The new Freightliner concept is awesome!

ebonyandivory wrote: I like it fine but I'd hate to be the first driver who burned to death 'cause I crashed or rolled etc. and my drivers' door was jammed shut and couldn't find the passenger door handle. EDIT: My wife just asked how the driver's gonna be able to pick up wierdo's and/or hookers?

Yeah the rolling over and being trapped was my first thought. Hard to believe that a close-fitting door actually has enough drag to warrant leaving it out.

About the hookers, clearly their Marketing Dept didn't think about the consequences of their plan too well - it'll never sell.

<img src="" />

For the record, the trucking appropriate term for truck stop hooker is a lot lizard...

" />

Oh well, you get the idea....

bearmtnmartin wrote: For the record, the trucking appropriate term for truck stop hooker is a lot lizard...

Apparenly related to her sisters who frequent auto races - "Pit Lizards."

bearmtnmartin wrote: For the record, the trucking appropriate term for truck stop hooker is a lot lizard...

Thanks! I was getting worried that I was going to finish reading this thread with out a payoff.

bearmtnmartin wrote: I also watched some idiot feeding a bear at a brake check a few years ago from the open door of his truck. Eventually the bear decided to go to the source and climbed right into the cab. That driver was happy to have a second door to leave from.

Some would argue that for the sake of the species, he should have been trapped in a truck with a bear.

Also am I wrong in thinking that if it is intended for short haul/single runs, that the majority of those tractors are purchased by large fleet companies?? Would the large fleet co's really care if it is more difficult for the drivers to pick up lot lizards and hitch hikers?

I would say most fleets would love the concept, as they usually have a very strict firing policy for drivers found riding with passengers. There are all sorts of insurance repercussions if a driver has an accident with an unauthorized passenger on board. Also and this is sad but true, and part of the reason that I am no longer in the industry, drivers are by and large treated like dispensible trash, and not considered to be of any value beyond their ability to get a load to its destination. A companies treatment of its drivers is in direct proportion with its ability to replace them. If they quit or are killed in a rollover after driving way past the point of exhaustion trying to get a load to its destination or to improve their crappy pay check, it is usually of little concequence beyond the public relations issues.

^ Sounds like corporate USA to me.

bearmtnmartin wrote: I would say most fleets would love the concept, as they usually have a very strict firing policy for drivers found riding with passengers. There are all sorts of insurance repercussions if a driver has an accident with an unauthorized passenger on board. Also and this is sad but true, and part of the reason that I am no longer in the industry, drivers are by and large treated like dispensible trash, and not considered to be of any value beyond their ability to get a load to its destination. A companies treatment of its drivers is in direct proportion with its ability to replace them. If they quit or are killed in a rollover after driving way past the point of exhaustion trying to get a load to its destination or to improve their crappy pay check, it is usually of little concequence beyond the public relations issues.

A lot of those companies are the ones that hire drivers right out of the "schools" So they have a never ending supply of drivers to abuse.. Once those drivers get some miles under their belt, they usually head to better companies