bth9461
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Brian Howard TruckingHere are some new pictures of my new Imperial trailer. 40' deck, 2 tool boxes, 2-12k axles, 6k 17.5" tires, single tandems, 11' hydraulic dove tail, with 8' alum ramps, and wench. If your wondering how strong the dove tail/pins are, well the load I took to Gillette stadium had about 7k on the dove tail. Each pin is 2" in diam and the Mfg said they should hold 10k+ each. The hot box trailer weighs about 4k each and I have had a fork truck drive up on the deck and hook on to the 2 front one's and pull them off. The fork must have weighed 6-7k. No flex in the 2 x 8 deck boards. Trailer is built like a rock, no torque tube needed. 10k weight though. Wiring is encased in metal conduit also. Zero mfg defects after 6 weeks of use, they built it like they said they would.
Thanks TG, hope it works
Brian
This is what she looks like with the beaver tail half down and the Alum ramps attached. There is a 1 1/4" steel bar welded to the back that the ramp hook, hooks to. This gives me 19' of ramp for my loaded 34 "deck height at the back. The Hydraulic's can lift 12k if needed. I think I can load just about anything that rolls. Even wenched a parts pallet up the beaver tail, then leveled it, and pulled it all the way forward.
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Tom Cobb
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Good looking trailer.
Of course the Chev sets it off as a total good looking rig.LOL
What happened to the passenger door?
There is still too much snow up there. When is spring going to get there?
TomC
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bth9461
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Most of the snow is gone now, some of the pic's are 5 weeks old. As for the dent I got hit near Clevevland last year. The guy spun out ( car ) on wet roads when he hit his brakes. It took several months to get his Ins. Co. to settle up. Then I got busy and decided to waite until I went on vaction to get it fixed. Supposed to get it back today.
Brian
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Tom Cobb
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Hope you enjoyed your vacation.
It is cooler here this year which is more normal than the past few years have been. So much for Al Gore and his global warning hoax.
Check your PM.
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TGPILOT
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Looks good Brian. I would suggest that you cut your pixle size down to about 640 or 650 pix size. That way it won't shove the screen around and still be good to look at.
Two much snow for me. Got tired of that when I lived in MT, CO, ID, OR, WA and N. CA. Too cold and last to long.
Tom
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LBZ
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Looks even better than I thought it would Brian, and the hydraulic dove is going to pay dividends for a long time to come I would think. Those tires are not stressing even with the fire truck sitting over them, Kool stuff!
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bth9461
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The trailer is paying big dividens this week, even though I am DHing about 250 miles part of the way back, no time to pick up even a car for the trip across PA from Trenton, NJ. I have a special load that I will be loading at 8 am today. Found it on Central Dispatch of all places. Its another big truck that the Wedge guys won't touch. A 1957 GMC semi tractor. Thought the price was a misprint with an extra zero. The load goes into Northern MI 540 miles paying $2000. I called want spec's and that price was correct. 18' long x 8' 6" wide x 8' tall and 13k weight. Need to get some pic's of this. I am expecting some adventures getting it loaded though. The retired trucker selling it though is helping.
Brian
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Tom Cobb
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That will make you earn what you get paid. LOL
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bth9461
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Got it delivered Yesterday, it was not that bad it only weighed 11k and it could have gone on the lower part of a wedge. The company I delivered it to has about 30 old trucks (50-70's) all painted green with lots of chrome. They use them in their landscaping business as every day work trucks. The business is very seasonal in N. MI so, they work on them over the winter and keep them in tip top shape. Forgot to take a camera though. I deliver to the Ski resorts near them, so some time I will be back up there and get some pic's.
Brian
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Tom Cobb
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Ski resorts......in MI, there are no mountains up there only snow. LOL
Have you been getting dumped on again??
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bth9461
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They had about 3-4" fresh snow on the ground, I was about 30 miles south of the Big Mac bridge near the Lake MI coast.
We are getting off topic, hope the Forum Police don't get mad. LOL
Brian
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vegas max
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Brian,
Sorry I haven't been over here in a while. I like your trailer very much! It looks very versital as we know thats a good thing in this business.
OBTW...nice looking Chevy 
Jerry
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Tom Cobb
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That Chevy is the best looking part of the rig!!!    
Police.....where??? The snow is all about Brian Howard Trucking since you have to drive in it. LOL
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bth9461
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Hey Jerry glad to hear from you. The versatility concept comes from TG PILOT's, perfect trailer post/concept. Thats what got me thinking in terms of going custom on the trailer, and designing for my needs. All of us are similar but different if you know what I mean. The trailer design came from what I needed based on what I had experienced over the past 3 years.
If I had the money at the time, I would have added Air Ride to it, I intend to do that some day, after I get a larger truck. Then I will add a 11' step deck to it also. Length + Weight Capacity = $$$$$$$$$$$.
Brian
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Tom Cobb
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Why don't you just jump on into a class 8? You can buy them cheap now. By the time you get thru with your trailer you will be pushing the load of a 48 or 53 ft.
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TGPILOT
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Dang Brian, you hang around some of the coldest places. Makes me shiver. Hope you guys are doing ok. Been busy, got me a new 22" monitor for my computer and a new lazer printer.
Other than, just enjoying the heat...lol.
Tom
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bth9461
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Hey, I have some pics of a frozen wave near Mc Island on my email will try and post them soon, they look like something from the polar area's.
TC, it still takes money, to qualify for loans or you have to pay cash. I am saving a little each week, but not ready to jump up yet. Plus the bank wants to see if my business plan on the new trailer loan is working out. So far it is making more than I told them it would.
I can't buy a hvy truck and trailer though, need to add to the trailer as needed and go med-duty or SA for a BigShot setup first. Actually for my customer base a BigShot could be the perfect blend on Revenue to fuel economy. I think with my light loads a BigShot with the proper specs could get 8.5 to 9.5 MPG, I am only getting 10 mpg now with the extra weight.
Thats why I would never suggest a PU to some one starting out that wants to go over 26k. That is the bed I made, and it is not easy to switch everything over once you have a loan on a truck or trailer. Plus being self employed for over 3 years.
You are right about the deals now, wish I could get a do-over. Not in the cards yet. The trailer was designed to grow with the business though, so it will handle the Bigshot work when I move up.
Brian
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Tom Cobb
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I was poking at you more than anything.
I actually think the market for loads and making money is actually in the LTL freight arena. Small and Mid size companies are the manufacturing giants of today and their loads are LTL. I think you are going the right direction.
If I were to restart my business a medium duty truck would be the way I would go. Mine would have a sleeper and would do my best to setup for regional loads with two or three dedicated customers.
Restarting is not likely to happen however.
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bth9461
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Hey TC, if I were you I would stay retired and just go fishing. Just got in from taking the boy Perch fishing. He caught about 15, man fishing beats trucking any day of the week.
As for the Class 8 well, I am still leaning toward converting one to a SA, because the spec's I am looking for can be found on them. So your not to far off in what I am planning to do.
Brian
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Tom Cobb
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Fishing is good...I can't seem to find time to go.
I am remodeling/reorganizing my garage so I can find stuff, like get to my tools, etc.
When I get that done I have to change my internal trans filter (which has not been done in 265K miles), change brake pads, which also have not been changed in 265K miles. After that I may be in for an injector replacment and my son and I are going to tackle that job....I think.
To set your mind at peace I have had the trans flushed and changed the external filters. I am getting some funny shifting issues and have concluded it is possible that the internal filter could be causing some fluid flow problems and cause the valve body to not work correct. I hope that is it.
Fishing....what is that!!!!! LOL
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LBZ
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TC,
How did the work on the truck go? Did you get the injectors swiched out yet? I need to flush my transmission and not sure how to do it just yet. I am sure there is a how-to on the diesel forum's, but all I have done in the past is the external spin on and drained the pan, which is only about half or a little more of the fluid.
Hope all went well on yours, Brad
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Tom Cobb
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I haven't touched the truck yet. I have been derailed with reworking the garage so I can work on it.
I hope to get to the brakes and trans next week. I am going to remove the pan and change out the internal filter. There is a Hino dealer near me and they handle Allison trans parts so I am going to get the Allison filter rather than an aftermarket filter.
Not sure about the injectors yet. I will let you know what I am going to do.
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bth9461
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I need to star collecting some ne pic's with the Volvo. 3
As for the upper deck plan to add 12' so I can put a midsize car up top, right now it looks like it could cost 4-5k for Imperial to do it, I originally had them qutoe it with an electric jack sytem, but with the air ride on the tractor that seems to be not need for getting unhooked.
I need that extra space to distribute weight better only about the first 6' of the 40' deck transfer weight to the drive axles. I can net out 16k on the trailer axles. So I am limited to about 20k right now.
I think the 12' over the drive axle will work well for many LTL's most are 12' or less on average, especially Machinery witch can be very heavy and not very long. Hate them tarp job's but they pay better than cars.
PS. Gary, posted over here, thought we might get your thread off track, I just asked that question on the 45' for guys looking at your type of operation. Thought an expanded description might help. Thanks for the intrest in my Trailer.
PS. PS. need bigger trailer to feed the fuel bill, but that was always the plan, just one step at a time.
Brian
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LBZ
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Hey Brian,
When ya get a chance, start a new thread with the Volvo & your trailer as things progress.
Hope all is going well for ya, Brad
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bth9461
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I have a camera in the truck, but I keep forgeting to take pictures. Missed some good ones too. Like delivery a Snow Maker to Wrigley Field.
Brian
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Tom Cobb
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I am glad to finally see someone post on here again.
How have you guys been? Hope you had a Merry Christmas and are having a Happy New Year so far.
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