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I always wonder how it isn't a safety issue.I always wondered why we don’t have air horns
govols019
You smell that?
I always wondered why we don’t have air horns
Because we are children that would drive around the yard just blowing the horn for no reason.
Let someone get a rental during peak with an air horn and you'll see what I mean.
Because it's a novelty. After a while, it would stop.
They(air horns) cost money. Trucks already come with horns. Why spend more money? Anyone that works at UPS knows UPS. Air horns would also have to be maintained...more money. Imagine a tractor being red tagged for an air horn while having a perfectly good electric one? Oh, you better believe it.I always wondered why we don’t have air horns
Mack forced UPS to accept electric windows and locks and radios because that's how ALL trucks come "stock". Mack was tired of having to "modify" perfectly good trucks just for UPS. Mack said take it or leave it.
Why? All tractors have to come with DOT approved electric horns stock. Those horns are deemed safe and adequate(by DOT and therefore UPS).
Johney
Well-Known Member
I was going to say the exact same thing
You obviously don’t have rentals.
Yeet
Not gonna let ‘em catch the Midnight Rider
I jumped on a 1am run recently before bidding back to 7am after 2 weeks. The run was sweet, sleeping when the sun was up was not.
Yeet
Not gonna let ‘em catch the Midnight Rider
That must be why we aren’t buying anymore Macks. Only the small centers around us have them. Boy they sure showed us.
We have been getting new macks for several months now. The freightliners and kenworths have electric windows and mirrors too.That must be why we aren’t buying anymore Macks. Only the small centers around us have them. Boy they sure showed us.
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robot
Has A Large Member
How are the new Macks? We’ve only been getting Kenworths, freightliners and an occasional International
govols019
You smell that?
I heard we quit getting Macks because Mack was tired of us not paying our bills.
At one point our shop was having to get a third party to order Mack parts for us because Mack quit accepting our orders due to lack of payment.
Of course, that also could just be the shop just making up a lie to cover for how slow they were to fix anything.
At one point our shop was having to get a third party to order Mack parts for us because Mack quit accepting our orders due to lack of payment.
Of course, that also could just be the shop just making up a lie to cover for how slow they were to fix anything.
Johney
Well-Known Member
Oh no I completely believe that. One of our mechanics told me one time they couldn't get parts unless it was COD because they didn't pay bills.
We had a change of ops. They kept the macks but returned our spare parts inventory......so........getting parts.......well see where this is going? Mgt is so desperate for good numbers FOR ANYTHING that they will literally do anything. But then they always have. Example: WIndow knobs. We used to keep them in stock. They sent them back.
Johney
Well-Known Member
When they upgraded my old building and added another whole addition and added to the mechanic’s bay they threw out a whole bunch of stuff. Some of it was parts….good parts. Many of us asked wtf? Why are you guys getting rid of this? “Just doing what we’re told”
Trucker Clock
Well-Known Member
Same here. If the shop ordered parts, they had to use a credit card. Vendors got tired of not being paid for months when the bills should be paid within 30 days.
Same here. They had brand new transmissions and engines. Well, brand newly rebuilt, that they threw away.
A package car would need a new engine or tranny. It would get replaced. The package car would be ADA'd shortly there after for one reason or another. The shop would remove the brand new engine or tranny and save it.
Corporate came in with the mandate and everything was thrown away. I think it was 5 trannys and 3 engines that went to the dumpsters.
A lot of parts now they are not allowed to keep in inventory, or are only allowed to keep one of, even though they need several on a daily basis. They have to contact other shops in the district and have a feeder driver pick up the part if it is available. If the part is not available, red tagged until it comes in.
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Trucker Clock
Well-Known Member
The issue with Mack started years ago. And UPS does not forget. One of the reasons they started ordering Kenworths and Freightliners. It used to be just Macks and Internationals. There were Fords (Sterlings), but only for a few years.
The deal with Mack was that UPS required springs, not air bags on the rear axle. It all boiled down to cost. The springs were cheaper to maintain than air bags.
Macks started coming standard with air bags. So Mack would have to build all their trucks for everyone else, and then at the end of that model year, would have to retool the assembly line to build the tractors for UPS with springs.
Mack finally got tired of doing this, and told UPS to take or leave it over the air bags.
I believe the 273 series Macks were the first ones we got with the air bags. But this was the start of negotiations with Kenworth and Freightliner. I heard there might be some Petes coming in also. They got away from Macks for a long time, but have started ordering some again.
Trucker Clock
Well-Known Member
On a side note. I was at a hub that got in 15 brand new yardbirds. These yardbirds came standard with A/C. The manufacturer refused to build them without it because it was standard and they were not spending money to remove them for UPS.
These yardbirds sat for 3 weeks before UPS had time for the mechanics to rip out the A/C. Apparently, if they put them in service with the A/C, they then could not remove it and then also had to maintain it. They sat until they went into service without A/C.
The issue was not they the guys would leave them running to stay cool. They leave the yardbirds running all the time anyway. The issue was the cost of maintaining the A/C.
And this is the Company we work for.
These yardbirds sat for 3 weeks before UPS had time for the mechanics to rip out the A/C. Apparently, if they put them in service with the A/C, they then could not remove it and then also had to maintain it. They sat until they went into service without A/C.
The issue was not they the guys would leave them running to stay cool. They leave the yardbirds running all the time anyway. The issue was the cost of maintaining the A/C.
And this is the Company we work for.
Johney
Well-Known Member
The yardbirds(shifters)we had would shut off automatically in about a minute. I can tell you this, they are hotter than hell to drive in summer at least here.
govols019
You smell that?
I heard the exact same story except it was about International refusing to switch back to leaf springs.
I still miss my 268 International.
