Million miles on a truck

[Mike Van]

Last night on Machinery Pete TV a Peterbilt sold at an auction, just over a million milers on it - Is that common?

 

[92U 3406]

Yes

 

[Jonas302]

Yup common and expected kind of amazing compared to automobiles

 

[OzDozer]

Yes. I was talking to 2 trucking friends in a truck stop recently. One runs a Freightliner, and the other one runs a cabover Kenworth. They both haul long-distance, and all over Australia.
When I queried the the total distance their trucks had travelled, the K-Whopper owner said, "4,500,000 kms" (2,796,170 miles) - and the guy with the Freightliner (Cummins powered) said - "that's nothing! - 8,000,000 kms" (4,970,969 miles)!
The K-Whopper has had 2 engine rebuilds, and the Freightliner is on it's 4th engine rebuild. Around 1,600,000 to 1,800,000 kms is a common engine life on long haul trucking here.

Here's the K-Whopper, it's one sweet rig. He mostly hauls two drop-deck trailers, and specialises in machinery and equipment haulage.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=738894364218580&set=ecnf.100057237198061

 

[Old Doug]

I have a 1967 GMC pickup that has over 750.000 on it . I used it to haul scrap iron for close to 30 years. It took 4 engines 2 trans 2 rear ends one complete front end. I replaced the complete front end once , ball joints ,tie rods , a arm bushings several times but i never had it to a front end shop and it never wore tires funny . I never owned a vehical that the tires lasted so long on. Its been setting for several years i would like to fix it up but there is alot wrong with it just totally worn out.

 

[Old Doug]

Yes. I was talking to 2 trucking friends in a truck stop recently. One runs a Freightliner, and the other one runs a cabover Kenworth. They both haul long-distance, and all over Australia.
When I queried the the total distance their trucks had travelled, the K-Whopper owner said, "4,500,000 kms" (2,796,170 miles) - and the guy with the Freightliner (Cummins powered) said - "that's nothing! - 8,000,000 kms" (4,970,969 miles)!
The K-Whopper has had 2 engine rebuilds, and the Freightliner is on it's 4th engine rebuild. Around 1,600,000 to 1,800,000 kms is a common engine life on long haul trucking here.

Here's the K-Whopper, it's one sweet rig. He mostly hauls two drop-deck trailers, and specialises in machinery and equipment haulage.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=738894364218580&set=ecnf.100057237198061

You would think the frame rails would have problems after so long

 

[OzDozer]

Doug, we don't have salt on the roads here, and all these road train haulers are heavy build, triple frame chassis.

There was a guy in Adelaide, South Australia (Frank Lenzi - Cleveland Freight Lines), he ran K-Whoppas that must have been 20 yrs old and more, God knows how many kms they've done, he just kept on rebuilding them!

Unfortunately, poor old Frank passed away last December, and CFL closed down after he died.
The trucking world won't be the same here, everyone knew the CFL trucks, and they flew!
He was one of the first to run the 450HP Cat 3408 in a K-Whoppa here, what a beast!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/community/Cleveland-Freightlines-104362084559535/

This has to be the most iconic photo ever, of a CFL "Mack-Muncher"! These guys were legends of East-West trucking.

https://www.facebook.com/104362084559535/photos/a.104391304556613/598470895148649/?type=3&theater

 

[Old Doug]

I would like to rebuild my pickup the cab isnt rusted out but it started coming apart the doors one time opened and closed then the next time they had problems .

 

[John C.]

The mileage attainable on a truck has many variables. Types of use, loads carried, long haul use, vocational use, degree of maintenance and most of all, the operator. The other issue is technological obsolescence. Thinking about government mandates.

 

[92U 3406]

Proper washing attributes to long frame life.

 

[Truck Shop]

It's not how many miles on the truck but how many different sets of nut's have
been draped across the seat.

 

[Shimmy1]

Many of the good Petes and KWs on the road today have 2 million plus. And by "good", well, you guys that know know what I mean.

 

[Coaldust]

Proper washing. Trying to explain the importance of that to corporate, holy cow. It’s just a truck, who cares. Corporate don’t think rust be like it do, but it does. Eight year old KW.

 

[Truck Shop]

Some trucks are lucky some are doomed. From the minute the first driver sets in the seat it has a 50/50
chance of a downward spiral. The ratio of good to bad drivers is about 40/60. The truck one thinks should
run a million is cut short by stupidity on both sides owner/driver.
We had a women driver a few years back that was top of the line. One reason/in most cases women have
over men is-----------------------------ego factor. In order to reach any rung on the pecking order ladder
women have much harder time and apply themselves twice as much.
There is a driver in the company {been there 24 years} that is a outstanding driver. One only needs to
compare the repair file of the truck he drives to the rest, half as much paper. A set of drive axle shoes
can last him 600,000. He has one speed his speed, you don't push him or try to control him. A company
he use to work for-I ran into the owner and was shooting the sh!t with and mentioned the one driver
we have and how smooth he is, he interrupted me and said {Lupe}-you ain't going to find another like him.

It's not just good maintenance, a responsible driver is the biggest part of the equation.

 

[92U 3406]

If all drivers and operators were top notch then there'd be no need for a lot of us on the wrenching side of the picture.

 

[cfherrman]

98 mack cl with 1.4 million, had an engine around 700k. Was a dump truck from 98-00(or 01) and has been an oilfield water truck since. Pic from today.

Frame looks new, it's a single frame which is very important to keep the frame in good shape, double/triple frames rust jack hard.

 

[92U 3406]

I'd never spec a truck with a double frame for exactly that reason. Single heavy rail is the way to go unless you're doing something crazy like a long wheelbase bed truck.

 

[Truck Shop]

If all drivers and operators were top notch then there'd be no need for a lot of us on the wrenching side of the picture.

Well we don't need to worry about either. Because there's plenty to tear them up and plenty of
worthless mechanics following up with sh!tty repairs to keep the good ones busy.

 

[John C.]

I liked the double frame dump trucks that spread a lot of gravel. Not a lot of rust in my corner of the state. Go east and its another story.

 

[Truck Shop]

Trucks could be rebuilt years ago-the cost was relatively cheap. Now days with inflation plus the
fact trucks are not being built to rebuild later, about 1.2 . Plus trucks come with too many options
that cause too many issues. By the time any truck goes through a total rebuild {and that's stripped
to the rails} replacing everything because it's not rebuilt unless every part and piece is inspected
and or replaced. The parts would equal the price of a new truck.
A rebuild means everything not just a few items-But while that's going on-mag those frame rails
around the bolt holes and see all the tiny little cracks that appear-just aren't 6" long yet.

Depending on the manufacture a truck could be ordered with rails 1/2" thick and grade 110,
those are some stout rails.