FedEx Freight | Anyone seen new city trucks yet?

On this one you are full of :horseshit:. At least you can bid a different run every 6 months to get out of a POS truck. How would you like it to be PERMANENT? Or say they sell my truck and I get it’s replacement, and it’s a total bomb. I might have to keep it for years. Not 6 months. Is it just because it doesn’t affect you or the other Road Drivers that it’s ok to change our lot in the city for the worse? Do you even remember being a city driver? A decent tractor with a good turning radius can make all of the difference in the world. We only bid start times in the City, not routes. Maybe they should change to Road only bidding start times too. How would that go over?
We were told that City Drivers would no longer be allowed to have yearly bids on tractors. What you have will be your permanent truck. Another instance of the company not honoring seniority like they should. If Road Drivers bid on tractors, we should retain the right as City Drivers to do the same. Just like with the New Tractor situation the company caters to the Road side and to hell with the City.
 
Correct, the few “new” city trucks we have HAVE to be kept for a long time because they’re useless for anything other than city and they’re worthless when they’re done. Road trucks are kept twice as long and they still get something for them once resold...not exactly “negated” as you claim. :1036316054:

I'm absolutely sure we don't have any 2004 model year road trucks running down the road anymore. City truck make perfect sense in a facility where there are twice as many city drivers as road drivers. City tractors cost half as much as a road truck and stay in service for twice as many years. We have 90 city drivers and just 50 road drivers in our barn, why would the company spend twice as much on 40 road tractors that are unnecessary?
 
On this one you are full of :horseshit:. At least you can bid a different run every 6 months to get out of a POS truck. How would you like it to be PERMANENT? Or say they sell my truck and I get it’s replacement, and it’s a total bomb. I might have to keep it for years. Not 6 months. Is it just because it doesn’t affect you or the other Road Drivers that it’s ok to change our lot in the city for the worse? Do you even remember being a city driver? A decent tractor with a good turning radius can make all of the difference in the world. We only bid start times in the City, not routes. Maybe they should change to Road only bidding start times too. How would that go over?
Actually we bid trucks once a year, not every 6 months, and most road drivers would love to go back to getting trucks permanently...like it used to be. There’s nothing like getting a truck and spending weeks/months getting everything fixed because the previous driver was to damn lazy to write anything up only to have Central take it from ya a year later!! :17113:

Yes, I remember what it was like in the city...I also remember that’s why I came to the road!! :19:
 
I'm absolutely sure we don't have any 2004 model year road trucks running down the road anymore. City truck make perfect sense in a facility where there are twice as many city drivers as road drivers. City tractors cost half as much as a road truck and stay in service for twice as many years. We have 90 city drivers and just 50 road drivers in our barn, why would the company spend twice as much on 40 road tractors that are unnecessary?
You’re looking at this from a local level instead of a national level...although most centers have more city drivers than road drivers, most centers also have more road tractors than city trucks, why is that?? Do you have proof that “city tractors cost half as much as a road truck”?? I think you’d be surprised at the cost of both. As for years of service, road trucks are used on both sides and then usually sold once they reach around a million miles, city trucks are run into the ground and then have to almost be given away...our cemter is one of the staging yards for sold equipment and we’ve talked to the guys who buy and pick them up...and they want road tractors.
 
When I came to this company I was impressed by all the newer equipment. The company I came from was rebuilding trucks from the late 90s that were well over 2000000 miles pushing 3. Now I would love to have one of the old trucks from my previous company. They had manual transmissions, ran a lot stronger, and didn't have all this loud computer crap beeping all the time. The city guys at my terminal fight for the few "older" trucks we have, so idk what all the fuss is about
 
I'm absolutely sure we don't have any 2004 model year road trucks running down the road anymore. City truck make perfect sense in a facility where there are twice as many city drivers as road drivers. City tractors cost half as much as a road truck and stay in service for twice as many years. We have 90 city drivers and just 50 road drivers in our barn, why would the company spend twice as much on 40 road tractors that are unnecessary?
City trucks are $90,000. Road are $120,000. That's according to the folks who order them. They quoted those numbers at spec review in April.
 
You’re looking at this from a local level instead of a national level...although most centers have more city drivers than road drivers, most centers also have more road tractors than city trucks, why is that?? Do you have proof that “city tractors cost half as much as a road truck”?? I think you’d be surprised at the cost of both. As for years of service, road trucks are used on both sides and then usually sold once they reach around a million miles, city trucks are run into the ground and then have to almost be given away...our cemter is one of the staging yards for sold equipment and we’ve talked to the guys who buy and pick them up...and they want road tractors.
I heard from an equipment spec meeting two years ago it was $45k vs. $75k. I know that is not quite half the cost, but still, we have used these trucks for over 14 years. I think they are worth it even without any resale value. I saw someone else posted up to date costs, and the argument would stay the same to me, a $30k difference in price.

And as a note, this question isn't from a newbie unhappy with his old truck. I'm in year 21 with 20 years safe driving. I'm just tired of the patchwork repairs being done to keep my old tractor on the road. Most recently, they replaced a rotten crossmember. The frame must have squeezed in a little when they took the old one out, so they couldn't fit the new one in. They solved that problem by cutting the new crossmember and welding it vertically in the middle to put it back together. Might be a legal repair, but it's certainly not the right way, especially for a company that says they do not modify equipment.
 
I heard from an equipment spec meeting two years ago it was $45k vs. $75k. I know that is not quite half the cost, but still, we have used these trucks for over 14 years. I think they are worth it even without any resale value. I saw someone else posted up to date costs, and the argument would stay the same to me, a $30k difference in price.

And as a note, this question isn't from a newbie unhappy with his old truck. I'm in year 21 with 20 years safe driving. I'm just tired of the patchwork repairs being done to keep my old tractor on the road. Most recently, they replaced a rotten crossmember. The frame must have squeezed in a little when they took the old one out, so they couldn't fit the new one in. They solved that problem by cutting the new crossmember and welding it vertically in the middle to put it back together. Might be a legal repair, but it's certainly not the right way, especially for a company that says they do not modify equipment.
Two years ago when I attended spec review, it was $114,000 for a road and $85,000 for a city unit. This past april, one of our city drivers attending was quoted the 90k, 120k numbers.
 
Two years ago when I attended spec review, it was $114,000 for a road and $85,000 for a city unit. This past april, one of our city drivers attending was quoted the 90k, 120k numbers.
My numbers must be off (bad memory!), but it is still a $30k difference. At a 14 year in service life, that boils down to $6k/year for a city truck. At 8 years of service (and I think I'm pushing that) a road truck costs $15k/year. I know when we sell them, they go super cheap. There isn't much of a market for a single axle day cab, let along one with over a million miles. One local truck place was selling used red VN Volvos for $7k. I heard they sell for $3-5k at auction. If we had twins, container guys would be all over them, but there are too many limitations for a single axle. I think they would make great cheap dump trucks if someone wanted to put a dump bed on them, but I can't think of much else they would be good for.
 
I beg to differ...it’s not that they cater to the road side, it’s more cost effective to purchase road trucks that can be used on the road AND city and still be able to get something for them when they’re ready to sell.

Wasn’t your seniority honored when the city bid on your trucks?? Correct me if I’m wrong but haven’t you bid on the same truck for the last several years anyways?? :scratchhead: Haven’t heard of the “permanent truck” clause, not saying it isn’t true either, just haven’t heard of it. Sounds like a local decision to me...
Did see someone from NC with a "Trophy Truck" the other day. 38-year safe driver!
 
My numbers must be off (bad memory!), but it is still a $30k difference. At a 14 year in service life, that boils down to $6k/year for a city truck. At 8 years of service (and I think I'm pushing that) a road truck costs $15k/year. I know when we sell them, they go super cheap. There isn't much of a market for a single axle day cab, let along one with over a million miles. One local truck place was selling used red VN Volvos for $7k. I heard they sell for $3-5k at auction. If we had twins, container guys would be all over them, but there are too many limitations for a single axle. I think they would make great cheap dump trucks if someone wanted to put a dump bed on them, but I can't think of much else they would be good for.
The KW’s already ride like they have a dump truck suspension!! :hilarious:
 
I heard from an equipment spec meeting two years ago it was $45k vs. $75k. I know that is not quite half the cost, but still, we have used these trucks for over 14 years. I think they are worth it even without any resale value. I saw someone else posted up to date costs, and the argument would stay the same to me, a $30k difference in price.

And as a note, this question isn't from a newbie unhappy with his old truck. I'm in year 21 with 20 years safe driving. I'm just tired of the patchwork repairs being done to keep my old tractor on the road. Most recently, they replaced a rotten crossmember. The frame must have squeezed in a little when they took the old one out, so they couldn't fit the new one in. They solved that problem by cutting the new crossmember and welding it vertically in the middle to put it back together. Might be a legal repair, but it's certainly not the right way, especially for a company that says they do not modify equipment.
I feel your pain!! We got 15 or so brand new Pete’s in for the road and they were assigned to one of the runs I was interested in...needless to say I took a bid that had an old cornbinder assigned to it!! It rides like a horse and buggy, the pressure plate is shot, and it has more rust than a 20’s Ford that’s spent its whole life sitting outside parked on the beach but I’d rather have it than a new truck...and heaven forbid you write it up for anything, I think they quit making parts for it a few years ago!!
 
My numbers must be off (bad memory!), but it is still a $30k difference. At a 14 year in service life, that boils down to $6k/year for a city truck. At 8 years of service (and I think I'm pushing that) a road truck costs $15k/year. I know when we sell them, they go super cheap. There isn't much of a market for a single axle day cab, let along one with over a million miles. One local truck place was selling used red VN Volvos for $7k. I heard they sell for $3-5k at auction. If we had twins, container guys would be all over them, but there are too many limitations for a single axle. I think they would make great cheap dump trucks if someone wanted to put a dump bed on them, but I can't think of much else they would be good for.
Not sure about your or any other cemter but our road trucks usually spend a minimum of 5 years on the road then the rest of their life in the city until they reach a million miles..which usually takes longer than 3 years. Just over a year ago I was still assigned R9811...can’t remember exactly what year Volvo it was but I know it wasn’t a spring chicken...and I recently saw that truck being used as a spare in WMN so it was still in service on the road.
 
If we are paying 90k for the city trucks no wonder they are not buying more of them. 90k for a piece of crap smh..... we are getting ripped on those jewls.
 
I feel your pain!! We got 15 or so brand new Pete’s in for the road and they were assigned to one of the runs I was interested in...needless to say I took a bid that had an old cornbinder assigned to it!! It rides like a horse and buggy, the pressure plate is shot, and it has more rust than a 20’s Ford that’s spent its whole life sitting outside parked on the beach but I’d rather have it than a new truck...and heaven forbid you write it up for anything, I think they quit making parts for it a few years ago!!
I thought the run was the important thing and the truck didn’t matter.
 
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