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One Truck to Rule them All – The CT600

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Eric

This past spring Caterpillar unveiled their newest product line, the CT600 Class 8 vocational truck. Some may say that making inroads into the already competitive commercial truck market with a new and unproven product during an economic downturn is a big challenge, if not impossible. Apparently the folks at CAT feel differently. They believe the CT600 will sell. In fact they believe the truck will outsell traditional heavy weights Kenworth, Mack and Peterbilt. The aggressive outlook calls for CAT to be the number 1 or 2 best selling heavy duty work truck within five years.

The strength of the CAT brand will most likely be the catalyst for early sales as the truck has yet to hit dealers. Will buyers be willing to spend upwards of $125,000 on an new brand of truck? Others may simply believe the CT600 is just a International Paystar with a fancy hood and leather wrapped steering wheel and not worth the price. Either way, competition is good and I can’t wait to see one of these trucks in the flesh.

Source: ENR.com Photo: Caterpillar

Posted in Industry News | Tagged Caterpillar CT660, international paystar, kenworth, Mack, navistar, peterbilt | 2 Comments

ATHS Hudson Mohawk – The Videos Part 2

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Eric

More, More, More.

Posted in Truck Show | Tagged aths hudson mohawk, diamond t, dodge big horn, mack h-73 | Leave a comment

2011 ATHS Hudson Mohawk – The Videos

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Eric

Which one is your fav? More to come…

Posted in Truck Show | Tagged aths hudson mohawk, autocar dc103, ballston spa, gmc 860, international westcoaster, mack lm | Leave a comment

IRT Season Five – Final Thoughts

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Eric

The ice roads have melted and the final loads have been hauled, season five is in the books. All in all it was a good season. I think the producers have finally found the balance between the actual day to day events of the ice road and the made for T.V. drama. It was fun to see Rick, Hugh and Alex running the same roads again. They haven’t changed much since the first season. Say what you will about Hugh but the man is a machine, his work ethic is unrivaled. Also, Rick continues to move too quickly for his own good and Alex should run his own towing/rescue service based on the number of bad drivers he saved this year.

As in past seasons we were introduced to some new faces, namely Maya and Dave. While Maya was new to the IRT franchise Dave cut his teeth on the insane mountain roads of India. With 25 years of trucking experience he seemed like a logical fit for the demanding conditions of the Dalton Highway. Unfortunately, his ego ran wild which lead to his termination from Carlile. Dave bristled at any form of teaching or instructions on the way Carlile wanted things done. He took the mentality of “me vs the world” and used it as a way to rationalize all of his self inflicted problems. Maya had the opposite experience and I was actually surprised to see how well Maya took the roads. At the start of the season I figured she was there as a producer contrived sub story about woman truckers. Unlike fellow rookie Dave she took the time to listen and learn, ultimately succeeding in surviving the season.

So that’s it, season done. But wait, no need for withdrawals, IRT: Most deadliest Road’s has already begun! Some familiar faces return (Hugh, Lisa, Rick, Dave) to mix it up with new truckers on the mountain roads of the Andes. Long live truck oriented programming!

Posted in Ice Road Truckers | Tagged ice road truckers, irt season five | 1 Comment

2011 ATHS Hudson Mohawk

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Eric

Another year another huge show. A great variety of trucks were on hand as the photos show. Stay tuned for a closer look at some of the trucks in the coming days. Until then enjoy the gallery below.

[Show as slideshow]

Posted in Truck Show | Tagged aths hudson mohawk | Leave a comment

Lost and Found – International Plow Truck

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Eric

Now this is a rare truck. I happened upon this International R-190 hiding behind a former International dealer near Amsterdam, NY. Most plow trucks of this vintage hit the scrap pile years ago or simply rusted away into oblivion. This truck wore the All-Wheel drive badge which may have been a factory option at the time. Click the picture below for a larger version.

Know of an old truck you would like to see here? Email Me!

Posted in Lost and Found, Snow Plows | Tagged amsterdam ny, International, r-190 plow truck | 2 Comments

On the Job – Owner Operators

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Eric

With the construction season drawing to a close, contractors and government agencies are busying finishing up their projects before the good weather is gone. This leads to plenty of activity for trucking companies of all sizes. Everyone from large corporate fleets to the owner/operator with just one truck hit the road to haul the loads and burn the miles. Today’s trucks belong to the later. As the case with the independent trucker it’s more common to see them running later model trucks. Don’t be fooled, they don’t run junk. Their trucks may be old but they are well cared for and maintained. After all, when you have just one or two trucks that determine if your family eats you have to keep them running.

I caught this early generation International Paystar leaving a construction site in downtown Syracuse the other day.

It belongs to White Trucking and is Detroit powered. I’ve seen a few other Paystars belonging to White Trucking in my travels like the blue one below.

Working around the corner on a resurfacing and curbing job was this Autocar. This particular model was produced after Volvo purchased the Autocar, White and GMC truck brands. As the years wore on the Autocar name would be dropped from the hood in favor of the Volvo band running across the grill. This truck belongs to Autocar Trucking. True to their name they run Autocars including some really vintage models. Keep visiting for more information on those trucks in the future.

Posted in On the Job | Tagged autocar, autocar trucking, international paystar, white trucking | 2 Comments

ATHS Hudson Mohawk – Past Videos

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Eric

As I mentioned a few days ago the Hudson Mohawk chapter of the ATHS will hold their annual two day show at the fairgrounds in Ballston Spa, NY. Pack up the kids, the wife, the dog and hit the roads of beautiful Saratoga County enjoying the changing colors of fall. Enjoy some videos of past shows to see what’s in store for you if you make the trip.

Up first a 1970 Diamond Reo with a cameo by a Mack MH cabover.

Not heavy enough? How about this Brockway 761.

Even the best old truck needs help from time to time, check these two classic wreckers.

The white stuff that falls from the sky is just around the corner…

Well, I could do this all day. So many great videos from the years past. If you want to see more check my YouTube Channel here.

Posted in Truck Show | Tagged brockway, Diamond Reo, International, Mack | Leave a comment

On the Job – Kenworth T-800

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Eric

The County of Onondaga in NY has embarked on ambitious variety of green projects designed to collect rain water run off before it reaches storm and sanitary sewers. According to the savetherain.us

The “Save the Rain” program is a comprehensive stormwater management plan intended to reduce pollution to Onondaga Lake and its tributaries. During wet weather events, stormwater flows into the local sewer system, causing heavy flow periods that can overload the system. During times of overload, the system is designed to release combined sanitary flow and stormwater into local waterways (Harbor Brook, Onondaga Creek). This event is known as a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO). CSOs significantly reduce water quality in local tributary water bodies including Onondaga Lake.

Save the Rain includes green roofs, permiable municipal parking lots and roof top cisterns while also addressing small residential projects like rain barrels and rain gardens. Yesterday I took a walk past the OnCenter which is currently receiving a green roof.

The Green Roof at the OnCenter involves the installation of a green roof system on the 59,000+ square foot rooftop of the Convention Center. The design consists of a waterproof membrane liner that is covered with a layer of lightweight growing medium, and planted with a mix of sedums (low-growing succulent vegetation). The new rooftop landscape is a self-sustaining system, requiring little maintenance once established, and relies upon natural processes to retain and evapotranspirate storm water runoff. Upon completion of the project, the green roof will be one of the largest in the Northeast region

Of course, such an undertaking requires trucks, big trucks. The Kenworth (T-800 maybe?)below belongs to Superior Cover Ground. It was one of two trucks on site pumping material to the roof of the OnCenter. Large hoppers on the back of the trucks are filled with the desired material and then pneumatically raised to the work site. Superior takes pride in their trucks based on the condition they keep them in. They have also dedicated a portion of their website to photos of their fleet in action and even pay homage to their first truck. I like that, most business view their trucks as just another expense.

Cool truck for a worthwhile project.

Posted in On the Job | Tagged kenworth, oncenter, save the rain, superior ground cover, t-800 | Leave a comment

ATHS Hudson Mohawk Chapter Show

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Eric

The ATHS Hudson Mohawk chapter will hold their two day annual show this weekend (24th and 25th) at the fair grounds in Ballston Spa, NY. This show is one of the final truck shows of the season for us living in the soon to be frozen north but it’s always a good one. Enjoy a selection of trucks from years past.