Kenworth T800-250,000 units

The Kenworth T800 has been in production since 1986 and in that time 250,000 of the model have been produced. KW has obviously struck on a winning formula - here are a few samples.
1. Earl Paddock of Stoney Creek, ON runs a fleet of T800s, with large studio sleepers. This one has a pair of General Dynamics LAVs, built in London, ON, and delivered to Halifax for shipment to Saudi Arabia.

2. BC plated T800 gets some down time in Halifax.

3. Partners Industrial Crane Rentals runs this twin steer, Simard Suspension T-800.

4. Simard has just installed a transit mixer on this T-800.

5. A T-800 boom truck is set up on a narrow downtown street in Halifax.

6. R. Slocum if Great Village, NS runs a 2004 T800 as a log truck - on and off road. Here he is salvaging rail ties in Halifax. This one has the mid-size sleeper.

See also the recent posting for Irving Oil's new T800s.

If that was not enough see the company's brochure at:

http://www.paccar.com/paccint/Kenworth/T800.pdf

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If I had a million dollars..... I'd buy me an A'car

My own version of the Bare Naked Ladies song "If I had a million dollars" contains a slight variation in wording. I wouldn't buy a K-car- I 'd buy an A'car. And there is one for sale. Mind you it needs some work, but it would be an impressive sight in my driveway even so.
1. Autocar - a name to reckon with.

2. For Sale- oh my, what a chance.

3. The current Truckfax truck and the A'car for comparison purposes.
This is in my mind a "true" Autocar, built with the custom driver cab. It was this cab that White Motor Co coveted enough in 1953 to acquire the previously independent Autocar. When Volvo took over in 1980 they remained true to the custom driver cab until 1987, but it was downhill from there, until they sold off the Autocar brand name and refuse truck low cab forward Xpeditor line in 2001.
The surviving Autocar LLC, now of Hagerstown, IN has carved itself a nice niche in the refuse truck line, but have expanded, adding vocational models, based on the Xpeditor, their own terminal tractor Xspotter, and now a new line of LCF lighter duty, class 7 trucks called the Xpert.

About a year ago I showed their Xpeditor, see: http://truckfax.blogspot.ca/2011/05/autocar-alert.html

4. The Xspotter shunt truck or terminal tractor has a distinctive high windshield and other pleasing attributes for the terminal operator. I don't know where this one came from, but it has recently arrived at the Cummins shop.

5. The full height rear door eases access for 6 foot drivers.

Autocar has now also signed a distributorship agreement with Cummins, so expect to see more Autocars in your neighbourhood (this seems to be a pushback on Caterpillar and their new line of trucks.) Autocar uses Cummins engines, Allison transmissions and Hendrickson suspensions exclusively.

For the "new" Autocar, which actually boasts of being the oldest continuously produced truck brand in North America, see http://www.autocar.com/

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Irving Oil update

1. Irving Oil 's typical over the road Freightliner, until recently.

2. Delivery by Freightliner to refuel a CN Rail engine, still wearing traditional Irving Oil colours. (That's a GM EMD SD75I locomotive.)

To update the previous post, I didn't happen to have any current Irving Oil Freightliners in my photo file so here are some to complete the batch.

I have also noted some Internationals among the delivery vehicles recently too.

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Kenworths for Freightliners for Irving Oil

Irving Oil have been using Freightliners to haul their oil tankers for many years, so it was a surprise to see new Kenworths this week.
Another Irving owned company is Universal Truck and Trailer Sales, and they are Freightliner/Western Star dealers in New Brunswick, so it comes as something of a double surprise.
Irving has also gone with factory white paint in the past couple of years, so the distinctive yellow trucks are becoming quite rare.
1. Brand new KW with B-train at Irving's terminal in Dartmouth this morning.

2. A pair of new KWs in Dartmouth last weekend.

3. In September 1985 this set back axle Freightliner was ready for the road at Irving's Dartmouth terminal.4. In September 1980 a White Freightliner, with sleeper, was hauling a short unmarked Irving Oil trailer. Freightliner conventionals were first introduced under the White banner in the early 1970s.

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All aboard the Titanic

This year is the 100 th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, April 15, 1912, and Halifax in particular is marking the event with many ceremonies, memorials and exhibits. (Rescue ships from Halifax recovered many of the deceased and they are buried here in three different cemeteries).
1. Ambassatours have decorated one of their Prévost bendi-busses. It is not amphibious, so I am pretty sure the tour does not go offshore.

Canada Post is issuing new stamps and have decorated a number of their delivery vans accordingly.

2. The new stick-on graphic covers the entire vehicle, except for a few small areas around ventilators and body seams.

3. The standard issue Canada Post Utilimaster for comparison purposes.

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Peterbilt 379 Random Shot #50

This impressive Peterbilt from Russell, Manitoba was lined up with all the rest of the trucks at Fairview Cove this morning. Some farm machinery has arrived by ship, and it will no doubt be hauling it out this afternoon, bound west.


1. Operated by Wayne Pomehichuk, the Pete is illuminated with many extra lights and has a fair amount of added chrome too.

2. The standard Peterbilt badges on the hood have been replaced with this illuminated "Pete 379" plate.

3. I saw the tuck at the Petro-Pass on Saturday too, and it is an impressive rig.

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UPS - ready for roll out

1. New long box Freightliner based UPS package car awaits delivery in the dealer's yard.

2. There are no identifying manufacturer's marks on the chassis or box, but those straps may be a a giveaway to the knowledgeable (Grumman Olsen?). This is a short box type.

3. Pullman brown is supposed to be easy to keep clean, but daily washes may be a necessity in our area.

As mentioned in these posts some months ago, UPS is finally making its presence felt directly in Atlantic Canada - the last parts of the continent where UPS trucks were unknown. Starting this month, UPS will sever its ties with Purolator and start to pick up and deliver in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island. Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador (the latter province was added after the initial announcement).

The long standing UPS tradition of removing all manufacturer's identifying marks from vehicles resulted in some curiosity about what we would expect to see on the roads starting this month.

There will be eight depots in Atlantic Canada, and it appears that all the vehicles will be built on a Freightliner chassis. There are long and short box versions apparently.

Called "package cars" by UPS, they are a plain jane step van, with fibre glass nose and teardrop headlights, painted in UPS Pullman brown (meant not to show the dirt). That may not work so well here where some dusty looking new deliveries are sitting in the Freightliner dealer's yard in Burnside.

Founded in 1907, UPS came to Canada in 1975, starting in Toronto, and has since become a publicly traded behemoth with aircraft and a freight division. They swallowed up Overnite Transportation and just last month announced an offer to take over TNT Express.

They are here to stay!

Meanwhile Purolator's hybrid delivery vans will still be around, but their business will be cut back. Prior to Purolator it was Day & Ross's Sameday Delivery that had the UPS contract.

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