Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Old school truck drivers here?

Most trucks being sold today are automatic . It's more fuel efficient and less maintenance , drivers can't destroy the clutch .

I mentioned once on one of these truck driving threads, about having compression releases on our trucks. Don't think there was more than a couple that even knew what I was talking about. Sure came in handy when needed.

Phil

All equipment sold since the early 90's has automatic slack adjusters that should not be adjusted manually.

Better question: how many drivers know how to check brake adjustment? And how many DO? How many know how auto slacks work and what to do to keep them adjusted?

That's mechanic work. LOL

Same way as the old brakes..Tighten all the way then back off 1/2..I backed off 1/4 on my trucks and did or checked it daily.

How about 75,000 mile oil change interval? That ain't old school.

I told a driver recruiter once that I can back up three pieces of equipment. He said - you ran doubles? I said: no... tractor, haybaler and wagon.

not to offend you campfire truckers...

but driving a 4 wheeler, what bugs me is heading up a mountainside on the interstate, and here in Oregon with our dipschitt liberals running the state, and handing out welfare to minorities is more important than maintaining and building adequate roads for highway conditions......are trucks that will immediately jerk out into the left lane when there is half a car length between their rear bumper and the car in the left lane... then they will chug up the highway doing 33 mph, passing the truck that had been in front of them in the right lane, which is traveling at 32.5 mph..... all the way to the top....

then they get all pissed off and ride your ass by a few feet if you impede their travel whatsoever....

I 5 from the CA border to the Washington Border needs to be 4 lane on each side, with the volume of traffic it carries, particularly trucks....and needs to have hill climbing lanes, at least two for trucks going up and down mountain passes...they DON"T..
so I blame the state for that... its not 1969 anymore... and the volume of traffic is I bet 500% of what it was when this highway was built, with minimal improvements over the years...so the state is contributing their own problems to the equation...

yeah, I grew up when truckers were hwy gentlemen... now its almost like a free for all out there, and they have the biggest and slowest rigs, so they are king of the traffic flow... but I drive the same highways you do... and in 4 wheelers there are a lot of self centered A HOles behind the wheels, that the rest of us have to deal with just as you do...

and the road system needs to be improved big time.... I go home to the east coast and there are interstates heading all over the place ....the main road here north to south, from the CA border north is the only game in town... yeah CA has freeways to meet their needs ( somewhat)... Oregon and Washington... what a joke.... although WA is more up on the times than Oregon...except Metro Puget Sound....where almost 24/8, the freeway is closer to a parking lot that a way to get anywhere....

That happened to me hauling 80,000 lbs of bulk cement down a steep downgrade. Pedal went to the floor and I had to pry it up with my foot while frantically trying to slow dafuq down and eventually pull over. In the middle of nowhere there was no help, and none likely to come any time soon. There was no repairing the broken throttle return spring so I ended up taping my foot to the accelerator with electrical tape so I could lift the throttle and get back home.

Id never let my trucks go that long between oil changes but were all different just like oil changes on cars and trucks..

I saw 2 truckers get into a fun situation a few weeks ago by Pendleton. We were at a near standstill for construction. One truck was in front of us, the other approaching from behind in the left lane - which had several signs stating that it would end. The left trucker decided to take advantage of the situation and go around everyone who had merged right. The truck in front of took exception to that and attempted to block him. It ended up being a slow speed race with the offending trucker completely in the left ditch in order to make it around everyone. First time I have seen that.

California Highway Patrol basically ignores trucking violations except at the way stations or in cases that they are likely to cause an accident. Not saying that is right or wrong seeing as how just pulling a rig over can cause extreme traffic problems with few roads having shoulders or pull-outs today. Hell even see semis driving in the car-pool lane (with trailers). But ignoring citing these [bleep] only makes it worse. Today you can see a truck in every lane of traffic blocking its flow for everyone. I've seen better than 3 hours to go 45 miles. Seldom will you even see Highway Patrol today.

Phil

If you back off an auto slack without releasing the pin, you'll likely strip the teeth and ruin it..... You can tighten them like regular brakes, but you can't back them off like regular brakes.

I drove an old Autocar with the 5x4 and the 4x4 was in an old International, both hauling logs.

My turn signal is on, and it was on when you were behind me, well, you better watch the phucqk out cause i'm coming over, you had fair warning!

23 years ago my wife and I were owner/operators. There was a lot of stupidity then....but seems to be exponentially worse now. From then to now there seems to be a tremendous increase of “minority” ( middle eastern, Mexican, ect.) drivers. As everywhere else in humanity, overall they appear to have different standards and ethics than do what we consider normal. Is it lack of formal education, lack of morality, lack of common sense, lack of good parental guidance or upbringing, or perhaps a combination of all. That said.....today’s generation, overall lacks the “moral compass” that many of the older generations have/had! memtb

Yep. It’s amazing when you pull into a Truck Stop nowadays the number of turbin wearing dothead drivers you see. And Meskins that look pure wetback.

Don't get a Canadian friend going, about "Diaper Heads".

Dont know about the automatic slack adjusters, but IIRC a 9/16" box end wrench is what's needed to adjust manual trailer and rear tractor brakes.

No 9/16 any more.