Originally Posted by Hemi_Joel
Originally Posted by jcc
Originally Posted by Hemi_Joel
Originally Posted by Hugh Jorgan
Out here in East Texas, you gotta watch out for the gravel hauler 18 wheelers. Those guys obviously get paid by how many loads they deliver that day. If you are sitting at a red light and it turns green, you better look both ways before going. I've seen them blow through red lights and not even slow down.


Years ago I bought a Mack tractor from a gravel hauler. The truck was totally stripped, only one seat, air conditioning removed, front brakes removed, only one fuel tank, nothing that didn't need to be there to haul gravel was there. I asked him why the truck was so stripped down, he said he got paid by how much gravel he moved every day. That less the truck weighed, the more cargo it could haul.


I believe its been over 15? years that truck swould never pass a required DOT inspection without functioning brakes on every axle, so I hope your experience was before they clamped down.

So I suspect, based on previously experience here, in a few days there will threads about FEDEX always being late with their deliveries eyes.


Front brakes weren't required on semi tractors until model year 1978. At the time I was operating that truck, any chassis that was titled 1977 or older was grandfathered in and did not have to have front brakes. This truck had a '77 chassis with a newer glide kit cab on it but was still titled as a 77. Before anti-lock brakes, front brakes on a semi tractor probably caused more harm than good anyway. All the weight was on the drive tires, so you lose your steering in a panic stop when the front's lock up.
Exactly. All the weight on the drives cause steering problems in the snow ,ice and mud with front axle push.

America First!