Pair of New Petes and an Oldie

There must be a happy Peterbilt salesman in the area, having wrapped up a deal for two of the trucks recently.

The first one I saw was this red on.

It was pulling a flat rack container with some sort of shrink wrapped UFO.

The second one has a B-train / step deck set up carrying lumber.

With the price of lumber these days, maybe he should have an armed guard.

Today's oldie is not a Pete, but a Freightliner COE.

I may have pictured this truck before -it looks familiar. It operates for Milltown Trucking Co Ltd of St.Stephen, NB.

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High Rises

 The previous posts featured trucks with low rise or mid-rise sleeper heights, which stands to reason with the type of trailers and cargoes they were carrying. Today however by chance I came across a number of trucks with high rise sleepers.

Despite the awkward location and terrible light conditions, I couldn't pass up this F'liner COE with high rise sleeper and drom box. AAA Provincial Moving Ltd of Edmonton, AB is running this rig which also features molded fender skirts and some shiny storage lockers.

Another white painted Freightliner showed up in my viewfinder.

CRE Transport of Terrebonne, QC runs this conventional high rise unit with a step deck trailer, likely here to pick up a container.

Also with a step deck trailer, this Kenworth has a nice two tone black and grey paint job. The cab has a 14-007 fleet number, for operator Diversco of Moncton, NB. The company provides propane tanks among its various lines of business.

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Watson Freightliner COEs are back

The Montreal specialist Transport Watson is known for its custom built Freightliner COEs, and last year we saw rigs numbered W5867, W5868 and W5870, making numerous trips to load Bombardier aircraft components that arrive in Halifax by ship.
Another one of that series W5866 appeared this evening and was accompanied by a newer and bigger version with fleet number W6883.

New rig W6883 on the left has the big chrome grille and fairings around the tanks and sleeper.

W5866 on the right is typical of the units seen here over the past year.

Step deck trailer will accommodate an aircraft component carried aboard the ship Atlantic Compass, seen in the background. The cab also has a larger sleeper.

Minutes after I took the first photos a big Rondeau International Eagle arrived effectively blocking the view. Hauling a step deck trailer too, it will likely be loading an aircraft component too.

There are two trucking companies with the name Rondeau: Transport Martin Rondeau, of St-Felix-de-Valois, QC and Transport Michel Rondeau of Lanoraie, QC. The truck carries the dealer's name on its exhaust guard: Gamache Truck Centre a large dealer with an International franchise, and a used truck business in Canada and the US.

As soon as the cargo is cleared from the Fairview Cove terminal the trucks will be loaded and on the road.

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Drom box

A new Freightliner COE with drom box caught my attention today.

This rig carries Alberta plates, but otherwise there is no other indication of its operator or its use. My guess is that it is attached to a musical group and arrived in advance of the performers with all the gear needed for a performance.

Drom boxes have been popular with movers and others whose load may not be heavy, but requires a large volume.This drom is fitted with windows on both sides and moving van type doors on the curb side.

Canam Freightliner from Quebec

Canam Steel is back with another load for the new Halifax Shipyard building, with another of their COEs. This is the more modern looking Freightliner with the big chrome grille. Also likely a new glider cab and chassis kitted to an engine, drive train rears. (See recent COE post: http://truckfax.blogspot.ca/2014/06/coes-rule-road.html for another of their current fleet.)

Canam has long favoured COEs:

 In September 1991 they were running this rare White/GMC COE with a load steel roof joists. It was running with this White/GMC (or is it a White - it carries both labels) conventional.

 The integral sleeper had recently been re-introduced by Volvo (White/GMC) and it was another nail in the coffin of COEs. Since it meant wide cabs, with lots of room and easy access to the sleeper - the COEs lost a selling feature.

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Freightliner from Alberta (updated)

I caught up with this Freightliner COE refueling at Petro-Canada's card-lock in Burnside, then heading out.

Operated by Mullen Trucking LP of Aldersyde, Alberta, the truck is a long way from home.
Based on the company's excellent website: http://www.mullentrucking.com/
I would say it will be pairing up with this nine axle Knight trailer at Fairview Cove.

 The trailer has been sitting at the pier since August 1, waiting for nighttime travel and the end of a long weekend. It carries Saskatchewan plates.

Whoever pulls it, it will have a TransAction escort, using this GMC with custom utility body. Note the large arrow sign on the back (folded down onto the roof).

Updated: On Tuesday morning the Mullen Freightliner made up to the trailer and aligned it for departure about noon time.

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2 count 'em 2 Freightliners

I still see Freightliner COEs on the road after who knows how many years out of production. Yesterday I saw three - I only got photos of two...

One was the well known Watson Freightliner that I have shown here before. It was at the Cerescorp Fairview Cove container terminal to pickup more aircraft components form Europe for Bomardier. On arrival it had a very light payload - couldn't someome buy this guy a nice aluminum gear storage box or headache rack?

 

 World's smallest container?

 At the other end of town I spotted another, that was new to me. It was running of the Halterm container terminal for Clarke's Flatbed Division, and had a long wheelbase, extra size sleeper, and a headache rack, with twin upright stacks behind the cab.

It also appears to have the swing out steps on the driver's side of the cab, although they weren't in use.

I just missed the third one at Halterm, it is operated by G.K.Morse, and it has been shown here before.  Surely if COEs are still on the road, there must be some demand for them in North America. I am surprised that some manufacturer is not building COEs once in a while.

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Tandem straight trucks

There are loads of tandem dump trucks and transit mixers, but fewer tandem axle box vans. When I see one, I always grab a shot, particularly if it also has a sleeper. Some recent finds:

1. Seagulf is a ship chandlery that supplies the cruise ships with fresh produce and other consumables. They run this sharp reefer/sleeper Western Star.

2. Blue Water is another chandler that supplies the ships. They run this reefer F'liner.

3. Atlantic Industrial Services recovers waste oil around the Maritimes. They run this Freightliner COE straight tanker.

4. Stoney Island Fisheries was delivering ice to a herring seiner on the Halifax waterfront. The International Paystar set-back has no reefer capability, since the run from the ice plant to the boat is usually fairly short.

Long Wheelbase Freightliner COEs

Freightliner COEs are becoming rarer and rarer, so I was surprised to see a California classic in Forestville, QC on July 4. While busy taking photos of it, I was doubly amazed to see another long wheelbase FL arrive and park right next to it.
Two in one day!
1. The name on the door says Waylon Dorner, Ontario, CA. Classic FL west coaster.

2. This one was a little closer to home, hailing from Coaticook, QC. Its stinger type flat bed trailer is a real rarity.

Freightliner Argosy - Custom Build?

Apparently discontinued in 2006 after five years of North American production, you can still see what appear to be new Freightliner Argosys. They are still built for Australia, New Zealand and South America, so perhaps they do make a few left turns on the assembly line and glue one up for North America.

This one sure looked new at Nova Enterprises in Truro on Saturday, but it was in the service lot, not in the new vehicle compound - so mybe I'm only fooling myself.

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Dinosaurs still on the road

Yes there are still dinosaurs out there - they have not gone completely extinct.

Restricted to a very few examples on Canadian highways, there are still some tilt cab/ COEs running.

This United Van Lines Freightliner with dromedary box, should be declared an endangered species. It carries Ontario plates, and shows a few battle scars. The tension strap across the rad is holding something together - not sure what.

Twenty or even 10 years ago this truck would not have raised an eyebrow, but heavy COEs are so rare now that you really have to stop in the middle of the road to take a picture when you see one. Although I would certainly have wanted a shot of this one on the strength of the mirror mounted spot lights. This guy must go where no man has gone before if he needs lights like these.

Spotted on Marginal Road in Halifax today, this truck represents the culmination of the North American COE before streamlining took over.

Campbell Brothers of London, ON operate this truck - see their web site, especially their history:

http://campbellbros.com/history/

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Freightliner COE Tribute

We don't see COEs on the road very much anymore. So here is a little tribute the lamented Freightliner COE.



















This ca.1951 version bears the Freightliner insignia.When White took over marketing and added their name, the trucks began to appear beyond their west coast origins.
Somewhere in Quebec, June 1992


















Doug Cameron drove his new White Freightliner from BC to Nova Scotia.
The classic.
Thorburn, NS, September 1975.


















New double sleeper at a truck dealer show in Halifax.
Halifax, September, 1975.


















Discerning shoppers at the dealer's lot examine the White Western Star on the right. They've already checked out the long wheelbase single sleeper.
Dartmouth, NS, May 22, 1976



















After the White agreement elapsed the grille and insignia changed, but the split windshield remained on COEs and conventionals. Seaboard hauled a lot of B-trains on two lane highways.
Glenholme, NS, August 29, 1989



















Krispy Kernels distributed their confectioneries with this crisp COE. The add on spoiler was a factory option, but the recumbant playboy figures on the vent were not.
NB/QC border, September 3, 1987.



















With streamlining the steel divider on the windshield disappeared, but the classic look remained. Set back axles also began to appear along with raised roof sleepers.
Dégelis, QC, June 30, 1991



















MacCosham Van Lines of Edmonton ran this long wheelbase with high rise sleeper and drom on a set-back axle chassis.
Dartmouth, NS, July 14, 1990.



















The classic look remained, but a bigger grille was needed to cool the bigger engines.
The nice T-Brook dump trailer has lost a tire- glad I wasn't behind him at the time.
Halifax, NS, August 28, 1998.



















In the heyday of the big COEs, pulling wood chips on a damp day, all within the 75 foot length limit. This was the last model with the distinctive cant in the front starting at mid-rad height.
near Parrsboro, NS, June 30, 1994.


An interesting sub-set were twin steer COEs.



















This mobile stadium lighting unit came from Oskaloosa, Iowa to St.Mary's University in Halifax.
Late model COEs show very little resemblance to the classic.
Halifax, NS, June 12, 2005.



















A second Musco unit, towing a trailer, is a similar twin steer boom truck. Looks quite European (would Daimler/Mercedes ownership have anything do do with it?)
Halifax, NS, June 12, 2005.



















Béton Provincial ran this set-back axle twin steer, with low mount cab and transit mixer. With the engine set so far back, the PTO does not protrude beyond the front bumper.
New Brunswick, August 1995.



















One last set-back high mount cab. RST Industries, a division of Midland Transport delivers bulk commodities such as asphalt.
RST stands for Road and Sea Transport, and is part of the Irving group of companies. Irving has their own in-house Freightliner dealership (Universal Truck & Trailer Sales) and so used lots of these units.
Truro, NS, July 19, 1995.

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