New P500

[gray squirrel]

I just got a new P500 on my extended country route. It is a great truck, runs awesome, handles great, is very comfortable, the controls are very handy, overall it is a very nice truck. I am very greatful to have this truck. I am sure UPS paid big $ for this and all the new trucks they buy. Here is my concern, and I'm not complaining, just confused. This truck has only 1000 miles on it. It had 200 when I started driving it. From the first day I drove it , the brakes have ratttled and squealed every time I hit a bump, or apply the brakes. There is also a loud rattling noise from the front end, that isn't the brakes. The interior doors rattle and pop all day long also. It is a Workhorse brand truck. Is this just to be expected from all the trucks? I have driven a couple of the other new trucks in our fleet, and they have the same issues. If I paid big bucks for a new truck, and it rattled this bad, I would have already taken it back to the dealership. Again, I am greatful to have this truck, but wow, really the best ups can do? I can't wait for the tires to wear out, so they can be replaced by the junk recaps they put on the trucks, that give us the death wobble, and make our trucks veer all over the road!!

 

[dilligaf]

I have driven a workhorse p5 on rural rtes before. They suck!!!!!! The truck is great on pavement but not worth the powder to blow it up when it comes to rural rtes. You can plan on that truck being in and out of the shop constantly. The worse the roads the worse the shop time.

 

[bbsam]

I would definitely take those concerns straight to the mechanic. The problem with loose front end parts is that they can quickly cause other front end parts to fail very quickly. Probably not in 500 miles, but you certainly don't want to come to accept that as normal, get use to it and therefore have catastrophic failure because it "felt the same as it always did". Honestly I'm kinda surprised UPS is using Workhorse. I've always thought them a bit inferior and definitely not as durable as other brands. Please tell me they don't put recaps on the front. Highly illegal and even more dangerous.

 

[Billy]

I drove one on my last route and loved the space, and light inside, and the turning radius. The brakes were always bad on it too. Those 5500's are nice but the rotors are too small for the weight and get too hot too fast. That makes them warp, and glaze early on. The best thing to do is not have to hit them hard while driving. ( leave yourself more stopping distance ) The other rattle is not the brakes, but likely the shocks. The other poor thing about them is that to save money UPS went to a single rear tire on a lot of the 55's. Most of the time that's ok, but with those on a slight ( did I say slight? ) incline during rain you're not coming back up a driveway. ( I know the rule too, but if you're delivering a country route those driveways can be 1/4 mile and you have to go in them. )

 

[TheDick]

Piece o crap pkg car. Run away from it now!
Doesnt it have a V8? V6?

 

[tarbar66]

I had one of the new P5's back in 2006 for peak. My car was always parked inside since it was a diesel. It was one sweet package car! It took me a day or 2 to not trying to find the clutch! The seat, suspension, power, the visibilty were all great. I was told under no circumstances was I to "chain up", so some roads and customers got a phone call from the hardware store. A couple of customers complained but they had just moved in to God's country that year.

For the most part I was one of the first routes in unless I helped out others with their pickups.

 

[dilligaf]

I would love this truck on an in-town rte. Ours has plenty of get-up and go. Very comfortable to drive. Just not good on rough roads.

 

[Brown Rocket]

I was informed ours are 57s by our circle of honor driver that drives one. He wont let you forget it. It isn't a P-5 he says.

I got to drive one right after our center got them. I made a right out of our parking lot and stomped the gas as I would in a P-7. After nearly falling out and crapping my pants I decided that it's a good truck . . . except for the brakes. Ours were in and out of the shop for brakes for the first two months. They must have figured it out though. No more problems.

 

[Highwayman]

I was just talking to one of our mechanics earlier this week about these trucks. He said the exhaust system falls off on a regular basis, frame cross member cracks behind transmission, electrical problems(engine wiring loom). It has been so bad that they had reps from workhorse at our center to hear about all the problems.

 

[grgrcr88]

Our Workhorse trucks always have rear wheel seal leaks. They are new enough that its a warranty repair. Which means they send it to the only warranty shop in our area for repair(its a small rv shop in a suburb about 45 mins from the building). They usually have it for about 2-3 weeks and it comes back still leaking. Also had a problem with the flywheel losing teeth after only 15 to 20k miles!! Also have very soft suspension, will lean to one side severely if not loaded evenly. And if you put a large heavy load in it, the front tires barely touch the ground!!

All ours are either P-1000 or P-1200.

 

[Harley Rider]

I was just talking to one of our mechanics earlier this week about these trucks. He said the exhaust system falls off on a regular basis, frame cross member cracks behind transmission, electrical problems(engine wiring loom). It has been so bad that they had reps from workhorse at our center to hear about all the problems.

The exhaust fell off one in our center a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Dustyroads]

I'm quite familiar with the P500 Workhorse, it does have the V8 engine. Get used to the rattling, the continual ringing in your ears after you shut it off. The car has a solid front axle and vibrates all of the time. The cars are 10 feet tall, and the bed is just 10 feet long, so the center of gravity is way high. Be very careful driving it on the interstate at highway speeds, it reacts badly to turbulence created by big trucks, and becomes crazy in traffic. The engineering was crazy, they attached the front swaybar to the front leaf springs. That's just nuts. They started breaking the leafs on all of the ones driven on the gravel. They had to retrofit front leaf springs with a different attachment point for the swaybar on all of the ones we have. The chassis is set up for duals on the back, however, they found that since the wheelbase is so short (six feet shorter than a p47 sprinter), they tended to wear the duals off in a few weeks as the rear wheels couldn't "track" with the short wheelbase. So, they just removed the outside dual wheels, making the car even more unstable. The headlights are a nightmare. The reflectors are so small that in the dark in rural areas, it's just impossible to see just a few car lengths ahead of you. On a dark highway, one can "outrun" the headlights at 45 mph. Add to those comments, the truck is not equipped with a driver's airbag, and it has a metal dashboard. Airbags save lives. That's just a fact. My advice, be very careful in the car. Always be on the top of your game, every minute.

The good part of the new Workhorse P500: it has really great bright cargo lights.

 

[grgrcr88]

I'm quite familiar with the P500 Workhorse, it does have the V8 engine. Get used to the rattling, the continual ringing in your ears after you shut it off. The car has a solid front axle and vibrates all of the time. The cars are 10 feet tall, and the bed is just 10 feet long, so the center of gravity is way high. Be very careful driving it on the interstate at highway speeds, it reacts badly to turbulence created by big trucks, and becomes crazy in traffic. The engineering was crazy, they attached the front swaybar to the front leaf springs. That's just nuts. They started breaking the leafs on all of the ones driven on the gravel. They had to retrofit front leaf springs with a different attachment point for the swaybar on all of the ones we have. The chassis is set up for duals on the back, however, they found that since the wheelbase is so short (six feet shorter than a p47 sprinter), they tended to wear the duals off in a few weeks as the rear wheels couldn't "track" with the short wheelbase. So, they just removed the outside dual wheels, making the car even more unstable. The headlights are a nightmare. The reflectors are so small that in the dark in rural areas, it's just impossible to see just a few car lengths ahead of you. On a dark highway, one can "outrun" the headlights at 45 mph. Add to those comments, the truck is not equipped with a driver's airbag, and it has a metal dashboard. Airbags save lives. That's just a fact. My advice, be very careful in the car. Always be on the top of your game, every minute.

The good part of the new Workhorse P500: it has really great bright cargo lights.

And a good heater!!

 

[Dustyroads]

Oh, yeah, one other good thing, there is no spare tire in a 500, so you will never have to change a tire down in the ditch again.

 

[Anonymous 10]

When your on your cell phone its hard to hear you on the other end i'm told.

 

[Dustyroads]

I don't really know about the cell phone deal, there is no cell coverage where I deliver. However, I do know that you have to shout to be heard by your sup when they are doing a ride along, when they are sitting in the jump seat next to you.

 

[DS]

We have so many different new trucks here its confusing.
I've had mine about a year and a half and its a freightliner diesel p57
669*** series
Duel wheels,and get about 265 miles on a tank of gas.Its nicer than my old p8 but not built near as tough.I hate the barn doors that swing out,but the power steering is good,and it has great brakes.
The worst part is the mirrors.They offer limited visibility,especially in freezing rain.But I am grateful that they aren't forcing me to drive one of those old p5's from the 70's.

 

[EmerCond421]

Oh, yeah, one other good thing, there is no spare tire in a 500, so you will never have to change a tire down in the ditch again.

Our mechanic threw a spare into every Pkg.car. We weighed one tonight from a p-7 130lb - no road calls for a flat. Expected to change with a bottle jack and a cheater bar to get the lugs off.

 

[Dustyroads]

We don't even have a lug wrench to fit the lug nuts on the 500s. If there's a flat, it's a road call.

 

[upssup]

Are you guys ever happy? My god we get drilled if we put you in a new car and we get drilled if we do not. Yes they have minor issues but once the issues are weeded out on each car, these things are pretty nice. Would you be happy with an old GMC with manual steering? I am sure that there are more drivers willing to drive these than not. Every driver in my District appreciates the new cars and generally would not give it back for their old one. Besides if you do not like it go work for FedEx and then you could buy and maintain your own car.