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Pacific trucks in the logging industy

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Hank R

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In August 1970 International Harvester company acquired 100% of Pacific Truck and Trailer. Pacific was a highly successful operation prior to acquisition. Throughout the 1970's production ran at around 30 units per month, with many trucks destined for operations overseas and the 500th truck built by Pacific left the plant in 1971. As a heavy-duty manufacturer Pacific was in a unique situation. Pacific was a small company which allowed it to adjust its product to comply with specific job requirements. In August 1971 Pacific received an invitation to tender four trucks from International Harvester of South Africa. The South African Railway was to be the end user of these trucks. And were to be used in hauling 150 ton to 370 ton loads. Most of the loads were for Thermal Power Plants, although they could be used to haul any heavy loads. These trucks were 600 hp each. Pacific received the tender and advised International that it would not submit a quotation until Pacific's manager of sales engineering and product development Mr. Gwynn Jenkins had consulted with the final user. Mr. Jenkins went to South Africa September 1971. In the first week of October Pacific submitted a bid for a Model P-12 truck that had never been built. May 1972 Pacific was informed that it was the successful bidder. August 1, 1972 final layout and shop drawings were completed. November 22, 1972 all four units were shipped by ship to Johannesburg South Africa. Amazingly this full sequence of events from receipt of order to full service had taken only 12 months. In the 1970's 18 of these trucks were built, 5 of these trucks were built called Ultra with 800 hp, powered by a Cummins V-12-1710 rated at 800 hp. These trucks had huge radiators since they operated where temperatures would be 40 degrees C. From the top of the cab to ground was 13 ft. In 1973 the P-12 became a regular production truck.

I believe that Diamondtguy has the correct # of trucks in total as more orders came in.
 
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H

Hank R

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Princeton B.C. Canada
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Retired Truck driver and School bus driver
I have 5 or 6 more of the South Africa trucks that were undergoing a rebuild and repaint but spent 1 hr and can not find them.
 
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Hank R

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Princeton B.C. Canada
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H-153, Last P-16 built.

H-155, was the number given to the last P-16 truck that was built and it came out of the Pacific factory in October 1989. This truck was built MacMillian Bloedel Ltd, for Franklin River Division. This truck was lucky to have M&B and Island Pacific Logging as owners as these two Company's and their employees took great care of all their trucks and equipment. This truck after 26 years of hard work is still a good working truck.

H-155 was spec’d out with 91,000 Clark rears 13:1 ratio 60-61 Allison trans KTA 600 Cummins engines. Truck was bought by Hayes Forest in 2003 along with a number of other M&B trucks at the big WEYCO Garage sale. It remained red and white but had the HFS decals on the doors for about 2-3 years. IPL bought her in Jan/2008 along with a number of other trucks from Hayes Forest after they lost the contract with Western Forest products at Franklin. She was still red and white when IPL bought her in 2008. They had her rebuilt and that is when the KTA was removed and the C15 Cat was installed. She was painted yellow and white in the same paint scheme as the rest of the IPL trucks. The truck # was change from H-155 to H-153 at this time

Because of the good shape it was in it was decided by IPL to just leave it alone and run it and just do the maintenance required as things were needed.

The drivers history of H-155 is Driver Jed Ruel got it new and drove it till he retired Then it went through a number of drivers and owners -- M&B, Weyerhaeuser, HAYES FOREST, Then Island Pacific Logging The driver that got her when she came back all rebuilt was Don McInroy . He drove her for a short time then changed jobs and Al Prpich went on her He stayed on her for the duration of her hauling time at IPL. Al Prpich is a very good driver and he really loved that truck. Was a sad day for him when he had to give her up Dec 2015.

Thanks to Steve Dybrough for all the history on this truck and drivers.

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Truck Shop

Truck Shop

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Hank R said:
This truck after 26 years of hard work is still a good working truck.
Click to expand...

I have always said the owners who say drivers are dime a dozen don't know their butt from a hole
in the ground. Bad drivers can break you, good drivers can make you. We have several that are good
drivers, only need to look at the repair file for those specific units to see.
 
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