Looking for info about these funky looking trucks

[peteski]

I'm not a truck guy.  I saw this picture in another thread here, so I borrowed it.

Ever since I've seen a truck like that I've always been curious: What are these trucks, what's inside them, and why all the antennas and other doo-dads on the middle compartment? Is it a sleeper? An office on wheels? What sort of cargo do they carry?  I have also seen similar trucks with blue FedEx logos (although it's been a while since last I've seen one of those).

 

[Fat Brian]

The middle compartment is a sleeper, theres an RV style ac unit and the dome is most likely a Winegard style satellite tv reciever. Landstar is a shipping company that uses third party drivers to deliver packages. They seem like a specialty carrier who probably does short turn around times for items that are difficult to ship normally. 

[highway]

Peter, as Brian said, the middle is a custom sleeper unit and the dome is for TV and it has the roof mounted A/C unit. The truck itself is commonly know as an expediter and usually team driven for LTL (less than truckload) expedited freight, and since there is also a reefer unit on the box on this in the pic, this particular one is set up for temperature controlled freight as well.  Other than what has already been mentioned, the only other thing I'm seeing by enlarging the pic in the way of antennas on the sleeper is a chromed older style Qualcomm antenna dome, which is used primarily for communication with dispatch, but also with newer Qualcomm units in the cab serve as the driver's logs and GPS.  

[peteski]

Thanks guys for satisfying my curiosity.  So this is basically like a box truck (hauling smaller loads), but set up for long distance hauls (and often equipped with a temperature controlled cargo area).  The sleeper section appears much larger than most long-distance fleet vehicles (as opposed to privately owned tractors with extra-large sleeper units).  The driver or drivers probably appreciate the extra-roomy living quarters.  Nice!

[Fabrux]

FedEx Expedited uses a lot of these, as well as Landstar above and Black Horse carriers. All team brokers where this truck is their only home. For when something absolutely needs to be somewhere ASAP. Have never seen a tandem truck, always single drives, sometimes a lift axle.

[Ben]

That’s a Hot Shot Truck. Hauls small loads that are priority like medicine.

[Tom Geiger]

10 minutes ago, Ben said:

That’s a Hot Shot Truck. Hauls small loads that are priority like medicine.

Yes! Million dollars batches of biologicals are transported between facilities that process different stages of the manufacturing. What you don’t see are the stability controls and monitors on the product.   Yea, I have many years in Pharma and those trucks were a familiar sight

[peteski]

More interesting tidbits - thanks guys!