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ODFL | A few questions about ODFL.

I started out on the dock for AF in 87 and held about every none management job they had! In Jan. 04 I started with WSKT till OD bought them out! (Thank God)
OD reminds me of AF in its early days before
everything was about the numbers! It is a easy company to work for!
Some of the blogs I read said to go to the UPS , FEDX & Yellows of the freight world.
Until you work for one and know how it feels to worry about being stabbed in the back everyday you willn't understand how good a company OD is!
Been there done that and will hold a sign on the side of the road before I go back!
 
wesleyh3 said:
I started out on the dock for AF in 87 and held about every none management job they had! In Jan. 04 I started with WSKT till OD bought them out! (Thank God)
OD reminds me of AF in its early days before
everything was about the numbers! It is a easy company to work for!
Some of the blogs I read said to go to the UPS , FEDX & Yellows of the freight world.
Until you work for one and know how it feels to worry about being stabbed in the back everyday you willn't understand how good a company OD is!
Been there done that and will hold a sign on the side of the road before I go back!
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Yep,I always liked a stress free work place.The people that have problems at O.D. will probably have the same problems anywhere they go.I have noticed that the ones that initiate problems usually spend a lot of time worrying about other employee's business.Seems like they believe they're so good at their job they have time to nose into other people's jobs.Hopefully their day will come and they will have the opportunity to seek other work.Time will tell,I hear some are hanging around longer than I thought.
 
JIM BOB said:
Yep,I always liked a stress free work place.The people that have problems at O.D. will probably have the same problems anywhere they go.I have noticed that the ones that initiate problems usually spend a lot of time worrying about other employee's business.Seems like they believe they're so good at their job they have time to nose into other people's jobs.Hopefully their day will come and they will have the opportunity to seek other work.Time will tell,I hear some are hanging around longer than I thought.
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JIM BOB :1036316054:

I was wondering if you know what horsepower you guys run in those OD trucks that pull triples. They are very slow going uphill, and also very slow going down long downhills. Like the jake brakes don't work very well.
I have noticed this with 2 axle Freightliners and 3 axle Freightliners in the western states where triples are run.

:smilie_132:
 
River17 said:
JIM BOB :1036316054:

I was wondering if you know what horsepower you guys run in those OD trucks that pull triples. They are very slow going uphill, and also very slow going down long downhills. Like the jake brakes don't work very well.
I have noticed this with 2 axle Freightliners and 3 axle Freightliners in the western states where triples are run.

:smilie_132:
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I'm not a driver so any answer I give you would be 2nd hand knowledge.A lot of O.D. l/h drivers usually come on line Sunday,I'm sure they can give you an accurate answer.
 
If they have the auto jake that might explain why they go slow on the long down hill grades. The tractors probably run like the 275 series OD tractors fuel cuts off at 68 MPH the auto jake kicks in at 72 MPH. Not sure what HP they are but am sure OD turns that down. Probably 240--280
 
sparky said:
If they have the auto jake that might explain why they go slow on the long down hill grades. The tractors probably run like the 275 series OD tractors fuel cuts off at 68 MPH the auto jake kicks in at 72 MPH. Not sure what HP they are but am sure OD turns that down. Probably 240--280
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sparky :1036316054:

Thanks for the input.
Hopefully we will get someone that runs out west with triples to comment.
I think that they would have to have at least 400 HP engines. I just don't know if you guys run Detroit Diesels in the Freightliners. They could not be Cummins, since the only options I think Freightliner gives anymore is either Caterpillar or Detroit Diesel. As far as the Jake brakes goes I can see what you are talking about when you have the cruise control on, but the hill I'm talking about is at least 6 miles long with a 6% downhill and a posted speed of 50 mph for vehicles over 10000 lbs. It is called Spotted Wolf.

:smilie_132:
 
Hey your right I'm just a flatlander. I do understand that the 275 series trucks have are designated as west trucks. Freightliner, Mercedes engine, Not sure what the HP is, Jake brake activates at 72 MPH cruise on or off. It is true though that I am unfamiliar with tractors that may be licensed to pull triples through the big hills. The 274 series freightliners have cats in them. Never yet to see a detroit in a OD truck. I understand the cats are variable HP and OD keeps them turned down. They probably turn up the HP and speed for mountain triples. Also they very well could have some that UW and priority had still in service that run like they use to.
 
sparky said:
Hey your right I'm just a flatlander. I do understand that the 275 series trucks have are designated as west trucks. Freightliner, Mercedes engine, Not sure what the HP is, Jake brake activates at 72 MPH cruise on or off. It is true though that I am unfamiliar with tractors that may be licensed to pull triples through the big hills. The 274 series freightliners have cats in them. Never yet to see a detroit in a OD truck. I understand the cats are variable HP and OD keeps them turned down. They probably turn up the HP and speed for mountain triples. Also they very well could have some that UW and priority had still in service that run like they use to.
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sparky :1036316054:

I don't think they would be Mercedes-Benz 400 HP engines, because they are not designed to pull 105,000 lbs.
They must be CAT engines with very weak jake brakes. But they have to be turned up to at least 425 HP.
I just feel bad for those drivers that get passed all day long.
These are new OD Freightliner trucks not old junk from UW.

:smilie_132:
 
i have talked to alot of the drivers that pull the triples and all of the trucks don't have jakes only the newest ones the ones with cat engines are set at 350hp the merc. are at 410hp our normal trucks are cats at 335hp and 410hp for merc. on daycabs and 375hp for cat engines in the sleeper trucks and twin screws the new sterling that uw had orderd do have det. engines in them the twin screws have 500hp not turned back not sure about the daycabs but most of the twins are on city runs od does not like to run twin screws on line haul unless they have to
 
OD had some twin screw Freightliners to pull the Rocky Mountain Doubles out of Den And SLC. I guess they are still doing that. I always just assume that OD HP is turned down about as much as a Farmall B I would not have been surprised if it was 175 HP.
 
OD doesn't set trucks up different from other trucks, triple trucks are set up just like doubles, 1400rpm at 68mph every truck. A truck that runs mountain and hills, runs the same as one that just does flats. Dragonfly, basically. C13 cats(335hp)are set at that 335, C15 cats(435) are set at that 435, base horsepower for the engine. What I do understand is the team trucks are turned up in horsepower. What I don't understand is this, why not open the engines in horspower and torque, leave the speed along, this way the engine doesn't labor for going up steep grades with heavy loads, thus increasing your mpg a little bit which adds up in the end considering how many trucks OD has.
 
Gearbox said:
OD doesn't set trucks up different from other trucks, triple trucks are set up just like doubles, 1400rpm at 68mph every truck. A truck that runs mountain and hills, runs the same as one that just does flats. Dragonfly, basically. C13 cats(335hp)are set at that 335, C15 cats(435) are set at that 435, base horsepower for the engine. What I do understand is the team trucks are turned up in horsepower. What I don't understand is this, why not open the engines in horspower and torque, leave the speed along, this way the engine doesn't labor for going up steep grades with heavy loads, thus increasing your mpg a little bit which adds up in the end considering how many trucks OD has.
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Gearbox :1036316054:

I think you gave me the info I was looking for.
They must be C15 Cat engines with 435 HP that they are using for triples.

:smilie_132:
 
Than OD takes them and puts in that secret formula, Plug in the OD super computer put in the secret formula = bad fuel mileage and less power. Result trucks goes 68 MPH but loses all speed in wind and hills. Result: grandmother in yellow school busses and can pass us with loads of children.
 
i used to run team and got to see the engine print out at a frieghtliner shop the c-15 are 435hp engines that are turned down to 375hp at 13.75 rpm at speed at 67 mph as was stated before why not leave the hp at what it should be and quit screwing with it also just heard they cut the truckload trucks from 75 to 65 now there having a hard time making there apointment times one has already quit at my barn because he refused to run illeagal to make his times can't blame him
 
OD has been known to turn power or speed up for some specific runs at least in the past. It is rare but they have done it a few times.
 
sparky said:
OD has been known to turn power or speed up for some specific runs at least in the past. It is rare but they have done it a few times.
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sparky :1036316054:

With the new computerized engines you would think that they would not have to turn them down.
Actually the computer gives it more fuel if you are underpowered because it is trying to maintain the cruise control speed.
They must know what they are doing.

:smilie_132:
 
Ya know all those modern slogans OD uses like the power of OD and OD technology. That does not mean that OD is a new company. I understand OD had been in business for close to 100 years. Did business like Yellow, CF, ABF and Big O. Very conservative in there ways and Even more conservative about making changes. So see when I started they had just turned the trucks up from 58 to 62. Over the years they have turned them up till what they run now.One step at a time. Thats making decisions real fast for OD management to see them take months and months or years to make a decision is not uncommon. So if todays engines run better and get better fuel mileage if you just leave them alone I do not doubt that information is somewhere in the bureaucracy of OD in High Point being slowly thought out, probably highly doubted, considered probably total BS and just keep doing things the way we always have for now. Its great to work here you can figure that it will be the same 5 years from now as it was the day you got hired. You got to have a get used to it attitude
 
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