On it's way to Nevada...

[Rick Franklin]

Many times these transport companies will use a set up like this to gather cars in an urban area and then transfer the cars to a larger rig back at the depot. Thats what they did several years ago when they picked up Paul Steinberg's 1978 Superior Cadillac Ambulance at my place in Seattle before taking it to the east coast

 

[James Fischer]

I've been staying away from these posts about loads and hauling vehicles and such. I just don't see the need to risk offending anybody on here who may drive one, or use them.

That being said, I would like to point out that a lot of you are missing a very key point in discussing these rigs.It seems everybody is worried about getting a truck "big enough" to pull it.To hell with what you can pull it with, DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH TRUCK TO STOP THE LOAD IN QUESTION???

It is absolutely critical to know how much "stopping power" a towing vehicle has. A pickup truck usually has a "rated towing capacity" sticker on it somewhere. It would be a safe assumption that the "rated vehicle stopping power" would be the same. I suppose you could order a truck with heavy duty brakes to handle more.

As an example...the tractor that I drive is designed to pull a combination vehicle that has a legal gross weight of 80,000#. The heavy duty braking systems on our tractors are rated at 80,000#. The purpose of that is primarily safety. We pull a lot of different trailers (sometimes 3 or 4 in a single day). We pick them up in places where we don't have shop facilities available. If you happen to get ahold of a trailer with "less than perfect, properly adjusted" brakes we've got more than enough braking power to handle the situation. Or if part of the braking system fails on the road. Ideally no longer than it takes to get it to a shop for proper repairs.

Now what really gets me chapped up about the whole situation is this. If a guy driving one of the rigs we're talking about goes out and gets into a wreck and kills somebody(s) you know what the news stories are all going to say....."TRUCKER LOSES CONTROL, KILLS OTHER DRIVER". You know damn good and well enough that's exactly the way it will be presented. It paints all of us with a very broad brush, and we take a pretty severe PR beating in the process. At that point, the graphic on the side of my truck that reads "Million Miles Of Safety" means nothing to the person who read about the fatal wreck. I become just another one of the bad guys!!

(He kicks the soap box aside, and shuffles off to the living room.)

Russ,
What you say is 100% correct in every way.......but PLEASE calm down.....its your day off (Thinking)......:agree:
Have a GREAT week end and be SAFE !!

 

[Russell Street]

Thank you James, I'm perfectly calm. I never pound these keys when I'm angry, always try to make well reasoned posts.

It's been a great weekend thus far, tomorrow afternoon we're off to Knoxville for an early Monday delivery. Safe on the road is the only way to be. I'm trying very hard to get my second million miles in before I retire.

 

[Paul Steinberg]

Actually Russ had another Million Mile Safety award almost won, when someone ran into the rear of his truck.

 

[Richard Vyse]

I bet the trucker didn't know just how heavy that thing is. Hope he makes it.

I told him he was looking at about 8,000 lbs even though the title says 4,000.

 

[Richard Vyse]

Richard: Is the new buyer anyone we know..... or should know?

I think he is more like Danny, "Flip-Em". Funny though, his name is Danny too!

 

[Todd Merrifield]

Apparently an outfit like that is par for the course, since that's what they showed up at my place with both times. At least this guy showed up an hour early instead of 2 1/2 hours late:

 

[Danny Ryder - Deceased - 1962 - 2021]

I think he is more like Danny, "Flip-Em". Funny though, his name is Danny too!

Hey now buddy, I resemble that remark. I think of it more like finding these great cars and getting them to someone who wants them. If we don't search them out they may not get found.

 

[Steve Lichtman]

Apparently an outfit like that is par for the course, since that's what they showed up at my place with both times. At least this guy showed up an hour early instead of 2 1/2 hours late...

That looks a little better with only the one vehicle on the trailer, and it secured over/ahead of the wheels.

 

[Kurt Arends]

Hey now buddy, I resemble that remark. I think of it more like finding these great cars and getting them to someone who wants them. If we don't search them out they may not get found.

I totally agree with Danny. Nearly all of the cars that I have owned had no national or even local visibility. The '61 Richard Brothers Chrysler New Yorker Ambulance that I had was plucked out of a salvage yard in extreme South-Central Missouri. That car would have been crushed by now had I not bought it when I did. It is now undergoing a ground-up restoration in Sweden. I get a lot of satisfaction out of "flipping" these projects to others who will reverse their fate.