Work vehicles

[Drew99GT]

I'm driving various late model Chevy Vans with the 6.0 V-8 for my new job. These vehicles are beaten harder then Mike Tyson's ex wives. The one I've been driving has a rear tire that loses all 60 psi by days end, the tire rod ends are shot, the oil change sticker is 3,000 miles past due, and the brakes are shot! I'm nagging my boss and all of it will get fixed this week hopefully. It usually runs over 215 degrees and the oil pressure stays under 40 psi unless I redline it, which I have to do to keep up with traffic (it has a several thousand pound carpet cleaning machine in the back). Coolant was about a gallon low when I checked and the oil was 2 quarts low.

Some of the other guys I've ridden with abuse these vans so bad it's outright hilarious - this guy Tony I've been working with will redline it, then slow down, redline it, then slow down (all the guys laugh that if the van blows up, your work day is over). It's basically the company culture - the Vans get sold after about 150,000 miles. I'm actually impressed they can take the abuse so well!

Any of you guys have similar experiences with work vehicles? It's kind of liberating not having to worry so much about upkeep, maintenance, and driving easy. I'm a bit worried about those tie rod ends though...

 

[Bill in Utah]

We idle our vehicles most of the day and with two of us per vehicle 20+ hour days is the rule. Plus when we respond they get beaten pretty good.

For the most part, even after 100-150k the Trucks are still tight. The biggest thing on the 07 and later trucks are the brakes.

Things like fleet use prove to me that the people who change their oil every 3k (and have normal use vehicles) esp with syn are really helping the oil companies.

Take care, Bill

 

[Drew99GT]

Indeed Bill, I forgot our Vans are basically never shut off from 8 am to about 7 pm. They even have a high idle feature so they stay hot idling when it's cold out so the water tanks don't freeze.

 

[willix]

1982 GMC Beauville step van. Its very special.

 

[ZGRider]

One of our school bus drivers uses a brick to hold the accelerator pedal down in the morning to let the bus warm up. Sounds like a 747 taking off. She does this for 15 mins of so, before she drives it.

One morning she left it on too long and the engine grenaded. She's still doing it, however

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: ZGRider
One of our school bus drivers uses a brick to hold the accelerator pedal down in the morning to let the bus warm up. Sounds like a 747 taking off. She does this for 15 mins of so, before she drives it.

One morning she left it on too long and the engine grenaded. She's still doing it, however


No bricks are involved, but it is standard procedure to redline our vans in the morning to get heat quicker!

 

[andyd]

Got a spanking new '08 E150 that now has 48k miles on it. 6.5k mile OCIs, new upper control arms and a 4 wheel brake job at 45k when the frontend failed a state safety inspection. Van is a beast to drive. I average 1 1/2 day, 25 gallon fillups , glad I have a gas card.

 

[Johnny]

Back in the late 70's early 80's I worked for the Burlington Northern in Fort Worth. We had E150's for yard vehicles and crew transport. Nothing like jumping train tracks at 40 mph in a Ford van. Abused does not even come close to describing it.

 

[Propflux01]

Originally Posted By: Johnny
...Nothing like jumping train tracks at 40 mph in a Ford van.

Try using a GM 6.2L Diesel Metro! (Bread Truck)

 

[eljefino]

dodge
chevy

I had the pleasure of working summers through college on this island where everyone had to walk.. except us "delivery boys" who were issued 4x4 trucks by the village authority.

Someone felt sorry for us after our long parade of well used heaps so they got a new mid-80s 3/4 or 1 ton dodge. My tenure started in the mid 90s and we just got rid of it with 5000 miles. This heap had high ground clearance so the "mechanic" would disconnect the alternator and crawl underneath on a creeper, take an eight hour nap, then miraculously find the broken wire that us kids must have done taking bumps too fast. Us kids of course would put the battery on fast charge (55 amp start mode

) and use it anyway after the mechanic went home.

This thing expired so we got a mid 80s chevy 1 ton with solid front axle and snowplow package... which was some extra leaf springs stuffed in there. Jarring does not begin to describe the ride. And we had to put peoples groceries/eggs in the back. Power steering was weak and would squeal if the front tires were too low. But the bumper was loose in its rivets and would rattle if the tires were too full. Always striking a balance. I accidentally clipped a 6 inch diameter tree with the corner of the bumper and it nicely reset the truck in the road, damaging neither truck nor tree.

When we had to make "express" runs we also had an 88 S15 2.8 that lasted a miraculous 5-6 years. Needed ball joints, tie rods, etc every year. Also needed brakes every year: we basically idled around riding them all the time, and the rear shoes would wear down enough a wheel cylinder would overextend and pop.

We replaced this heap with another sonoma that jumped out of park and rolled backwards, tweaking the open driver's door. "Fixed" that with a bungee that went from the window frame across the roof then hooked into the passenger grab handle.

 

[Scienceman]

Originally Posted By: ZGRider
One of our school bus drivers uses a brick to hold the accelerator pedal down in the morning to let the bus warm up. Sounds like a 747 taking off. She does this for 15 mins of so, before she drives it.

One morning she left it on too long and the engine grenaded. She's still doing it, however


DT466 or T444E?

 

[wander2039]

I posted mine in another thread a while back. Have 2 E450 shuttles with 15k on one oil change. Noted it this week again as I did the last 2 times. They go through 3 quarts a week in that condition. I could list quite a bit but I find it a bit depressing.

 

[caravanmike]

our fleet vehicles at work have stuff done to them that make abuse seem minor.

 

[artificialist]

Back in 2008, I had a fleet vehicle (Ford F350) come in with no brakes.

What happened was that the rear pads wore out, but they were ignored. Eventually the metal to metal contact wore the brake disc down to nothing, then the caliper piston popped out.

There were repairs needed to be done to the front brakes, but the fleet operator rejected them.

I wish I remembered the name of the company, that way I would know which trucks to avoid when driving.

 

[defektes]

I used to have a 2500HD Chevy and a Astro van with the 4.3l. They both took a BEATING. And lasted forever, my company did not skimp on maintenance, any little thing I take it to the dealer and put it on the company credit. New tires no problem, new brakes no prob, new tail gate no prob. Sadly the 4.3 died at 200k miles with a grenaded original trans mission from all the towing and long long trips with lots of weight.

 

[caravanmike]

Originally Posted By: artificialist
Back in 2008, I had a fleet vehicle (Ford F350) come in with no brakes.

What happened was that the rear pads wore out, but they were ignored. Eventually the metal to metal contact wore the brake disc down to nothing, then the caliper piston popped out.

There were repairs needed to be done to the front brakes, but the fleet operator rejected them.

I wish I remembered the name of the company, that way I would know which trucks to avoid when driving.
wow

we had one (at work) 2 years ago that was showing a rust shower all down the side of the truck. turns out the front brake was metal on metal for 6 months and as the rotor would wear down the metal particles would stick to the side of the truck and rust. fleet vehicles that have many drivers have "the gas it up and go mentality!" mike

 

[97f150]

WOW! Some of these posts make me feel petty about complaining about petty stuff on our trucks. Normally at work, for light stuff, such as running around to check on jobs, I use my personal truck. Otherwise, I drive a 2008 F350. It has went 1500 miles over scheduled oil change once, and the factory tires were shot and needed replaced. That only took me a day or so from first complaint to getting done though.

The rest of the trucks in our fleet include a 2006 F250 and F350, and a 2001 F450. Mechanically, they are sound and maintenance is kept up well, but they are beaten to hades and back. I guess they are your typical oilfield truck and the fact that they are kept in good mechanical condition is about all I can ask for.

In any given day, it would not be uncommon for 10 different people to drive one of these trucks. They all have a lot of idle time on them, as most times this is the only source of heat or air our crews have available.

 

[cousincletus]

We have some pickup trucks at work get oil added to them once the oil pressure light comes on and/or engine starts ticking (they went to all GM pickups now). The best one was a 1997 Ford F-150 4.6. Went 230K b4 it got wrecked w/o any major problems. I don't know of anyone who actually beats on them, though. It's just neglect.