traction. I've never driven one (they're illegal in Ontario) but the video I saw of them in action compared to traditional tag axles was pretty amazing.

I'm not a fan of all the stupid proofing going on today, though. Radar and cameras and other garbage making alarms screech at you and doing things without your input. None of this is required to even get a driver's license, much less a commercial one!
 
[QUOTE="I'm not a fan of all the stupid proofing going on today, though. Radar and cameras and other garbage making alarms screech at you and doing things without your input. None of this is required to even get a driver's license, much less a commercial one![/QUOTE]

Yeah, its like being in the cockpit of an airplane in trouble with all kinds of warning alarms going off. What a pain!
 
If I had my choice, I would rather control the tax axle's air pressure myself, versus some computer doing it for me.
The days of the Holland guys dumping air pressure off the tag, while climbing hills in the snow and passing everyone, might be over with.
I highly doubt that the computer will allow that strategy to still work.
:idunno:
 
One time there was a broken down car sitting along side the road (had been there for about three days), and had a police sticker in the back window. I couldn't get over into the other lane, plus I knew that the car had been there for several days, and the truck's breaks slammed on because the sensors detected that car approaching me really fast. The brakes slammed on.......scared the :crap: out of me.
:tr10driving03:

Con-way has the same system on their Cascadias... I got to where I wouldn't use the cruise because it kept getting confused when a car would move over to the off ramp and be completely a lane to the right of me and the brakes would practically lock up and put you through the windshield!
 
And I hope these continued issues with technology quash the worry of self driving trucks. Hell, I'm worried about the auto brakes that are to be mandatory in four-wheelers. Nothing like a soccer mom rolling along in subject conditions & having her brakes applied heavily.
 
Con-way has the same system on their Cascadias... I got to where I wouldn't use the cruise because it kept getting confused when a car would move over to the off ramp and be completely a lane to the right of me and the brakes would practically lock up and put you through the windshield!
On the 2016 I drove it works without cruise on. Was changing lanes behind a slow skateboard and damn thing grab brakes while I'm moving over.
 
I have a question about assigning tractors. At our barn it has always been first come first serve on the used tractors, but on the new tractors it has been the fella with the most safe driving miles who hasn't gotten a freightliner yet. Well we have a guy with a Freightliner that is retiring, the truck is almost new, I think about 85K miles on it. How would they handle that at your terminal?
 
I have a question about assigning tractors. At our barn it has always been first come first serve on the used tractors, but on the new tractors it has been the fella with the most safe driving miles who hasn't gotten a freightliner yet. Well we have a guy with a Freightliner that is retiring, the truck is almost new, I think about 85K miles on it. How would they handle that at your terminal?
At my terminal who can get under the so called resigning TM desk first.
 
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