It's always great to see old workhorses still out there getting the job done and making money, especially for large construction outfits like HRI Inc out of State College, Pennsylvania. They still run and maintain a fleet of uniquely-optioned Peterbilt 359 tandem-axle heavy haul dump trucks with the set-back front axle configuration, which is pretty uncommon and hard to find these days. I've had the pleasure of watching this one being used as an on-site limestone hauler for an ongoing sewer installation project in my neighborhood the last few months. This truck is being used to haul crushed limestone from the stockpile down the street for backfilling the sewer trenches they have been digging.
Most people know the iconic set-forward axle 359 as one of Peterbilt's flagship trucks, but many do not know that the 359 was offered in a vocational spec as well. The set-back axle models were available with a fiberglass 113" BBC short or aluminum 119" BBC standard hood with a unique tapered bumper and rear cab-mounted half-fenders to accomodate the front axle. I believe these trucks could be equipped for a front engine PTO as well, but have never seen one myself. As with many vocational-use trucks, the 359 setback axles in these configurations were usually rode hard and many have long been retired or junked, but every once in a while you may find a survivor like this one. A handful of 359 SBFA's were even spec'd as road tractors, but most people consider them ugly next to the regular 359.
HRI's fleet of dump trucks are pretty much all yellow set-back axle Peterbilts, the majority of which are either 359's or newer 357/365/367's with setback axles. This particular truck has a mechanical CAT 3406 engine - hard to miss that mean-sounding CAT growl! Not sure what transmission or rears it has, but it's a very heavy-spec double-frame truck with Dayton spoke wheels all the way around, tall 24.5 rubber and 20,000lb front / 46,000lb rear axles. This and several of HRI's other 359 dump trucks are used year-round and driven all over Pennsylvania for various jobs. The driver of this truck told me that it has over 1.7 million miles on the original chassis - they don't build them like this anymore! This truck has served the company faithfully for 40 years and I have no doubt she's ready to go another 40.
3 окт 2024
