26' Truck Question

[djemzine]

Hi folks,

I've been instructed by the company I work with to drive one of the 26' Penske trucks for an event tomorrow taking place Downtown. I have a valid G license with a positive driver's abstract but have no experience in driving such a vehicle before. I am comfortable with driving SUVs of course.

I was called last week by my boss that they're short one driver and if I can volunteer myself, which I did. Didn't know it will be this kind of vehicle.

Should I simply decline saying that I do not have experience driving one nor I am comfortable driving one? Or should I request if it can be like a cargo van? Its to carry a bunch of Coco Cola cases to an event at Yonge and Dundas Square tomorrow. Will be driving it from Etobicoke all the way Downtown back and forth picking up more cases of Coke to replenish the supply/stock.

[Darryl]

Personally, I would drive it. But if you don't think you can handle it, then don't do it.
If you do go ahead, ask if you can get the truck an hour or two earlier so you can take it to an empty parking lot and drive it for a bit. Practice backing up (you'll need to rely on mirrors) and taking tight turns. You can practice both of these by trying to turn around and park beside raised (curbed) dividers in parking lots with grass on them.

You'll find it's really not that hard to drive, it just takes practice, patience and awareness. Do everything slower than you typically would to give yourself and people around you chance to react.

[Maymybonneliveforever]

In Ontario, any truck or motor vehicle combination exceeding 11,000 kg provided the towed vehicle is not over 4,600 kg, reguired a "D" license, if memory serves me right, the Penske 26' truck is 25.500 lbs. I would call to confirm since this makes it just under the wire as I'm sure they planned it that way and you'll be ok.

As Darryl has stated, it's what you're comfortable with, but you do have options and yes it helps when you accomidate your boss.

If you have time read below;

Sometimes, you have to hit the road and sometimes you need to bring ALL of your stuff with you. Over the years, we've found Penske moving trucks to be affordable, safe, and reliable so they were our choice for our most recent move. While professional truckers may scoff at a bright yellow rental truck, it's exciting to join the macho world of big rigs and diesel for a few days at a time. The 26-foot Penske truck is made by International and propelled by their powerful 195 horsepower DT66 diesel engine. Our Penske moving truck had nice new looking Michelin 11R22.5 radial tires with plenty of tread. While more powerful versions of this truck are available for commercial use by professional drivers, driving a Penske Moving truck provides plenty of excitement for an average car driver.
You definitely climb up into a Penske truck. You have two wide metal steps up into the cab. Once you are there, you are rewarded with a comfortable cabin with a wide bench seat. You'll have plenty of head room and leg room. As you drive, you'll find that the Penske truck has very effective air conditioning and comes with an AM/FM radio with CD-player that is difficult to hear over the diesel engine. The cabin controls are sparse and an emergency brake dominates the center of the cab. A cup holder is provided, but it down along the base of the emergency brake and is a bit of a reach. While it can be a little intimidating to drive a large rental truck, it is fun once you make the adjustment to a new perspective on the road.

As a novice truck driver, you do have to make several key adjustments in order to drive a big 26-foot rental truck successfully. With a diesel, you have to plan ahead when starting the moving truck. You have to turn the key, let the instruments settle down, wait for a minute, and then turn the key to crank the engine. On the road, you have to plan ahead when driving and use caution. You have to be aware of your trucks larger turning circle. When you make a turn, you have to turn a lot wider and watch you rear view mirror to make sure that your rear wheels aren't going to hit the curb. When you want to refuel, you have to find a place with diesel and with enough room to maneuver your truck. You have to make sure that you have sufficient overhead clearance before you pull into any bays or drive throughs. The 26-foot Penske home moving truck that I rented requires 12-foot 6-inches of clearance, has a 26-foot load length, and is a full eight feet wide in back.

When selecting a motel, restaurant, or gas station, my wife and I tried to pick places where I could pull the truck straight in and out and where I could take up 6 or 7 parking spaces without inconveniencing others. This is especially important if you are towing a vehicle behind your moving truck. Since you can't see directly behind you, you don't want to back up without someone to direct you with hand signals. You'll also want to find a gas station with diesel, room to pull through at the pumps, and generous clearance overhead. The 26-foot International truck that I rented had a 50-gallon diesel tank and you can go a long way between fill-ups. But, since you need diesel and a roomy gas station, it's good practice to fill up before you get really low on fuel. If you are towing a vehicle, you are also going to want to make regular stops to check to make sure your towed vehicle is secure. One of the tire straps on our full vehicle trailer kept sliding off our car's front tire and it took a few stops to finally get it securely secure.

I'd love to take a big yellow Penske truck to my local drag strip, a skid pad, or a famous road circuit. But, when we moved, we had "a long way to go and a short time to get there" so my driving impressions will have to suffice. The truck seems to have power steering and brakes, but a day of driving a Penske moving truck provides a bit of an upper body work out for the average car driver. The listed gross vehicle weight for a 26-foot International Penske moving truck is 25,500 pounds. In any big rental truck, you simply cannot accelerate or stop as quickly as a passenger car. You also can't turn as sharply. Plus, when you have all of your family's prized possessions in the back and a vehicle towed behind you, you really don't want to make any sudden or jarring moves on the road.

While the International 26-foot moving van is listed as having hydraulic ABS brakes, I didn't drive in a manner that would really put them to the test. You tend to avoid stirring S-curves when you're worried about your television set. You also have to obey any posted speed warnings on highway exit ramps. When I was a teenager, my Dad put a similar U-haul truck up on two wheels when he took a highway exit about five miles per hour faster than the posted speed. Learning from this scary family experience, I was very religious about taking exits at slower speeds. You just can't whip a big moving van around. I'd rate the Penske truck's handling as adequate if you aren't an idiot.

As for acceleration, you really do have to wait for a break in the traffic to pull out. With 195-horsepower, the Penske rental truck has plenty of power to move your stuff, but the big yellow truck is hardly a speed demon. When your truck is full, acceleration is leisurely and you'll use all of an on-ramp and more to get up to highway speed. Since I was also towing a Chevrolet Cavalier on a Penske rental trailer, I used all of the on ramp and sometimes a little more. I'd say it takes between 30 seconds and a minute to get up to 70 miles per hour with a full truck towing a vehicle.

Once you've got the momentum, the Penske truck also governs your top speed with some sort of limiter. While the governor can be frustrating, it also can keep a neophyte driver from getting into some serious situations. With your foot all the way to the floor, the big yellow truck tops out at about 65 to 75 miles per hour. You'll also lose momentum and slow down on hills when driving a Penske truck. Generally, when driving and up to speed, you'll find the speed limit a comfortable and safe place to be. You'll also be frustrated by slowpokes that force you to pass on the highway. With rolling hills and a speed governor, you can't always execute a pass smoothly. With all your worldly possessions behind you, it pays to be patient and take your time.

The Penske rental truck offers lots of room, a convenient loading ramp, and generally seems to be a reliable means of transporting your household goods. While I have experienced minor warning light niggles when first getting a truck in the morning, I'd generally ascribe them to my beginner impatience in starting a diesel truck. However, if a warning light remains lit, you definitely want to swap trucks before you get loaded up. Swapping a hinky truck only takes a couple of extra minutes when you are first renting the truck. That being said, diesels are very reliable and I have never seen a Penske truck broken down by the side of the road. Overall, we were happy with our Penske rental truck and found it very suitable for our move. I also learned a little about a truck driver's perspective on the road and will drive around trucks with a little more respect for a truck's limitations and challenges.

Sources:
Power train and dimensional data from www.penskeusedtrucks.com

[djemzine]

Thanks guys for the suggestions. Well I have decided earlier that I will not be doing this. Personally, its a piece of mind situation. Plus with the constant back and forth travelling between Downtown and Etobicoke for the entire day from 1pm to 11pm at night, plus I live in Richmond Hill. So that means I'd have to get a ride to and fro from the Penske rental place to my house which itself is a 50 minute commute from traffic.

I did email my boss/supervisor and hopefully she's not too upset. If I was requested to help someone else out i.e. two drivers or something, then I wouldn't mind.

I guess I did do the right thing by kindly rejecting the offer no?

[Darryl]

Assuming your boss is a reasonable person, she should understand. Might be better if you were still involved in some way, even if you aren't driving the big truck. Maybe volunteer to help out in some other capacity.

Different subject, how did you like going from the Quattro to the Fronttrak? I got a Fronttrak because I didn't really see the need for Quattro (been driving without for almost 20 years just fine) and to me, it just seemed like an extra cost for something I didn't need (want?)

But I am curious to know if it is like a night a day difference, making it a completely different car in daily situations. Personally, I find my Fronttrak to be great in the snow.

[djemzine]

Assuming your boss is a reasonable person, she should understand. Might be better if you were still involved in some way, even if you aren't driving the big truck. Maybe volunteer to help out in some other capacity.

Different subject, how did you like going from the Quattro to the Fronttrak? I got a Fronttrak because I didn't really see the need for Quattro (been driving without for almost 20 years just fine) and to me, it just seemed like an extra cost for something I didn't need (want?)

But I am curious to know if it is like a night a day difference, making it a completely different car in daily situations. Personally, I find my Fronttrak to be great in the snow.

Well I haven't received an email response from her, but I am sure she understands or will understand. I'll be helping out in a different aspect for the event but not just the logistic aspect.

On the off topic note about switching from Quattro to Fronttrak, well I did notice the difference in terms of traction/driving conditions on snow. We've had some pretty harsh winters here and the Quattro A4 would have no problem driving when its snowing, of course very small instances you can notice it losing traction. Getting out of the driveway or coming back into the driveway wasn't a problem considering its on a small incline. I don't even have to shovel the snow by the road. I just turn of ESP and just plow through. However with the Fronttrak, you get stuck many times and at times I had to shovel snow from the tires just to get in/out.

Daily situations, you can't tell the difference. It pretty much drives the same, except of course when starting from 0km/h on a green light and if you press on the gas too hard, your tires slip, kind of annoying but meh. Pickup wise, the 211HP Fronttrak had more power than the 200HP Quattro of course. That's one thing I did notice. Handling around corners especially on the on/off ramps on highways was slightly better on the Quattro.

Making those quick left or right turns at times, the Quattro would be able to handle it.

The Fronttrak definitely has the advantage of better fuel economy? Since its FWD and CVT transmission, I can get a great amount of gas vs the quattro. Of course the 07 Quattro A4 was an older model and had probably a crappier system back then?

In all honesty, I think Quattro is a want, not a need. Yes you'd have people saying the main point of buying an Audi is for its AWD/Quattro system and yes at times its handy, otherwise FWD/Fronttrak does the trick.

[Darryl]

Thanks. That's pretty much what I expected.

I figure the every day "good driver" wouldn't need Quattro, but the ones that freak out when they see a centimeter of snow hit the ground and then call in sick to work would really benefit from it more.

Or if you are wanting to put the car through its paces, obviously the Quattro would be better. But for normal use with the occasional "spirited" drive, FrontTrak is more than capable. It still handles really well due to the suspension.

[djemzine]

Thanks. That's pretty much what I expected.

I figure the every day "good driver" wouldn't need Quattro, but the ones that freak out when they see a centimeter of snow hit the ground and then call in sick to work would really benefit from it more.

Or if you are wanting to put the car through its paces, obviously the Quattro would be better. But for normal use with the occasional "spirited" drive, FrontTrak is more than capable. It still handles really well due to the suspension.

You're welcome. You pretty much summed it up as well. One thing I don't like is that with the Fronttrak, you don't get decent features as standard vs quattro features. But oh well. I enjoyed driving the Quattro and Fronttrak. Ya forgot to change that. Now its an Escape heh. Pending on buying another Audi or who knows.

[djemzine]

Okay so it seems my boss is now asking if I am comfortable driving a 16' truck. Is that the size of a cargo van or?

[Darryl]

It may be a few feet longer than a cargo van. I think cargo vans are about 20ft long where as the 16ft truck would probably be about 22ft long or so.

Of course, it would be taller than a cargo van, but that shouldn't matter unless you are going into covered parking lots or drive thrus.

[Maymybonneliveforever]

I believe the 10' difference is fairly substantial since it changed the overall size not only in length but width also.

If I'm ready this correctly it would appear as though your boss really wants your help and is trying to accomidate you so you're more comfortable since it sounds as though they truly need your help.

I think you should rethink this and try to help out with the delivery, again you need to be comfortable but I think the smaller truck/van will be more to your liking.

Good Luck

[BradT]

16' should be mounted on a GM Express cutaway diesel chassis. The truck should be 96" wide, not 102" like the 26' body so it should be easier to maneuver.

[CompWizrd]

I've driven UHaul's 26 footer (and lived to talk about it, as with all UHaul trucks it was _well_ overdue for maintenance)... Loaded, it took a good mile to get up to freeway speed.

I've also driven their 14 footers, and there's a world of difference.. You still can't see behind you properly, if you can get _anyone_ to help you with backing up it will make your life much easier.

Actually, even with just the driving, an extra person to watch out mirrors and around the vehicle helps with merging/etc.

Learn how the parking brake works on the truck, sometimes they're different from what you'd expect in a car.. I had the 26 footer roll forward about 2 feet before it finally caught, it was a scary moment of "is there enough vacuum pressure left in these brakes to stop this stupid truck, or do i have to get this thing restarted?"

[GangStarr]

Personally I'd drive the big truck, but if you don't feel comfortable, don't do it. Unless driving a truck is part of your regular job expectations. Your employer cannot force or punish you to do work which you feel is "unsafe". This is protection granted to you by the WSIB.

I would also make sure your boss has proper insurance on the trucks. In the event of an accident the last thing you want to do is have to deal with an insurance claim against your personal insurance. Your insurance may not cover you for larger vehicles if you have the rental insurance covered.

[skidz88]

A 16' is cake to drive. I've driven a 26' as well, got used to it within a few minutes/miles. If you adjust the mirrors correctly before setting off you'll have no issues. Just know it takes longer to get up to speed, and requires more distance to stop. Take turns wider, and glance in your mirrors to make sure you're not running over curbs/cars/people. :)

[Matrixvibe]

Keep bargaining down your boss to a smaller vehicle :razz:

[djemzine]

Keep bargaining down your boss to a smaller vehicle :razz:

Lol. I can't apply the RFD rule to it man. Wish I could.

However, I did end up driving the 16' one with ease and had no issues at all. Shall be doing so on the 12th of August. I did see the 26' and for sure I couldn't have driven it.

[Darryl]

Good to hear it is working out. Good luck on the 12th!