Just To Make Packrat Cringe.

Mike, the last I heard is that Mercedes owns Frightliner.

I’ve never driven any other make of truck but a Frightliner. I have no complaint about the ride or the seats. I guess I have a very durable back and butt.

The term Freightshaker is a throwback to the COE era. From the late 50’s through the early 90’s White Freightliner and subsequently Freightliner had a substantial market share with all of the major carriers, including single screw day cabs pulling pups for the LTLs.

Compounding this rough ride was leaf spring, walking beam or torsion bar suspensions as opposed to the air ride suspensions on the axles and cabs cradling our contemporary driving environments.

By comparison the Freightliner Cascadia outfitted for highway driving is not a rough riding truck. Spend a day in a triaxle dump truck equipped with a walking beam suspension and you’ll quickly realize how great your ride is.

It was the first time I drove one and hopefully the last. very rough ride, it made a freightshaker seem smooth.

Terrain nonwithstanding, G'Town . . . don't you agree that Mack day cabs ARE a pretty good ride? Never did a Western Star. The Pete Tom & I drove pulling asphalt was a day cab. Oldie but goodie, was comfy with weight on it, haha! Pix in my gallery. I LOVED that ole' gal. Wanted to buy, but (in a way) glad we didn't.

Tom's current Pinnacle is actually a pretty GOOD ride, too! Even the passenger seat is decent, I can attest, with my bony boom!

Only 2 day cabs I'm familiar with (as is he,) is the 'ole Pete, and the current Pinnacle. The twin screw rides a tad smoother than the single, as well. One ride in the International on the highway, but I've driven it around locally, to hone my shifting skills. Couldn't speak to the ride.

Thoughts, G?

~ Anne ~

ps: The Int'l day cab was no where NEAR as comfy as the Macks, per 'Tom!' That's the 'floater/loaner' truck for FAB in Ohio; many folks at the other yards in Ohio have the restriction, so it gets 'dumped' on Tom, haha!

Anne wrote:

Terrain nonwithstanding, G'Town . . . don't you agree that Mack day cabs ARE a pretty good ride?

Yes, I do agree. There are so many things that can affect ride quality… I’ve driven 5 different Freightliners;

2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021. The only one I didn’t care for was the 2014…possibly the 375,000 miles had something to do with it, plus I was slipseating. Loved the 2021 day cab I drove for Performance.

But yes indeed, love the Pinnacle. Solid.

G you hit the nail on the head.

Each company has someone that spec’s the trucks out and go to the bidding process. Driver comfort I don’t know is on the list, maybe at some.

They will cut corners to lower the price every time.

Volvo isn’t a bad truck at all. Parts are more expensive and harder to get. That was the deciding factor in me selling mine.

Alot of drivers probably never think about how a company decides what to purchase.

PeeJ (PJ) when Tom (& I ) drove for Saunders LLC, Ted had some BAD ARSKE Pete's spec'd to the nines for heavy stuff; ..even the day cab was decent. He didn't skrimp. Tom did the maintenance in Ted's huge shop, himself..and got paid extra. The Shelly Co. in Toledo was a GREAT contract for asphalt; United Precast in Marengo (the winter flats gig,) not so much. Often, wrong #, wrong color, wrong trailer... grab something and go! It got too 'hinkey' at times. When we got raised up on the CB, 'Hey Tripod, your load is slipping..' fun became fear. Stopped at a school in Cleveland and secured the 'heck' out of those Lennils/Jersey Barriers with EVERY strap we had. Load HOPPED. BAD. Sadly, I watched it in MY mirror.

Tom's CDL is too precious to take precarious risks . . and that became more often, and apparent. Ted (guy we drove for) is a one man show, after his divorce. As I'd mentioned before, he offered us to 'buy the fleet' some six years ago; no contracts 'guaranteed.' Five trucks, six trailers. Two tanks, three flats of different varieties. We know NOTHING about that 'stuff' like you, PJ. Tom & I made the right decision, for sure. He's only got a single RGN/lowboy. We see him, often.

PJ I'm glad YOU are learning the flatbed life proper; we sure never did ....just on the 'fly.' Kinda like TwoSides11. Davy, since you DESPISE that one day daycab, if you DO hop over to flatbed, as Pianoman has premonitions of, GET TRAINED proper!

(Davy, better yet . . . STAY on the dark side, haha! Daycab is FUN, look at G !)

For any 'newer' people reading this, even a 20 year veteran driver often says 'no' to something that 'SOUNDS SO SWEET!' Happily making coin in a day cab, as are many!

Off topic, partially . . . sorry!

~ Anne ~

Anne wrote:

Terrain nonwithstanding, G'Town . . . don't you agree that Mack day cabs ARE a pretty good ride?

Yes, I do agree. There are so many things that can affect ride quality… I’ve driven 5 different Freightliners;

2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021. The only one I didn’t care for was the 2014…possibly the 375,000 miles had something to do with it, plus I was slipseating. Loved the 2021 day cab I drove for Performance.

But yes indeed, love the Pinnacle. Solid.

But yes indeed, love the Pinnacle. Solid.

As does he; a lot of reason he's 'not leaving!' At his age, butt comfort gets more of a meaning.

I wish I knew more about the FL daycabs; no basis for comparison. The FL's and Volovo's he drove, were all OTR. Of course, they've got some sense of comfort. He always said the Volvo OTR 'ran' better, however.

Mack Attack, always!

~ Anne ~

I agree with Tom… my best OTR ride ever was the Volvo. Had it for 12+ months.

But… it left me high and dry twice.

I agree with Tom… my best OTR ride ever was the Volvo. Had it for 12+ months.

But… it left me high and dry twice.

Twice in one year, isn't really bad!

Here's a 'NOTE' to all the 'VOLVO' haters; between G'Town & Tom, consensus is, (Oh yeah, and OLD SCHOOL, too!) It's a pretty good rig, if you've got a good gig! (Tom's words.)

He's driven other makes/models OTR, and the Volvo 760 (later the 860) was 'bawlz' better (his words!) than the FL's.. See why I don't let HIM type on here ?~?~?

Tom drove a FL something for OnLine Transport, in his mix of jobs. It was ROOMY, sure. Comfy in the S/B, heck in the chair/driver booth, as he calls it.

~ Anne ~

ps: Macks ROCK the DAYCAB world !! Sorry, Delco Dave. I was hoping it for ya!

G i didnt post that to ruffle your feathers bro. Was the frieghtshaker comment or the swifty swift comment that got you so huffed and puffed. Opinions are like boogers, everyone has and i have every right to express that opinion. I tried daycab with swift and all there trucks at my terminal were cheap broken down 2018 shakers, volvos, and intertrashonal sleepers. I chose the intertrashonals because they were the best of the worst

I’m currently driving a single screw, 2018 FL Cascadia. All us night guys slip seat with the day shift. All the Macks were already spoken for so I had 3 FL’s to choose between. Took a different one my 1st 3 nights out and liked the 2018 the most.

I think its a pretty smooth, comfortable ride. I’ve noticed it bounces me around more with 30k plus in a 53 then a lighter load. A set of heavy doubles seem to be the smoothest overall ride.

I have been pondering this one. I have never driven a day cab. Drove Volvo in school. Mostly Kenworths and Petes. My favorite truck of all was a 2005 freightliner columbia. Brand new at the time. Loved it. Then had to switch co-drivers, he kept it. I moved into a brand new Pete. It was ok.