Why Do We Use Custom-Made Package Cars?

[Dizzee]

Good job Dizzee. I LIKE IT! I don't know how to do all that cool stuff so please feel free to keep doing it. Art and imagination is good for the soul.

Thanks Dilli, Just realized that I misspelled confriendorm, oops.

 

[dilligaf]

Thanks Dilli, Just realized that I misspelled confriendorm, oops.

That's funny. I usually catch the mis-spelled words but I didn't see it either. LOL

 

[some1else]

It did take a while to select packages for delivery but the handling, speed & ride comfort beat the old P-500 hands down. The excellent heat in the winter and the 3 point seat belt system were a plus too. In the summer time the airflow was bad so on those 85 plus degree days were miserable.

if i had more man 50 stops i would rather have even an old 500 than a sprinter... its just so much easier and i can stand up in it!

 

[Dagoof]

Ill keep my 24 foot p1200 plenty of room auto, power steering, I can still get into places and turn around better than an old p1000.

 

[satellitedriver]

Thanks Dilli, Just realized that I misspelled confriendorm, oops.

Replace the second M for a T, in your original post, and you get a different meaning.

 

[MechanicForBrown]

I didn't realize the color of my choosing would bother so many! I do apologize.

 

[dilligaf]

I didn't realize the color of my choosing would bother so many! I do apologize.

MFB, it doesn't bother everyone. Do what you like. Be individual. You do not have to be a lemming.

 

[sano]

I didn't realize the color of my choosing would bother so many! I do apologize.

Red, blue pink or brown, I don't care what color ink you use but, please bring back the smoking monkey.

 

[Big Babooba]

Red, blue pink or brown, I don't care what color ink you use but, please bring back the smoking monkey.

Yeah bring back that smoking monkey!

 

[govols019]

They might break down a lot, but they're one of my favorite trucks this company ever put out.

Mine too. We only have one left though at our center. Everybody wants that truck.

 

[hondo]

Pip, you hit the nail on the head with this post. I had 2 ---2003 sprinters in my fleet and just got rid of my last one. It took forever because they had so many junk sprinters laying around everytime I would lose a rear end they would just send me one from an ADA to install, same with the trans. the M/B parts were crazy in costs. Even if we paid $15,000 for the van new it caught up the the other cars real quick in cost !!!!! And the other cars are still on the road.. making money

What's the pattern failure? Do they just eat up the bearings and gears, or do the races spin and wipe out the housing or diff case?

 

[MechanicForBrown]

I guess by popular demand I need that smoking monkey of mine back huh? Well I though a little change to reflect the now in my life would be good, Allot of thinking going on lately on my part, and I've also kicked the smoking habit so I thought a smoking monkey wouldn't represent me the best! But I guess I do miss him so.............

 

[Big Babooba]

I guess by popular demand I need that smoking monkey of mine back huh? Well I though a little change to reflect the now in my life would be good, Allot of thinking going on lately on my part, and I've also kicked the smoking habit so I thought a smoking monkey wouldn't represent me the best! But I guess I do miss him so.............

Congrats on kicking the habit. Maybe you can find a monkey that's chewing gum.

 

[jds4lunch]

Myself being 6'7", I personally hate the sprinter vans. These are designed for air drivers who are 5'9" and shorter. We've also got a couple of the new Freightliner p7's which are nice trucks to drive, but they have the turning radius of the Titanic, and the beeping the truck makes every time you signal, put the hazard lights on, or don't put the brake on when shutting the truck off, is enough to drive anyone insane. Other than that, I find them a very nice truck to drive. Quiet, smooth ride, and they have a ton of room in both the cab and the cargo area. I also like how the cab dome light and the cargo dome light has a seperate switch, so during peak season I can leave the cargo dome light on full-time when I'm working in the dark.

 

[MechanicForBrown]

Myself being 6'7", I personally hate the sprinter vans. These are designed for air drivers who are 5'9" and shorter. We've also got a couple of the new Freight liner p7's which are nice trucks to drive, but they have the turning radius of the Titanic, and the beeping the truck makes every time you signal, put the hazard lights on, or don't put the brake on when shutting the truck off, is enough to drive anyone insane. Other than that, I find them a very nice truck to drive. Quiet, smooth ride, and they have a ton of room in both the cab and the cargo area. I also like how the cab dome light and the cargo dome light has a separate switch, so during peak season I can leave the cargo dome light on full-time when I'm working in the dark.

They are nice trucks! From a mechanics stand point, so far not many problems at all!! The turning radius does stink and they are very comfortable to drive, I like to take them out on road calls, one of the only trucks I can drive on the highway besides a Mack CH that I can use the cell phone if needed and not have to yell so the other person can hear me! Definite quality built into this machine.

 

[ol'browneye]

The only reason we "loved" the P-8's and P-10's is because for years UPS had been forcing the routes into P-600's that were just too small. The average route in my loop had at least 700 cubic feet going out, so double trips were common. And once peak hit we were really screwed. The newer cars might have been bigger but they were still ergonomic nightmares that ultimately forced a lot of old timers into early retirement with chronic arthritis and bursitis in their knees, shoulders and wrists. And yes, I have delivered out of a P-400....it had 4 wheel drum brakes that locked up on wet pavement, no light in the package compartment, no reverse lights, a bulkhead door that was 2" shorter than the average driver, and a stick shift that would whack you in the nut sack every time you got out of the "seat" that was basically an upholstered board. Those things were flat-out dangerous.

LMAO

 

[BROWN430]

we had 2 sprinters that lasted maybe 4 yrs. total junk. on one of them the side door fell off 2 or 3 times and they were always being worked on for some reason. they swore we would never get anymore of that junk. we havent gotten anymore. i got one of the new p1000 atoumatics and it was a piece of trash also. pull into a dock in the snow , get ready to back to dock and the thing would slid sideways because the abs would tell the truck i was loosing tracksion. i would put it in low gear to go down a hill in winter and the truck would not slow down at all. would get stuck on level ground. i had a few whitenuckle days. finally i gave up and took my old 300000 mile manual tranny. old reliable truck back. never been happier.

 

[soberups]

One of the best trucks I ever had...was a 1994 International P-7 with the Powerstroke diesel/ 5 spd manual combo. It had almost 300,000 miles on it when they sent it away....it was slow, but it had a great seat with plenty of legroom and it had the lowest step height of any vehicle in the fleet. With the power steering and 3 pt belt, it was a safe and ergonomically efficient work platform.

 

[cino321]

As great as you people think the Sprinters were... I beg to differ.

First off, if you're tall, this thing was a disaster. It had absolutely no leg room, was hard to get in and out of, and a pain when it came to sorting in the back.

During the summer all you could open up was the windows to let some air in. Guaranteed sweat box, might as well be a sardine can.

I also thought the visibility was terrible this thing.

 

[over9five]

I also thought the visibility was terrible this thing.

Must be why every one of them had dents all over them.