After 35 years and three million miles driving trucks, Bill Cooper has seen it all — literally. Having driven through most of the lower 48 states, and much of Canada and Mexico, Cooper says he still looks forward to getting on the road in his 2007 Peterbilt Model 386.

“It’s good to get away,” he says. “And it’s always great to get back home.” Home is Geneva, Ohio, near Lake Erie, about halfway between Cleveland and Erie, Pa.

Fuel efficiency

These days, Cooper spends much of his driving time between northeast Ohio and Houston, Texas, where he delivers additives to the oil refineries and chemical plants there. Leased to LT Harnett Inc, out of Kinsman and Ashtabula, Ohio, Cooper hauls fully loaded tankers behind his Model 386. An Owner-Operator needs all the advantages he can get to survive the tightening economy, Cooper says, and driving an aerodynamic, fuel-efficient Model 386 makes perfect sense.

“When I ordered my new truck in the summer of 2006, I was paying about $3.00 a gallon for diesel and figured the price wasn’t going to get any better,” says Cooper, who traded in his beloved Peterbilt Model 379 for a new aerodynamic Model 386.

Though his primary goal was to increase fuel economy, Cooper wasn’t willing to give up big power or driver comfort he was accustomed to. “With these tankers, I’m hauling right at 80,000 lbs all the time and wanted to make sure I had enough muscle to get up and down hills,” he says. “So I spec’d my Model 386 with a CAT C15 550 hp engine. And I went with a 13-speed transmission and 3.36 rears to help give me the fuel mileage I wanted.”

Great comfort and visibility

Working with his dealer, Hunter Peterbilt in Erie, Pa., Cooper spec’d his truck with everything he needs to be successful in the tanker business: product pump, PTO, an APU unit and 245-inch wheelbase to maximize maneuverability. Inside his truck, he chose the Platinum Interior with features like leather seats, LED backlit gauges, easy-to-reach switches and ample lighting and storage. At rest, the 70-inch high roof Unibilt® sleeper, combined with APU heating and cooling, offers all the comforts of home in an aerodynamic package.

“I have a refrigerator, microwave and coffee pot, all plugged into AC outlets inside my truck,” says Cooper. But the best thing about his new truck, according to Cooper, is the great visibility. “On the highway, you can see everything around you. It’s easy getting in and out of tight places. When you’re driving the Model 386, you’re in complete control.”

Visibility, comfort and fuel economy are all equally important, he says. Owner-Operators shouldn’t have to choose between reliability and performance, quality and fuel efficiency. “Success in this business depends on having all these things.”

Long term dependability

Over the years, Cooper has driven all types of trucks, and this is the fourth truck he’s owned as an Owner-Operator. Today, he says, it’s all about fuel efficiency. “This Peterbilt Model 386 is the truck of the future now, right here.”

Cooper bought his first Peterbilt in 1981 and has owned Peterbilts ever since. “I’ve been in love with Peterbilt trucks ever since the first one that I drove,” he says. One 1988 Peterbilt Model 379 he sold is still in operation and running the same Ohio-to-Texas route for Harnett. “It must have over 3 million miles on it,” he says.

Because of their dependability, Cooper says he was able to keep his Peterbilts well past one million miles and still get a strong return at trade in time. But according to Cooper, there’s nothing like driving a brand new truck. This time around, with his new Model 386, he’s thinking maybe he’ll trade after three or four years, so he can keep driving new.

“I tell drivers, with a new truck, breakdowns or maintenance costs aren’t an issue, and I’m always ready to roll. So if dispatch calls and says they have a load, I don’t have to think about whether I need to change a tire, pull a wheel or check a seal. Everything is ready to go now.”

When Cooper decided to buy his new Model 386, he also chose PACCAR Financial because “they were convenient, easy to work with and offered a competitive rate,” he says. He also decided to purchase an extended warranty on the engine — to 550,000 miles — a valuable feature should he decide to trade his truck at three or four years.

“But I can’t say I’d trade it in for more comfort, because my Model 386 has as much comfort as you could ever want in a truck,” says Cooper. “It rides like a Cadillac. To tell you the truth, it’s the most comfortable truck I have ever driven or ridden in.”