FedEx Freight | New equipment

[Canadian Flyer]

New truck fun...

New trucks are so smart, they "think" they "know" what's wrong... Bad sensor?

The above alert puts truck in "safe mode", allowing you to creep off the road, at idle.

Messages like this one are what make modern trucks a pain to drive.

There's no purity standard for diesel exhaust fluid. There's only whatever the trucks are programmed to accept, and whatever's available.

Back when I drove a Volvo, I used the DEF pumps at Flying J, figuring they were safe. After having the tank cleaned out due to "impurities", the Volvo service folks said the trucks ran best on the jugs they stocked at the dealership...which, strangely, were the same jugs as Flying J.

Hell, my KW has had the SCR Malfunction light on since about a week after I got it, and I only use DEF from the pump at the yard in Toronto. Fortunately, the problem doesn't seem to be hurting the truck, so the light persists.

 

[truckingBORED]

One of our biggest historical problems over the past decade, has always been these electronic glitches.

Historically, they could annoy us - maybe shut the truck off. Some of these issues NEVER get resolved. "The problem could not be dublicated"....

Luckily for us, we live in the error of system failures that slam our brakes on and will soon have control of the steering wheel as well! This is way more exciting!

What was once prolonged annoyance at a dummy light blazing in our face, has morphed into a struggle to fight off an ECU's attempted hijacking of the vital systems required to safely operate these vehicles...

Engineers should not be using the interstate system to beta test, not in commercial vehicles anyway. It's extremely arrogant to assume they can make a product capable of seizing control of steering and brakes, when perfecting much simpler technology has failed them.

I have begun to think that this topic needs to be broached with our elected officials, as the Manufacturers and Companies are all in.

These technologies currently have no governmental regulation, so in the guise of safety, the manufacturers are slapping them on all new trucks, forcing us to be the Guinea pigs on systems they hope to replace us with.

Vehicle autonomy, even in it's incremental faze, needs to be regulated and quickly! Especially on the commercial level. This shouldn't be a cash grab by the manufacturers. These systems need to be perfect before they are implemented, truck manufacturers struggle with that.

 

[dsh69]

As a city driver I loathe the PACCAR crap I have to drive as my bid does not have access to a city unit, leaving me to get a KW or other POS to drive in town.

I'd much rather take a Volvo but the sounds/warning are a PITA. Starting up - lane departure tests in both speakers. Driving along - distance warning - at least 5 miles in front, lane departure a foot on either side.

My only bitch is with the elog device monitoring all this crap - disable the distance warning and just have the elogs device monitor it. Silently like it already doses.

 

[troubleman84]

Not the highest number in the fleet, or our yard, but it's always interesting to see new ones... Also nice to see Volvos still being purchased.

Interior:Typical Volvo fare. Uncomplicated, straightforward.

Even the gladhands are pretty nice and fancy.

Then the creme de la creme

You would think Red would've sent you a congratulations

 

[Redracer3136]

You would think Red would've sent you a congratulations

I'm sure he hasn't lost a wink of sleep...

 

[Big Dave]

That's right. Ain't nothing but a thing for us Fedex guys.
Now you Holland guys with your -15%, it takes 28 years nine months to get your 25 year truck....