What are YOU driving this winter ;)

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Me?? I'll be driving this..once old man winter decides to stir again.

About 2 years ago I left my job driving tractor trailer to take a job with my town highway department. Long story short, I am getting this truck and a plow run earlier than I expected..this year!! :naughty:

Being a union shop (which I am largely NOT a fan of, but let's save that for another thread) almost everything goes by seniority. Me being the newest guy, I was not expecting to get a plow run for a few years yet. But as it turned out some things changed and here it is. I have been OPP (One Person Plow) trained and certified by the county we reside in and have been filling in running plow routes when needed. It really is alot of fun making the white stuff roll.

This truck is one of the older trucks in the fleet. It is an '04 Freightliner FLD112SD set up pretty heavy duty. Everest plow and wing that clears right around 14 feet in a pass, and a Flo N Dump box that drops sand on the spinner ahead of the drives. No DPF, DEF, or other hippy-dippy EPA crap on this ol' girl..just a 400hp Cat with an Eaton 8LL trans complete with interaxle AND individual axle lockers. These trucks get around pretty good and are tough to get stuck as long as you don't bury it up to the axles. ;)


I just recently spent 2 days wire wheeling, grinding, fabricating and re-painting the front plow. It had some pretty rotted steel right at the top forward facing edge.. I'm kind of proud of what a couple of co-workers and I accomplished on that. I did all of the welding. I plan to do more puttering and prettying up on the truck in spring, I just can't take it out of service for major work this time of year.

Anyway, if any of you happen through Vienna NY in a storm, be sure and give the universal "3" sign to the plow driver... might just be me. :D

http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq133/02800adrenaline/IMG_20151130_102711000_zpsbeh5kri3.jpg (http://s441.photobucket.com/user/02800adrenaline/media/IMG_20151130_102711000_zpsbeh5kri3.jpg.html)
http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq133/02800adrenaline/IMG_20151130_102729550_HDR_zpssf9hsefi.jpg (http://s441.photobucket.com/user/02800adrenaline/media/IMG_20151130_102729550_HDR_zpssf9hsefi.jpg.html)

[Bren_downe]

I too have inter axle and individual lockers. It's the best thing since sliced bread.
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[tripledog]

RIDE-RED, that is the BIGGEST Red I have seen today. Also the coolest! Really diggin' the mailbox eradication device on the right side of the truck...

[Bren_downe]

Yeah, interaxle and differential locks are great, as long as you don't have to turn.:lol:

True story! But then again who needs turning when you have lockers?:lol::naughty:

[big specht]

I work for ODOT now and we still have IH 4900 trucks. We still haven't had any white stuff yet but we might tonight, I hope it does cause I need to fill up my comp time bank for this summer.

[RIDE-RED 250r]

I work for ODOT now and we still have IH 4900 trucks. We still haven't had any white stuff yet but we might tonight, I hope it does cause I need to fill up my comp time bank for this summer.

You and me both. :beer

It figures that the year I get a plow run, winter is taking it's time getting started. Last year we plowed ALOT of snow the whole month of November here. We even had to go out a couple of times in late October last year too.

[big specht]

That's what they were saying at work. I started last February, so this will be my 1st full winter there. I'm a mechanic so I don't normally get to go out on the roads but they still have at least one of in there when they are out plowing.

[hoosierlogger]

I have approximately 75' of drive way to clear. This is where I'll be sitting for about 10 minutes.

[Mr. Clean]

I was hoping to be driving this by the winter this year, but have had little or no time or money to work on it....I do have three weeks vacation this year for Christmas so there is still a chance!!

[coolpool]

I hope to drive the old lady nuts so I get banished to the shop :-) Nice rigs boys; and for those on the highways; thanks for your service! I'm bringing home my new bucket list toy on Friday. Yes I'll make a post

[dustrunner]

224518 My winter ride .

[jb2wheels]

God Bless Texas I have not seen a snow plow since I left Ohio in December 95.

The plow looks great though.

I'll be driving the same POS I drive everyday although it looks a little better now than when I took these. I believe there's a 250SX in the back at the time:

224520 224521

[RIDE-RED 250r]

I have been to the Lone Star State a few times with past trucking jobs and have often daydreamed about moving there for a few reasons...

[tripledog]

I actually retired my 1999 S10 that I had been driving for nearly 14 years. It only has 108k on it, but is rusty and needs to be restored. The catalytic convertor rotted off, but it still starts right up, and has no check engine lights on. I bought a 2006 Chevy Colorado extended cab with a 2.8l 4 banger and a 5 speed manual transmission. The truck runs great, has less than 73k on it, and has more lights lit on the dash than a Christmas tree (on a more positive note, less decorating needed to get in the season). I knew of most of the issues in advance, they are easily and inexpensively addressed, and I got a great deal on it. But here is my winter ride...