make of trucks

[reppy007]

Im going to guess that most of you lineman are driving/using a Ford built truck....thats what I am usually seeing. Years ago we had a Chevy bucket truck,I guess it was ok if you worked st.light or drove up against the pole.....so what brand are you using?........the more interesting question goes to Bren......what make are you Scottish lads using.....I mean when a guy needs a ladder to work from his bucket,Id kind of like to know the make......Try a Ford built truck Bren:D

[Pootnaigle]

Ummmmmmmmmm the utility I retired from bought an entire fleet of Chevrolet deisels. They had major problems with the injector pumps on every one of em. Those pumps had to be removed and sent back to GM where they would rebuilt them using the newest fix. then they had to be reinstalled. Many rebuilds didnt last for 10k miles. It was so bad GM upped the factory warrenty to 100K miles. In any case they were so undependable they were all replaced by fords which proved to be very reliable. I dont think they will ever again buy GM.They got burned pretty bad on them chevys

[reppy007]

The thing is.....I dont have anything against a Chevy.....interesting bit Poot.

[94_sahara]

Around here the utility uses some nice lookin Internationals.

[reppy007]

that is true....but how are they holding up in the field?

[94_sahara]

Not too sure since I'm still tryin to get into the trade, but I went on a ride-along with a trouble guy once and he didn't seem to have anything bad to say about them. All the trucks have gone automatic since too many linemen were burnin out the transmissions ;) HOWEVER, had an interview for a job in fleet services few days ago and should be hearin from them this weeek whether I got the job. (I know I know this ain't no fleet services forum, but it's a foot in the door!) So if I got it I'll for sure be learnin alll about the trucks and I'll let ya know :D

I also heard a while ago they've got a few hybrid bucket trucks tryin' to do the whole "green" thing, not sure how those ended up working out though.

[reppy007]

your so right,a foot in the door is good....it doesnt even matter how you get into the door....I think it will be tough to actually beat the Fords.....saying that the Internationals look very good,Im thinking they might be more expensive,scaring away the large utilities.

[STLmo1986]

The utility that serves me runs mostly freightliner and international. Prolly like 85% of em are freightliner on their bigger stuff. Trouble trucks and pick ups and the smaller stuff they run Super Dutys and Rams.

The co-op around here has mostly chevys from what i can tell. Super dutys and rangers for small stuff

Heres whats funny, the majority of our area is all the large utility. And around me and on north theres a small patch of co-op. Like the road that my neighborhood is off of. Literally one side of the street is utility, across the street is co-op.

[STLmo1986]

My experience with trucks is its hard to go wrong with a Ford. On the big trucks, its a crap shoot. The internationals and volvos and freightliners have nice wide cabs and are all around nice trucks. But, for a rugged hard working truck its hard to beat a peterbilt or kenworth. The downside i didnt like about the kw's and petes ive driven is how narrow the cab was. Bangin your buddies knee shiftin' gears, tight quarters. But they drive NICE! And from a company perspective. Kw's and Petes have a better resale value.

[Lineman North Florida]

We had all of our buckets and line trucks mounted on GMC cab and chassis for about 20 years and they were great trucks, started noticing problems when the trucks got more and more computerized, I have heard (don't know it to be a fact) that GM has gotten out of the big truck business. Lately our trucks have been Freightliners and it's to early to tell much about them, we did get a new 125' hi-line bucket mounted on a Peterbilt and it's a cadillac:D, also our new trucks are coming with the tire boss system and I was a little skeptical at first but it's the real deal, if you have never seen one it allows you to drop the air pressure down in the tires on your drive axles when you think you are stuck at that point you can pull out and it will air them back up to the proper PSI and you are on your way, and you can do it all from the drivers seat.

[reppy007]

I cant say that I have seen a KW or a Peterbuilt line truck unless FP&L had one,but im sure that they would cost a pretty penny........but I know that Ive never seen a Ram truck used by a utility or contractor.

[94_sahara]

I fotgot they told me when they were showin me around after the interview that they try to get about 14 years outta the International line trucks, they come in after 7 years for a complete overhaul, down to frame sandblasted and built back up. And for crew trucks they use Ford Super-Duty Crew cabs. I also have never seen a utility or contractor aroud here use a RAM.

[reppy007]

There was another chevy we used..........what fun they were,the early 1980s chevy suburbans...used to haul all the apprentices to our different job locations....they took a slight beating.

[STLmo1986]

Yea the trouble trucks are the new Ram 4500 or 5500 cab and chassis. Mostly super dutys though. Honestly i bet you could get a pete or kw equal to one of the intl. Or freightliners for not much more.

[STLmo1986]

We had all of our buckets and line trucks mounted on GMC cab and chassis for about 20 years and they were great trucks, started noticing problems when the trucks got more and more computerized, I have heard (don't know it to be a fact) that GM has gotten out of the big truck business. Lately our trucks have been Freightliners and it's to early to tell much about them, we did get a new 125' hi-line bucket mounted on a Peterbilt and it's a cadillac:D, also our new trucks are coming with the tire boss system and I was a little skeptical at first but it's the real deal, if you have never seen one it allows you to drop the air pressure down in the tires on your drive axles when you think you are stuck at that point you can pull out and it will air them back up to the proper PSI and you are on your way, and you can do it all from the drivers seat.

That tire boss system is legit. Same principle off roaders have used for a long time. And able to control it on the fly even better.

[STLmo1986]

4809

Like this one here. Except all i ever seem to see is Altec

[reppy007]

4809

Like this one here. Except all i ever seem to see is Altec

What kind of reach?

[STLmo1986]

Like 35ish feet height and like 23ish on reach

[reppy007]

Like 35ish feet height and like 23ish on reach

I was asking cause it looked like the chevy we had that had no reach,but ours was a tanish color,little better than nothing.

[Swamprat]

Around here the utility uses some nice lookin Internationals.

Yup.
Great Trucks. For the Bigger, 55' buckets, and the digger derricks.