ABF | How do the 2018 KW road tractors drive?

Homesick

Retired
Credits
169
I drove in hurricane Michael last night with a set of pup trailers and the new KW tractor. It drove terrible. The trailers are so far back on the tandems that the tractor did not steer well. Also, with no weight on the drive tires it wanted to slide when you put on the brakes on the wet roads.
 
Sounds as if you were driving too fast for the conditions
Mustang, I think you are correct and I was driving to fast for conditions!!!! Only the conditions I was driving to fast for was not the storm, the wind or the rain but the other vehicles on the road. I know you don't drive for ABF but Joe is exactly correct on the placement of the 5th wheel. With the 5th wheel all the way to the rear it creates the “teeter totter”effect. The trailer pushes down on the rear axle tires which pulls up on the steering axle tires. Also, with the 5th wheel all the way back it has the effect of making the trailers pull like “bumper pull” trailers instead of like a 5th wheel or goose neck trailer. And anyone who has ever pulled a long or heavy bumper pull trailer knows what I am talking about. It is much harder to control and much easier to loose control of.

And Canary my friend, I think experience has much more to do with driving safely than does youth and lightening fast reflexes. But youths have to get those years of experience sometime.
 
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I love the new K.W's they ride smooth and I have had heavy pups 23,000 front 16,000 back no teter toter at all. But I hate that Buzzer for being too close. That needs to go. I called ft. smith and pointed out where they put the DEF Tank. this winter we are going to have trucks towed a lot. The snow chain is going to break and take out the tank.
 
Mustang, I think you are correct and I was driving to fast for conditions!!!! Only the conditions I was driving to fast for was not the storm, the wind or the rain but the other vehicles on the road. I know you don't drive for ABF but Joe is exactly correct on the placement of the 5th wheel. With the 5th wheel all the way to the rear it creates the “teeter totter”effect. The trailer pushes down on the rear axle tires which pulls up on the steering axle tires. Also, with the 5th wheel all the way back it has the effect of making the trailers pull like “bumper pull” trailers instead of like a 5th wheel or goose neck trailer. And anyone who has ever pulled a long or heavy bumper pull trailer knows what I am talking about. It is much harder to control and much easier to loose control of.

And Canary my friend, I think experience has much more to do with driving safely than does youth and lightening fast reflexes. But youths have to get those years of experience sometime.
Not trying to start a p*****g match here but if you ever read some of my posts you would know that I have driven for Big R and CFCC before going to carhaul. So i know all about the effects of a 5th wheel slid all the way back ,As I was told by an old timer way back when he told me if your butt hole is puckering you driving way too fast. take your foot off the pedal and enjoy the ride, better to be late and safe instead of fast on on the 11 o'clock news reel. And on your bumper pull that's why you get a car/truck and the proper hitch for what your towing, Stay safe "young grasshopper" you will be fine
 
Not trying to start a p*****g match here but if you ever read some of my posts you would know that I have driven for Big R and CFCC before going to carhaul. So i know all about the effects of a 5th wheel slid all the way back ,As I was told by an old timer way back when he told me if your butt hole is puckering you driving way too fast. take your foot off the pedal and enjoy the ride, better to be late and safe instead of fast on on the 11 o'clock news reel. And on your bumper pull that's why you get a car/truck and the proper hitch for what your towing, Stay safe "young grasshopper" you will be fine



Well Said!!!!!
 
Not trying to start a p*****g match here but if you ever read some of my posts you would know that I have driven for Big R and CFCC before going to carhaul. So i know all about the effects of a 5th wheel slid all the way back ,As I was told by an old timer way back when he told me if your butt hole is puckering you driving way too fast. take your foot off the pedal and enjoy the ride, better to be late and safe instead of fast on on the 11 o'clock news reel. And on your bumper pull that's why you get a car/truck and the proper hitch for what your towing, Stay safe "young grasshopper" you will be fine
Not sure I agree with everything you said brother but most of it sound like sound advice. That puckering thing not so much. Life is exciting when other people do inconsiderate and irresponsible things while driving :)
 
Not trying to start a p*****g match here but if you ever read some of my posts you would know that I have driven for Big R and CFCC before going to carhaul. So i know all about the effects of a 5th wheel slid all the way back ,As I was told by an old timer way back when he told me if your butt hole is puckering you driving way too fast. take your foot off the pedal and enjoy the ride, better to be late and safe instead of fast on on the 11 o'clock news reel. And on your bumper pull that's why you get a car/truck and the proper hitch for what your towing, Stay safe "young grasshopper" you will be fine

I guess that shows PIE was smarter than Big R or Carolina, they knew how dumb their drivers were and had no
sliding 5th wheels or tamdems.
They saved a lot on overweight tickets, by loading right.
Not that a driver wouldn't slide either to make it ride better, if it was available.
 
I guess that shows PIE was smarter than Big R or Carolina, they knew how dumb their drivers were and had no
sliding 5th wheels or tamdems.
They saved a lot on overweight tickets, by loading right.
Not that a driver wouldn't slide either to make it ride better, if it was available.
Roadway had tractors that could be converted to screws, it was called a jiff where you had to slide the 5th wheel(s)
 
Roadway had tractors that could be converted to screws, it was called a jiff where you had to slide the 5th wheel(s)

PIE had Jiffs also, you don't slide the 5th wheel on a jiff, it's fixed, once dolly is removed.
Our Jiffs had one fixed position for pups and one for a 3 axle setup.
I would not be surprised if I was not cussing Jiffs and COE Freightliners before your driving days.
 
PIE had Jiffs also, you don't slide the 5th wheel on a jiff, it's fixed, once dolly is removed.
Our Jiffs had one fixed position for pups and one for a 3 axle setup.
I would not be surprised if I was not cussing Jiffs and COE Freightliners before your driving days.
Possibly so, I got my cdl in 1991. I had 10 years with Roadway & i think both the tractor & the jiff had removable pins in the 5th wheel & used a bar to slide them....I could be wrong it was a long time ago, and dont miss doing it....
 
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Possibly so, I got my cdl in 1991. I had 10 years with Roadway & i think both the tractor & the jiff had removable pins in the 5th wheel & used a bar to slide them....I could be wrong it was a long time ago, and dont miss doing it....

I retired in 90, when PIE closed, we kept a number of drivers out on workmans comp, because of those things.
Ours had no counterweights on the jiff and weighed a ton, big nightmare for sure.
We never had a bar in Charl, just pulled them the nasty, greasy way.
I ran the Carolina Turn Board, and owned no clothes without grease spots at onetime.
 
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