Just wondering???

quillcom

Well-Known Member
When did flatbeds become convex instead of really flat.

Is that the way for all new beds or just certain types,
whats the scoop, tia.
 
Aluminum frames are arched more than the steel ones. Maybe you're seeing more aluminum ones lately.
Yeah, some are really more pronounced than others, still I'm wondering if the earlier models were essentially flat and then they realized they needed to make a change.

I'll do a little research. ty
 
Aluminum are arched for the flex so it doesn’t crack underload. Steel is flat and rigid with supports from the beams to the cross members. You don’t see a lot of steel flats anymore because they is heavy.
 
All four of my decks have steel frames.

A combination deck with steel frame and aluminum deck is extremely common.

For me to buy a solid aluminum trailer equal to what I have, would cost me a $15,000 to $25,000 premium.
 
All four of my decks have steel frames.

A combination deck with steel frame and aluminum deck is extremely common.

For me to buy a solid aluminum trailer equal to what I have, would cost me a $15,000 to $25,000 premium.
Would it not justify itself at all in the long run with fuel savings empty and the extra payload or negligible with a small fleet? There seems to be a lot more aluminium ones than steel running up and down the road? Has to be for some reason.
 
Would it not justify itself at all in the long run with fuel savings empty and the extra payload or negligible with a small fleet? There seems to be a lot more aluminium ones than steel running up and down the road? Has to be for some reason.
When I weighed a full aluminum vs my combo, there was a 750# weight savings.

It was also $15,000 more money. $27,000 for a combo and $42,000 for an aluminum

Think it would be worth it?
 
When I weighed a full aluminum vs my combo, there was a 750# weight savings.

It was also $15,000 more money. $27,000 for a combo and $42,000 for an aluminum

Think it would be worth it?
At best this is sketchy evidence of a preference for a combo or conventional steel flat, but I have never seen an aluminum flat heading for Deadhorse and beyond.
 
Would it not justify itself at all in the long run with fuel savings empty and the extra payload or negligible with a small fleet? There seems to be a lot more aluminium ones than steel running up and down the road? Has to be for some reason.
FWIW he has a step deck. Not a flat. There has to be something to a regular flat being all aluminum because if there wasn’t I bet TMC would still be pulling steel trailers like they were in the mid 90s or combo steel aluminum like they did in the late 90s early 2k.
 
FWIW he has a step deck. Not a flat. There has to be something to a regular flat being all aluminum because if there wasn’t I bet TMC would still be pulling steel trailers like they were in the mid 90s or combo steel aluminum like they did in the late 90s early 2k.
TMC is a long term thinking company. Not all are.

They're finicky about cleanliness and maintenance to make their stuff last longer and resell higher. They'll get their ROI over time.

A lot of companies don't bother to look past tomorrow. They only care about the warranty period and they'll do just enough to get by. They don't even wash stuff enough to stave off rust. They get their ROI right away by buying cheap and spending nothing, with the trade-off being more frequent total replacement or using outright junk for years (and the resulting higher turnover than normal).
 
TMC is a long term thinking company. Not all are.

They're finicky about cleanliness and maintenance to make their stuff last longer and resell higher. They'll get their ROI over time.

A lot of companies don't bother to look past tomorrow. They only care about the warranty period and they'll do just enough to get by. They don't even wash stuff enough to stave off rust. They get their ROI right away by buying cheap and spending nothing, with the trade-off being more frequent total replacement or using outright junk for years (and the resulting higher turnover than normal).
I agree with that. Also for the record our stepdecks are steel framed aluminum deck, and our RGNs are steel with aluminum (idk what they are called) slide outs? Anyway. I know they buy stuff the way they buy it for a reason. And Rumor has it that they have stopped buying 579s for the moment to see what changes are being made that will effect the model and comparing that to the 576 Heritage. That’s rumor though we will see what happens.
 
TMC is a long term thinking company. Not all are.

They're finicky about cleanliness and maintenance to make their stuff last longer and resell higher. They'll get their ROI over time.

A lot of companies don't bother to look past tomorrow. They only care about the warranty period and they'll do just enough to get by. They don't even wash stuff enough to stave off rust. They get their ROI right away by buying cheap and spending nothing, with the trade-off being more frequent total replacement or using outright junk for years (and the resulting higher turnover than normal).
That's probably one of the best ways I've heard it explained and you're absolutely right.

I agree with that. Also for the record our stepdecks are steel framed aluminum deck, and our RGNs are steel with aluminum (idk what they are called) slide outs?
Outriggers.
 
I agree with that. Also for the record our stepdecks are steel framed aluminum deck, and our RGNs are steel with aluminum (idk what they are called) slide outs? Anyway. I know they buy stuff the way they buy it for a reason. And Rumor has it that they have stopped buying 579s for the moment to see what changes are being made that will effect the model and comparing that to the 576 Heritage. That’s rumor though we will see what happens.
I've seen several semi-local fleets who were hardcore Peterbilt or die companies abandon it in favor of Freightliners or Volvos or similar for fuel economy. That stuff scales and can be life or death when you reach critical mass. A single operator may or may not notice or care but even $1 in fuel saved per truck per day is $400 in a 400 truck fleet.
 
I've seen several semi-local fleets who were hardcore Peterbilt or die companies abandon it in favor of Freightliners or Volvos or similar for fuel economy. That stuff scales and can be life or death when you reach critical mass. A single operator may or may not notice or care but even $1 in fuel saved per truck per day is $400 in a 400 truck fleet.
No I understand that. I know our founder and CEO will not buy Freightliner or Volvo, when his son was at the reigns for a few years he bough a bunch of them and Harold didn’t like how they seemed to break down and how the interiors fell apart and sold them and went back to buying Pete’s (after relieving the son of the Reigns to the company and making it employees owned) we will likely stay in the PACCAR family but I have heard they aren’t satisfied with the 579 and are looking to make changes. But a lot of the latter part is rumor. From a reliable source but rumor just the same.
 

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