Biggest thing I have ever driven.

I got tired of dealing with my freight company. The billing issues, poor communication, high rates, and "gotcha" due dates caused me to find alternatives. I assumed, for whatever reason, that I needed a CDL to rent a large box truck, but I called Enterprise anyway to check into rates.



I have a corporate discount card and a rental history with them, so they're often generous with rates and little giveaways (like no deposit).

I made a reservation and headed over to pick up the truck. As always, the Enterprise girl at the counter was hot. She asked me if I liked my Crossfire, and I told her I loved the car but the dealers were crap. She noted the same worries when her boyfriend bought his Jeep.

Anyway, here's what I got:



International truck of some sort. Diesel with a 4-speed + OD. Its well over 30 feet long.


It took me a moment to find the filler cap, and of course I parked on the wrong side of the pump.


Diesel was $2.09.


Big pumpkin underneath.




Driveshaft




At first, I couldn't figure out how the heck to get moving. I sat there in the street with the transmission in drive, revving while moving nowhere. Finally I located the big yellow PARKING BRAKE knob on the dash, which I pushed in to release.



Bunch of dials.


It has... a radio. AC was painfully cold.


Breakfast


My brother's place was on the way, so I picked him up at school for a quick lunch. I carved out a parking space at Burger King.


I managed to back it in correctly on the first try!


120 miles later, I got back to St Louis. This is the questionable neighborhood where I warehouse my goods.


Backing in this time, I nearly banged up an Escalade. I was asked to go around back.



Unloading. The truck was a lot more than I needed.

It was plenty powerful, though it did struggle up inclines. 0-60 took about 7 days, but it got the job done. Fuel economy ended up being 10mpg with a full load, which I thought was impressive.

I wish the horn was louder. That was a disappointment. :(

The spring-supported big rig seat was fun, like climbing into a Caterpillar. Over bumps, the seat bottomed out a few times, at which points I yelped in pain. And over a large pothole, the seat bottomed out then topped out, causing my head to crash on the (thankfully) padded roof.

I managed to navigate through downtown streets. Making a wide right turn, I forced a few cars to back up so I could get by.


Freight company for 7200 lbs, 250 miles round trip: $549
Time used: 5-minute phone call

Driving a truck from Enterprise, 15 cents per mile @ 286 mi: $152
Diesel fuel cost: $60
Lunch and snacks on the road: $10
Total cost: $222
Time used: 5 hours

Total savings: $327

I'll be doing this a few times a year for a total annual savings of $1500. That buys a lot of bacon! I need to get a ball cap and flannel jacket if I want to fit in at truck stops and rest areas.