Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/212850
PENNLINE Extreme Service PennLine's Model 337s give new meaning to "medium duty" M ost of the trucks in use by PennLine might be, by definition, "medium-duty." But in truth, the duty performed by the PennLine fleet could more accurately be described as "extreme" than "medium." PennLine, which performs a variety of vegetation management-related tasks for DOT and power company right-ofways, operates in a multi-state area surrounding its Scottdale, Pa., headquarters in western Pennsylvania. So its fleet of 300-plus Class 7 trucks, equipped with equipment ranging from aerial man lifts, to 3,000-gallon slurry tanks and pumps for reseeding projects, to flatbeds for equipment delivery, will log some highway miles before it gets to a jobsite. But once there, these trucks go offroad in a variety of environments. They'll go where power lines go, and provide a work base for high-elevation tree trimming. They'll provide a platform to seed sloped areas to minimize erosion resulting from construction projects. And they'll work highway edges, providing a work base for augering holes in which to set guard rails. Consider that the Allegheny Mountains tower over much of their work range, and its clear that these medium-duty trucks perform duty that's actually quite severe. Dave Lynn, PennLine's Equipment Center Manager, has seen the challenges of this application take its toll on a fleet. In fact, after a long history with a single truck make, he decided he needed to make some changes.