Coiled Air Lines?

[Jim B]

I know that tractors now come with color coded coiled air & electric lines, but I also know that wasn't always the case. When did the colored coiled air & electric lines come into use? Pictures of tractors from the 1970s show what look like straight black hoses. Any thoughts?

[Old Buckaroo]

That is a pretty good discussion subject . I remember as a kid with the trucks on the ranch having all black hoses tangled up, when one dry rotted or got messed up another piece of air hose was sometimes spliced in or the hose replaced all together. Air hoses came in shades of red also. Then I remember the new fangled coiled yellow air lines from sears being used for "less tangles" haha

Seems to me though the blue and red standard was more common after the "Truck Driving schools" started popping up everywhere instead of knowing which gladhand went where. The gladhands have been made so they cant be coupled backwards unlike in the early years .

[chitownbri]

you can still find the straight black rubber air lines in use today, many truckers still prefer them over the coiled plastic ones that are so popular right now.

the coiled lines suck in cold temperatures.

[Jim B]

Thanks for the input, guys. Come to think of it, I have seen black rubber hoses on newer trucks.

[KJ790]

It seems to me that the coiled hoses started gaining the most popularity around the early 90's. Today you can get either style, and it is personal preference. Each style has it's pros and cons. The coiled ones are more idiot proof, which is why you see most of the large fleets running that style. If the driver is too lazy to hang the hoses appropriately on the back of the cab after unhooking, the coiled ones are less likely to fall down into the drive shaft and get ripped off. The downside is that they can become a coiled mess if not handled correctly as well. It is kinda like dealing with 3 coiled phone chords together...

[Jim B]

Thank for the info, KJ. That's kind of what I was thinking. So for the 2 late model fleet trucks I have planned it sounds like the coiled air lines would be more appropriate.

[niteowl7710]

The one downside of coiled airlines is that if you have drivers who need their entire air line color coded - instead of just the glad hand, and the fact the brakes will not release, they are invariably going to drive off with them attached at some point, and when they lengthen out to their max stretch before the glad hands break away they will no longer be coiled. They end up being about 4 times longer than they need to be, and you probably have a big dent (if not an outright hole) in the back of the sleeper from where the inbound glad hand slammed into the back of the cab.

Our newest trucks in the fleet - 2014 Volvo VN Sleepers and Day Cabs all have straight black air lines, and a straight green light cord.

[Jim B]

Thanks for the info, James. That's a nice looking Volvo.

[niteowl7710]

Thanks for the info, James. That's a nice looking Volvo.

Looks nice, but it's first 25,000 miles have been frought with electrical gremlins. Everything has a sensor - even the dipstick! So the fuel filter thought it was plugged with less than 10k miles on it and visually was obviously not. This past weekend some other sensor in the ECU for the forward facing radar nanny went on the fritz and took my adaptive cruise control with it.

[Jim B]

The dipstick has a sensor? That seems a little like overkill.

[niteowl7710]

The dipstick has a sensor? That seems a little like overkill.

I can with a couple pushes of the button cycle through on-board sensors and get an "Oil Level" which is displayed as a dipstick graphic, and I'll be darned if it doesn't match the actual dipstick to a "T". I even dribbled in a quarter-gallon since it was a touch low, just for the giggles of it, and it showed the upward movement again matching the 1:1 metal dipstick. Now whether it actually has a dipstick "sensor" or one of the most precise engine oil level sensors I've come across I haven't researched.

[clayton]

 

It seems to me that the coiled hoses started gaining the most popularity around the early 90's. Today you can get either style, and it is personal preference. Each style has it's pros and cons. The coiled ones are more idiot proof, which is why you see most of the large fleets running that style. If the driver is too lazy to hang the hoses appropriately on the back of the cab after unhooking, the coiled ones are less likely to fall down into the drive shaft and get ripped off. The downside is that they can become a coiled mess if not handled correctly as well. It is kinda like dealing with 3 coiled phone chords together...

 

idiot proof! I perfer the old black ones. but the coils will add a extra 3 or 4 feet tho.

[GLMFAA1]

If my mind hasn't failed yet, I recall black coil air lines.

greg

[Jim B]

I was behind a UPS Mack CL (I think it was a CL) today that was bob-tailing back to the distribution center. It had the black lines. Must be a "cost savings" thing.

[niteowl7710]

I was behind a UPS Mack CL (I think it was a CL) today that was bob-tailing back to the distribution center. It had the black lines. Must be a "cost savings" thing.

With what we do, I only hit a few selected truck stops for fuel on certain contracts, so I don't see the inside of as many as I did during my OTR days, but I can't remember ever seeing straight airlines being sold there "Over the Counter"...whereas you could buy "bagged" (they were sold in big plastic bags) coiled airlines of each color, and coiled electric line as well right there in the C-Store next to the other truck supplies.

I believe it to be more of a "experienced driver" thing, as we have pretty stringent hiring standards, especially with the background check you undergo with with the Postal Service...and getting on at UPS depending on the terminal is a long process, involves one of the most detailed and in depth pre-trip, range and road testing regiments I've seen, and they REALLY aren't hiring anyone with less than 10-15 years of experience unless they've worked their way up from inside the organization. Our local UPS hires semi-regularly, but there was at one time a 3+ year wait list in Cleveland. When you have as many applicants as they get, they really can cherry pick the very best drivers to work there. They don't need their equipment color coated for Kindergarteners.

Edited April 6, 2014 by niteowl7710

[Thatswhatshesaid]

The shop recently put black rubber lines on the truck I drive for the cold temps going up to Alaska.

[Chuck Most]

Up in Michigan you still see the plain black lines quite frequently- in fact, it's been quite a while since I've spotted any of the color-coded ones. I do know most of the truck drivers I know hate the color coded ones, and much prefer the regular black rubber lines.

[Thatswhatshesaid]

Up in Michigan you still see the plain black lines quite frequently- in fact, it's been quite a while since I've spotted any of the color-coded ones. I do know most of the truck drivers I know hate the color coded ones, and much prefer the regular black rubber lines.

The color coded plastic ones are more vulnerable to the cold. I'm guessing black rubber lines are more the norm in cold climates.

[Chuck Most]

I'm sure they were having a blast with them back in December, when temps were dipping well below zero and we were getting tons of freezing rain!

I did see a set of the color coded coils on a newer Freightliner today- one of the rigs owned by Legend Manufacturing, and it was the only one at the factory with them. Really never paid a great deal of attention to stuff like that until I came across this thread.