Still Working – Ford LTL9000

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Eric

A heavy duty Ford LTL9000 still looking good after years of use.

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Off Road Autocar

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Eric

Welcome back to Autocar Mondays. Today we head off road with the model AP25 that was owned by Keystone Portland Cement Co of Bath, PA. Historical sources place this truck in the 1940’s vintage.

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Past Editions of Autocar Mondays.

Autocar Logging Truck

Autocar U-Model

Saunders Concrete

Autocar Fire Truck

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Transfer Dump Truck Race

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Eric

I can honestly say I have never seen anything like this before; a transfer dump truck drag race. Standing still this 359 is an impressive setup but just wait till you see it action.

Did you catch that little trick when the driver had to back the truck closer to the trailer? Hitting a switch the truck moves backwards a few feet. The 359 is not running at this point so it must be some sort of electric motor. Pretty cool if you ask me. The tag trailer moves into the main trailer? What is this witchcraft?! This whole setup is alien to me as resident of the East Coast.

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On the Move – Liftech Kenworth

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Eric

I’m starting to play around with catching more semi’s as the roll on down the road. Over the past few days I’ve been busy scoping out some good locations that offer clear views and plenty of truck traffic. I’m torn between the urge to grab still photos and shoot video. After all, who doesn’t love the sound of the jake break? The other part of the equation deals with camera settings. I don’t use anything but a slightly above average point and shoot digital camera and at times the shutter speed doesn’t seem to be up to the task of catching the faster drivers. Below is one of the better results from a recent outing.

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Either way it’s fun to see what will roll over the horizon next. The variety is definitely better than your average truck stop further proving if you’re not turning (and burning) you’re not earning.

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Hawaiian Snow Removal

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Eric

A few days ago I received an email regarding snow removal equipment from a location I never dreamed would require plows and snow throwers. Hawaii. Yes, you read that correctly. Hawaii.

Karl sends us shots of a Unimog 1700 and an assortment of snow throwers that are used to clear roads that run up the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii.

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Check out the chains on that International!

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Case Snow Thrower – Click to Enlarge

Thank you for the photos Karl!

Posted in Heavy Equipment, Snow Plows | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Lost and Found – Delivery Truck Hell

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Eric

There was a time when delivery trucks were not just generic white Ford E-Series vans. Back in the day there were many companies who specialized in building custom bodies on chassis supplied by GM, Ford, Dodge and International. The truck you see below is an example of such a vehicle. I have no idea who the manufacturer might be but for some reason I feel it was built on a Chevy chassis. The magazine Vintage Truck runs a regular series on panel vans and delivery body builders. I hope to dig through my archive and come up with an answer soon.

Until then will we just have to enjoy and analyze the photos provided by Dave T. With the exception of the fuel truck everything you see below Dan found at a parts yard in Marcy, NY. The little white truck is a 1974 AM General FJ-8A.

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Did you notice that hippy box truck in the background? Groovy and creepy at the same time. Big thanks to Dave T. for sharing these great shots!

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1974 AM General FJ-8A
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

[Show as slideshow]

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One More Round

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Eric

Do you remember a week ago when I wondered if this truck would be the last action shot of the season regarding plow trucks? HA! I guess I brought this on. As I type the snow is falling fast and heavy. As fate would have it I crossed paths again with Truck 268 yesterday during a break in the snow action. Clearly this truck is on the downtown plow route.

Syracuse DPW Plow Truck

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A shot of where the magic happens.

Syracuse DPW Plow Truck

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Bonus Image

To give you an idea of what is happening around here on April 2nd take a look at this shot. International WorkStar of the New York State Thruway variety.

NYSTA International WorkStar

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On the Job – Garbage Trucks

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Eric

Trash. Garbage. Rubbish. Refuse. Common words to describe the leftovers of our daily lives that no longer have value. Trucks like the two below haul it away on a weekly basis.

I caught both of these trucks waiting for the loading docks to open so they could exchange empty dumpsters for full ones. The Feher Rubbish Removal truck has any easier time with its load compared to the entrance awaiting the Waste Management driver.

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Unloading the WM dumpster into the building requires a skilled hand. There is very little room on either side of the entrance. The dock does not have enough height to allow the boom to fully extend so the drive must spool out and then pull ahead. The process repeats until the entire road is blocked by truck and dumpster. Then the fun part begins. Shoving the dumpster back into the building. I work next door and you can always tell when the process is underway by the sound of screeching metal and shaking floors.

See video below for an idea of what it takes.

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Autocar Trucks – The Jet Age

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Eric

I know Daily Diesel Dose has a few visitors that are just as nuts over planes as they are trucks. This one is for you!

Joining the collection of Autocar truck scans is this 50’s era DC model with integral sleeper. Owned by the Lockheed-Georgia Company this Autocar was setup as a fire truck. Probably a foam unit. I wonder where it is today?

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Any ideas on the model of the jet in the background?

Posted in Autocar Trucks | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Still Working – GMC “Crackerbox”

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Eric

Andy sent me this photo a few days ago. It’s a GMC COE commonly referred to as a crackerbox or sometimes a slab cab. Looking at the photos it’s clear where this name came from. The more I thought about it the more I realized I had no idea what the real GM model name was for this truck. Nearly every resource online refers to them by their crowd sourced nickname. Google GMC Crackerbox and then google GMC DLR. You tell me which one produces more viable results.

Either way, as of three years ago this GMC was working in a boatyard on Cayuga Lake. Check out that hoist. Huge. I have no confirmation but I would guess this truck is Detroit powered. Past life as a Yellow Freight Lines rig?

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The cab still wears the truck number from a previous life.

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*READER UPDATE*

Jim Writes

The GMC designation for this truck was the DF-Series. The one shown is probably a DF7000. A DLR is a diesel (D), set-back-front-axle COE (L) with an air-ride suspension (R). The DLR7000 had a 6-71 engine in it while the DFR7000 (diesel (D), set-forward-front-axle COE (F) with an air-ride suspension (R)) had a 6V71 in it. Eventually the “R” was dropped and the single axle became the DF7000 and the tandem axle was the DFW7000. These both had spring suspnesions. If the truck had an 8V71, then the designations were DF7100 & DFW7100.

Do you know of an old truck that is still earning it’s keep?  Email Me!

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