What to do

[truck1153]

Hey ya'll. I'm an 18 yr driver all company and am thinking of jumping ship. My original plan was to retire at 55 (2026) and buy my own truck then.

I have run with and know many O/O's who are doing just fine with fuel prices and the like. They are getting BIG fuel surcharges.

I do have a safety net $10 -$15k if something was to go wrong early on, I just wonder if it would be more practical to buy a new or used truck.

I really hate the thought of shelling out $100 - $120k for a nice ride but I also don't wanna get into something just to say I own it. I'd rather make the payments and have a warranty than be sitting all the time b/c the used one is broke.

My other thought is I do not wanna get stuck with an '07 motor.

You guys and gals who have been down this road wanna help a feller out, I'd appreciate your input.

[magicman]

Two ways to look at it. Buying a used truck can cause a lot of heartburn, if you're not careful. Buying a new truck causes just as much heartburn, due to the much higher payments. Remember, just because it's new doesn't mean it won't be in the shop !!!

My suggestion is to talk to your banker. If you've had a good relationship with him, you should be able to get a $ 30,000- $ 50,000 load fairly easily. Unfortunately, he'll probably want some of your cushion money as a down payment.

Take whatever used truck you choose to an independent mechanic that you choose and have him spend a couple hours, MINIMUM checking things out. Pull and oil sample from the engine and the transmission. Take them to a Speeco, a Cat dealer, anyone that can analyze the oils for you. WARNING !!!!!! Do NOT take it to the dealer you're dealing with on the truck.

Oh, if you didn't figure it out, I think you should go with a used truck. You might even find one with a rebuilt engine if you're lucky.

Maintenance records would be a plus, that way you could see what's been done on the truck, including oil change and chassis lube intervals.

I honestly think you can find a pre 2002 engined truck with decent miles on it, for a decent price.

I know this can be a sore spot around here, but either you're in business to make money, or to look good. Looking good has NOTHING to do with making money, unless you're in some "Image conscious" facet of the industry, like hauling Broadway shows around or something. Remember, that BIG hood equals LESS fuel mileage.

Choose an aerodynamic truck, that's comfortable. Try to get them to give it a complete service and dicker for a new seat, that fits you, not everyone. Don't worry about the condition of the mattress, as you'll be doing youself a favor by going down to your local mattress company and having a custom mattress made to suit your sleeping needs. This should cost less than $ 500. It should come with a 10-20 year warranty. Don't tell them it's going in a truck. Just give them the measurements and leave it at that.

As far as warranties go, you can get a 2 yr 200,000 mi warranty through most dealers, on the engine. Other stuff, you'll just have to eat the cost of repairs.

I think I spent around $ 13,000 last years on Maintenance and repairs, BUT I remodled my sleeper quite extensively, which cost quite a bit.

And, finally I would invest in an APU, RIGHT AWAY. It will save you more than its' cost in no time. Pony Pack, Rigmaster, Pro Heat and Tri Pack( From Thermo King) would be my choices. Most of these other ones are too heavy, too new or too expensive. Cost for a new unit, installed should be under $ 8,000.

Good luck. You'll need it. You will get all kinds of differing opinions in this matter. But, that's a good thing. Everyone here has an opinion and not a one has a problem voicing it.

Dave

[Randg1]

I agree with everything Dave said :yikes: . The only thing I would add is to keep your monthly truck payment to a max. of $1,500.00/ month.
I bought a 1999 FLD with 744,000 miles on it 1 1/2 years ago doing what Dave advised & it is running strong with no leaks. I had it dynoed at Stewart/Stevenson also.. It now has 890,000 miles. :D

[HSLD]

Pull an ECM print off on any used truck you may be considering.

As for used truck warranties, I got a 2 year, 200,000 mile Freightliner warranty with my truck, I got that "thrown in" for the purchase price we agreed upon. My thoughts on the warranty, I'd concern myself with getting a good used truck more than the warranty. Why? Because if I did need to use my warranty, the local Freightliner here is always behind and I'm not sure I'd trust the service department here after some experiences in the parts dept I've had. My thoughts are if you've got a screwed up parts department, you've probably got a screwed up service dept.

I wouldn't start out buying new. I'd find a nice used truck and go that route first. Get your dream truck in a few years after you've gotten settled in and have things rollin' good. You can however find a fairly late model used truck with little miles and lotsa factory warranty left on it to.

Can't remember if magic mention this, but if you're having the oil checked, check the coolant as well. If the coolant is right, it'll usually mean the previous owner took pretty good care of the truck to include the little things.

When you've narrowed the search to a few trucks, run off the salesman and spend time with the truck alone noting all that you can. Salesmen's constant chatter can be distracting and can keep you from seeing what you need to see in the truck you're thinking of buying. Note the small items that need attention and get the dealer to get them fixed as part of the deal. I got new brakes all around, a new a/c condensor, new batteries and a few other items changed out as part of the deal. The salesman made the mistake of telling me to give him a list of things I wanted fixed or changed as part of the dea


v/r

HSLD

[magicman]

Another thought, here. My son works for a Western Star dealership in Omaha. Every so often a truck comes in they don't want on the lot. Too many miles, too plain, like an old Crete truck. These trucks get wholesaled out.

My buddy traded in a 1997 Freightliner Classic, an old Werner truck, last year. He got $ 11,000 for it. That's exactly what it wholesaled out for. It had a rebuilt engine with 150,000 miles on it and a new A/C compressor. The only reason he bought a new truck was for a tax write off. His wife had passed away the year before and there was no depreciation left on his truck, so he bought a new Star.

I also heard about a real clean Century, a 98, I think that went for $ 6,000. Same wholesaler got it, too. It had around 900,000 miles on it.

If you can get a truck that cheap, in decent shape, you can afford to put a little money into it.

[Capt._Chaos]

The truck I've been driving for Crete is being pulled out of service within a few weeks. It has a healty pre- 10/02 Detroit S60 that has averaged 6.6 MPG since I've been driving it.

I've been in this truck for almost 33,000 miles now, and it appears to be in great shape. I can't tell if it's ever been smoked in myself.

[Chiefwhatdahey]

The truck I've been driving for Crete is being pulled out of service within a few weeks. It has a healty pre- 10/02 Detroit S60 that has averaged 6.6 MPG since I've been driving it.

I've been in this truck for almost 33,000 miles now, and it appears to be in great shape. I can't tell if it's ever been smoked in myself.

That would make a great starter truck, why don't you pm 1153 with the vin so he can track it?

[SUNSHINE]

I have 11 payments left on my truck. cant wait. My cpa told me not to buy a new truck cuz they depreciate as soon as they leave the lot.And from what i understand is you give uncle sam a good chunk of change.
Here is something elase to remeber, the higher your truck payment less time at home. MY truck payments arer $1536 a month plus insurance and occupational health. I got my truck through a private lease and this is something you may want to look into. cuz if it dont work out you can turn the truck back in and not be out too much money.
Being an o/o isnt no picnic. its alot of hard work . constantly watching that checkbook and thinking about your next load. I have no health insurance, no retirement,no vacation.Im not even gonna start on the paperwork.
one more thing is check with your bank and see if he has any repos. mine was a repo and it still had warranty left on it.
As for retirement I dont think ill ever fully retire from trucking i might semi-retire, work when i feel like it.
O/O maybe getting a big fuel surcharge right now and that just barely puts a dent in the fuel bill.If the price of fuel falls so does the surcharge. You got to be real careful cuz a lot of loads the surcharge is included in the rate and lots of times the dispatcher wont break that flat rate load down for you.
Do the math very carefully before you jump ship. It is nice being your own boss but its a lot of resposibility.
Heres one more thing to remeber YOU ARE REPOSIBLE FOR ALL FINES AND THAT INCLUDES OVERWEIGHT TICKETS!
OK ill be quiet now guys.

[Capt._Chaos]

Chief, I will be glad to do that & e-mail him some photos if he's interested in the truck.

I was an Owner-Operator for many years, and the cost of medical/dental insurance going up is part of what motivated me to sell my paid-for truck last year & go drive for someone else. The clerical work involved was a big job in itself, and it took a lot of time away from my personal life.

Just my $.02

[Capt._Chaos]

I forgot to mention earlier about the truck I'm in that's being traded in- it just had a new clutch put in it two weeks ago, as well as a new windshield wiper motor & linkage. The A/C compressor was replaced two months ago, and it cools very well.

I had driven an '04 Century that had a Detroit EGR engine in it before it was hit in January & I was assigned to this truck. There's a night & day difference in pulling power & fuel mileage, as this truck pulls much better than the other one & does 1.2 MPG better as well.

It has 494,000+ miles on it as I write this, but the truck is still very tight.

[truck1153]

Thanks for the input ya'll. I am most likely going to go with a used with low miles, most likely a repo or one like what Capt. has. I am not looking for fancy as that is going to be the retirement home, lol.

I really hate even considering this far out (from retirement) but I have the ich so bad it's not funny. As far as the business end goes I have had two previous businesses, a bar and a lawn care service, both "cash businesses" with some regulations and responsabilities but nothing like DOT, FMCSA and the like.

I still havbe a lot of work to do to get myself in the go mode but I feel like I can handle it from speaking with several successful O/O's.

The hardest part for me I do believe is going to be going from being home every day to being gone again. I've done it before but I am used to being home. I just miss the road and if I can make as much if not more on my own, why not.

Again, thanks for the input and I'll check back to update ya'll. It won't be next week or nothing but maybe by th eend of the year.

[White Dog]

SUNSHINE said:if it dont work out you can turn the truck back in and not be out too much money.

If this was to happen, money wouldn't be the issue......credit will. A "voulantary repo" on your credit report is as bad as an actual "repo" in creditors eyes-------MAKE DARN SURE THIS IS NOT AN OPTION FOR YOU.

also:I have no health insurance, no retirement,no vacation.Im not even gonna start on the paperwork.

This can be remodied by choosing the right carrier to lease to.

also:You got to be real careful cuz a lot of loads the surcharge is included in the rate and lots of times the dispatcher wont break that flat rate load down for you.

Again; choose the right carrier to lease to.

Do the math very carefully before you jump ship. It is nice being your own boss but its a lot of resposibility.

Excelent advice! Most important piece of the puzzle.


A lot of these people are suggesting the Freightliner Century Class tractor.....and they can be had for cheap.....but there's a reason for that. They are a cheaply built, raggedy azz, worthless rattle trap!
In the 13 years I have been driving (and I have driven nearly every type of truck out there), I have found the Century to be (by far) the worst of the worst on trucks out there.
I personally wouldn't even consider thinking about maybe even entertaining the slightest of notions of even minuteley standing anywhere close to a Century while looking for trucks. Just my opinion (spew) ;)

If you go with Freightliner, FLD 120 or Classic XL are the only two I would look at. (personaly I would check out the Kenworth T-600's----can usually find a decent deal on www.truckpaper.com and they are built far more solid than Freightliner)

[Foxfire]

I agree with you WD! The Century and the Columbia are just worthless! As for the rest of it, listen to the ones that have already spoken. Re-read until you understand EVERYTHING that has been said.

[Capt._Chaos]

I'm not a big fan of ANY Freightliner trucks out there, but the '03 Century I'm in now is VERY TIGHT, and it just turned 500,000 miles as I rolled into Barstow, CA this evening.

I'll be giving up this truck for a brand new one after I take my time off pretty soon. I'll miss this old truck, but I'll like being in a brand new one too! :cheers:

[Mark-the-Spark]

I agree with you WD! The Century and the Columbia are just worthless!

Well, that may be so, but there are a ton of them out there getting the freight delivered @ 6+ MPG, and the owners are putting that chicken light and chrome (and fuel) money right into the retirement account :p

__________________________________________
Mark; doesn't get too wet when it rains :rofl:

[Pipester]

I agree with you WD! The Century and the Columbia are just worthless!

Well, that may be so, but there are a ton of them out there getting the freight delivered @ 6+ MPG, and the owners are putting that chicken light and chrome (and fuel) money right into the retirement account :p

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Mark; doesn't get too wet when it rains :rofl:

Right on Mark:

Same drivetrain as a KW, Pete, Star, etc.

I f you pay $1,000. for chicken lights, invest at 10% instead and after 7 years you'll have $2000. another 7 = $4000.

[LSMR]

I agree with you WD! The Century and the Columbia are just worthless!

Well, that may be so, but there are a ton of them out there getting the freight delivered @ 6+ MPG, and the owners are putting that chicken light and chrome (and fuel) money right into the retirement account :p

__________________________________________
Mark; doesn't get too wet when it rains :rofl:

Right on Mark:

Same drivetrain as a KW, Pete, Star, etc.

I f you pay $1,000. for chicken lights, invest at 10% instead and after 7 years you'll have $2000. another 7 = $4000.

I have to agree with you guys.

A chromed out customized "large car" doesn't get paid anymore than a plain jane truck.

[truck1153]

No chicken lights and chrome for this guy til we buy the real truck, later, after retirement.

I do believe I am going to go with a "gently used" :rofl: fleet truck, maybe a Crete or something of that nature that has a FULL record of service and what not.

I have also spoke with a buddy who is a mechanic at a Penske shop in Fla. and he says he could "cherry pick" a Penske for me with no problem.

I want to do this by the end of the year so I'll be moving along here pretty soon I recon.

I will be asking some questions of ya'lls thatt's gone ahead of me in this adventure. I have no doubt I can do it, it's just gonna be tough after having been a company driver for so long and being home daily.

I oughta shoot myself in the head but then I'd a never tried it so what the hay, it's just money........................ Right? :wtf:

Thanks for all the insight though ya'll, it is appreciated. :cheers:

[Cigar]

Look hard for a truck.. You may have to Dyno 2 or 3 trucks. I got lucky. My Mack out of Bowman had 70k on a rebuilt motor.

I got an education in the last 2 years. I have seen O/O's start to go under 2 min after they put the old Hancock on the truck note. It just took months for the repo man to get the Keys. :wtf: ...

Never put off PM's. Find a Mechanic you can trust and treat him good. :cheers: ...

[Mark-the-Spark]

I do believe I am going to go with a "gently used" :rofl: fleet truck, maybe a Crete or something of that nature that has a FULL record of service and what not.

I'm not a fan of fleet trucks... they do oil and filters at 30K while Detroit recommends 15K to maintain warranty compliance. They stretch air filters. They won't pay for a steer tire balance, period. They use cheap oil and air filters. They may not do the 300K coolant and gear lube flush. IMHO, you get a 500K fleet truck, you get a run out truck, which -- in the hands of a knowledgeable O/O that didn't cut corners -- could have run a million or more.