Drivers' seats have evolved. 30 years ago those seats could wobble a driver. I remember once hitting the brakes hard and my seat broke. The seat that came with my 2013 Cascadia Evolution was good. It had an adjustable lumbar support. It was heated. Living in Green Bay a heated seat is a wonderful thing to have. Hit that button and within a few minutes, at least part of you is warm. These newer trucks heat up a lot quicker than the old ones. If the old ones ever heated up at all. As good as the modern truck heater is, that seat heats up a lot faster.

Last September, I drove a Detroit demo truck from the Detroit plant to St. Ignace, MI for the Richard Crane Memorial Show. It had a Bose Ride Seat. At first, I hated it. The roads for about the first 30 miles were extremely rough. I was not used to the movement of the seat. Eventually, I turned off the Bose Ride feature. Once I got out of the Detroit metro area, I started playing with it. The ride itself has 3 firmness settings as well as an off switch.

The Bose Ride's goal is to keep the driver level with the road. That took a some getting used to. I played with the firmness settings as well as the 2 different back supports. By the time that I reached the Mackinac Bridge, I was beginning to like the seat. After 3 days of the show, my back was a little sore. When we are at show we are on our feet, climbing in and out of trucks, or standing still. It can get to you. I was looking forward to the ride back and getting a little more used to the seat. By the time, I got back to the plant my back was fine.

A few months ago they installed a Bose Ride Seat in my truck. My seat was fine and I was hesitant to change. It is part of my job to give feedback on “stuff”. Without living with this seat, I really couldn't give feedback on it. Last week, I ran a half marathon. I didn't put enough effort into training. After the run, my back was “killing” me. After marathons, I usually take the day off to suffer at home. This time, I went to work the next day. I wasn't looking forward to it. I got in and hit the heated seat. This seat heats up fast and actually gets HOT. It felt great. At the end of the day, my back felt better than when I started. My legs still hurt, but my back was much better.

Overall, I like the seat. The 2 different back supports combined with the 3 ride settings give me some flexibility to adjust going down the road. When I am in a parking lot, I have learned to turn off the ride feature. It makes backing easier. My criticism of the seat is the actual seat cushion. It isn't enough of a cushion. That will be changed with the next model. I am looking forward to that as this seat evolves along with the truck.
 

Comments (6)

Jeff Clark

Jeff Clark of Kewaunee, WI has been driving a truck for 24 years. He has been an owner operator for 11 years.

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Boy, I agree with Linda! Maybe someday! Thanks for sharing.

June 04, 2016 11:00:17 AM

Profitability matters Chet. I still remember when that old seat broke on me. All of the seats have improved over the years. Truth is that I didn't want to give up the seat that came with the truck. Good luck with the milk carton, but I really recommend a 5 gallon pail. It is much more versatile. You can take it ice fishing. Then carry home the catch.

June 03, 2016 16:20:05 PM

I couldn't afford the Bose seat, so I found a milk carton and a cushion on the highway that must have fallen off some loser's pickup as he/she was moving after being evicted. I used some bungy cords and got it to sit still enough for me to stay on the driver's side as I drive down the road. Sometimes when I lean back, I fall off it. I forget it doesn't have a back. But, all in all, I can still make money.

June 03, 2016 16:13:28 PM

I really like using the different firmness settings depending on the road, or sometimes just to change the ride.

June 03, 2016 14:31:02 PM

I had one in our old truck. I really liked it and we are thinking of putting one into the new truck.

June 03, 2016 13:31:23 PM

The Bose seat has always interested us. Thanks for the update and maybe someday we will have one of these in our truck.

June 03, 2016 5:05:47 AM