For the big rig drivers & those that aren't

[Steptoe]

sounds like there are plenty of truck/tractor/lorry drivers out & about in XS land,,here's our convoy the family company I work with put together for our local hospital children's ward.
my truck is the first one with the banner on it , this year the local community came together & raised just over $17k

take a peek http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvyJNU5eZBY

[latexeses]

AWESOME! God will bless you ..

[latexeses]

Aren't there a bunch of wrecks with you guys driving on the wrong side of the road????

Are all of the bars to keep the critters off the front of your rig?

Was that you in front of the truck at the end of the video???

[b.walker5]

Are all of the bars to keep the critters off the front of your rig?.

Best place to see a Kangaroo in Aus is on the side of the road after it's taken on a truck, and lost.

Travelled up the Newall once, from NSW to Queensland and never seen a live kangaroo till we stopped at a camping ground on the last day. Lot's of dead ones though. Always thought it was a little odd that the national icon is roadkill

Cool convoy, and a good cause.

[Steptoe]

mile of fun

the old fella in front of mine is the boss man with mum,,
the bars on the front are definitely for the "critters",much like roads round the world our's are unfenced as well, although the main difference here would be the "roos",cattle & sheep don't move so fast you can't see them, whereas a roo in full flight covering 100 mtrs in seconds weighing heavier and measuring taller than a full grown man can do some real damage,even to something as heavy as a truck.
some of the trucks that don't have bars are b-doubles & the bar makes them to long

[blue giant]

AWESOME! God will bless you ..

X2

[Paintman]

Great Job

and alot of Nice rigs amazing how most of everything raised comes from working folks Great Job!!!! just heading out on 250 Mile poker Run here for Childrens miracle network jujst hope weather holds.

[xs11jack]

Makes me want to....

go get my medical renewed and hop a plane. I have a class A with hazmat. I think the right hand drive might take a bit of getting used to, but with a set of bull bars like in the vid, I think people might give me a break. God bless you for your support of those kids!!!!

[DenyP]

When I travel, I stop at truck stops. I look for conversation and it is a pleasure to share a meal with you folks!

Deny

[Gator]

Cool deal! I especially like the 'Old'!
It is kinda weird seeing all the cabovers, not too many of those around here in the states!

[Steptoe]

rite side

g,day again, ay XS11Jack ,,driving on the right side is not hard at all sort of comes with time,,believe it or not but the bars on the front doesn't deter cage drivers one little bit, in 400 klm the other day 4 of them had a go at taking me on, all of them were what you would call uncomfortably close HEAD ON'S,,,,,Gator,,the reason for all the 'cabovers' is B-doubles have a length of 26 mtrs ,fella's' that have a bonnet have an "A" trailer which normally have 12 pallet spaces and a 22 pallet space back trailer whereas a cabover can have a 24 pallet back trailer or a 14 pallet "A" trailer with no bullbar because the bar makes the combination over length, hope that helps without being confusing

[Pat Kelly]

looking at the rear fenders, I guess you dont chain-up too often.
Here's my "home away from home"

[Steptoe]

way out of my league

that's a neat looking unit Pat, the king cabs are comfy ay.
Your trailer looks like a 50' no ?, most of our's here are 45' although we have the occasional 48' and you don't have tri axle trailers over there either I've heard, although you put a lot more than the 25 tonne we are allowed on our tri axles.
As for snow & ice I have never driven in or on,I would imagine everything I know would have to be thrown out the window & start again,,we get the Ice truckers show down here, I take my hat to those brave guys, they have balls of steel to do that.
like we say here--keep the shiny side up & stay safe . Geoff

[Pat Kelly]

(all US mesaurements)

53 foot trailer, allowed 34,000 lbs on the drive and tandem axles, 12,500 lbs on the steers. 80,000 lbs total (40 tons).
460 hp Catapiller engine, 10 speed trans with auto-shift. Full air-ride suspension, cab has air suspension, seat is air suspended. AM-FM-CD-satellite radio, 10 speakers, Esbar auxillary heater, 240 gallons of diesel takes me about 1,200 miles (sometimes more or less), TV-DVD,
I stay out from 3 days up to 2 weeks at a time.
Set the cruise control, crank the AC or heater, good tunes on the radio, CB on ch 19.... and watch the US roll past my windows.


And get paid to do it

That picture was in Wells, NV. The night before I took a pic of the (outside) thermometer, it read -19 f... ninteen degrees below zero. I'm hoping that had windchill factored in. It's read as high as +126 f (also in Nevada).

In the nearly two years I have been doing this I have had cross-winds almost knock me over, tail-winds get me over 11 MPG, headwinds knock me down to 3 MPG. Been in rain so hard I can't see the back of my trailer, the road an unbroken sheet of ice for 60 miles. Marveled at the green glow of fireflies that splat on my windshield (never seen one before last summer). Ran over frogs, rabbits, squirrles (revenge for Daniel Meyers), skunks, racoons, and coyotes.
Mostly I get to see the world. I am continously amazed and awed by the Earth. Seeing the layers that tell the tale of millions of years. Seeing solid rock twisted and bent.
And then there are the people. Travellers, solo and in groups. Cars with families, tour busses, motorcycles, bicycles, people walking. Saw a guy on a BMX bike loaded for touring. He had a sign on his bike that he was riding across America.... backwards. He sat on the handlebars and pedalled backwards. Tourists from other countries that want to look in my truck to see how truckers live. The comeraderie as the freeway shuts down for hours on end for accidents or weather.
Two years, I'm a greenhorn, a newbie. I hope I stay that way.

[Gator]

Since we're talkin trucks.. Here's mine:


2007 GMC 4500 Topkick with LoneStar custom built trailer 53 ft overall (44' deck) tandem 15k Dexter axles. I can load apx 27,000 pounds (13.5 tons)

As for seeing the country, done that a few times over now... Started pushing diesels over 10 years ago; the 'new' wears off, but the road gets in your blood and there's nothing else like it! And although I'm one of the more 'seasoned' drivers (mileage wise) I'm still learning too! The day you quit learning is the day you need to hang up your keys!

And although I've driven in my fair share of ice and snow those 'Ice Road Truckers' are NUTS!!!