Buying first used truck advice

Ugh, here we go again, BUT, this is an informational site, and we simply must answer the question. DON'T DO IT. I can't stress that enough, I know, it's a logical progression for a driver to think, "if this is good, my own simply must be better", and there was a time when that was true, but today, I couldn't think of a more ludicrous venture to go into, than truck ownership. I'm out of the loop, considerable, but it doesn't look like you have NEAR the amount to start a trucking biz. A 8 year old truck will nickel and dime you to death, the reason they are "readily available, and if that doesn't kill ya', insurance will. Even that is no guarantee, as sharp lawyers today START at a million, and it could devastate you FOR LIFE! Just drive someone elses, and be happy you don't have the bosses headaches.

 

never lease, the DM will run you hard one week and leave you sitting for three. my advise would be try getting a loan through a local truck dealer. many can advise you and have in-house financial assistance.. i wouldn’t recommend purchasing anything over 130000 miles without a engine warranty. most newer trucks start crapping out at 340000 miles due to emissions compliance issues.. it’s too expensive too replace the whole system so companies will do a 3 to 5 day in shop $5000 warranty coverage fix.. then six months later auction off that truck. these are the 2013 thru 16 trucks sitting out there today for $40,000. you’re good with the maintenance plan, only find you a good company to run with compatible with say LandStar.. then get you a truck you can run a couple years knowing you have that warranty coverage.. good luck p

 

16 or newer gears in the 3 s longer wheel base, maintainence records, manual, no auctions dealer, international, find a Schuster truck, warranty its worth it, or find 1 that still has a manufacturer warranty best bet

 

Have you checked into what insurance will cost? For a brand new O/O it can be very expensive.

 

2014 and up if low miles and low idle hrs . Usually that means they have a apu for the majority of there life , oil samples if possible and take it to a shop to do a pre inspection buy . Be sure to do a Regen hooked up to DD software to monitor the aftertreatment system is functioning like it should . I wouldn't rule out newer trucks there are plenty of ppl who are at 700-800k and even more on the DD15 platform . It really is luck of the draw but do your best to minimize risk . Nothing wrong with leasing on some wheres long as the pay is decent and you can build on your maintenance fund and still make a living . First year Authority is make or break and many O/Os dont make it .

 

10 people will give you 10 different opinions. Any of the 10 can work or fail. The biggest risk you’ll have is the 10k, and limited credit. A few small things can cost $10k, then as you’re hoping to build it back up, a major repair comes along, without the means to repair it. You’re left with a worthless Truck, Lucky to sell it for enough to cover the tow bill. Why risk it? I’d rather finance the Truck. Spend 30k, financed for 48 mos. $750 payment, or $40k,@ $1000 a mo. for 48 mo. If you’re able to pay it off, and increase the $30k, along the way, you’ll have better credit, and more options in the future. Along with a much better idea of how much it costs to run a Truck. On average, you’ll probably spend 48k in regular maintenance and repairs over 4 yrs. Add any catastrophic events. The 30k, set aside will allow you to keep operating wether you use it for repairs, or to bail out and upgrade the Truck if needed. In other words, don’t count on being able to build the 10k up quickly, by depending on good luck. Instead focus on building up savings, and paying extra on the note, if possible. I suggest Leasing onto a smaller Carrier, that has plenty of work. The big outfits tend to keep new Operators busy just long enough, to make a profit. Then they’ll focus on the next new guy. I’ve been up and down so many times in 25 yrs. currently down, but always have a safety net of a sort. The saying Nobody Loves you when you’re down, is true. You can only rely on yourself. Moneys hard to borrow when you really need it. Good Luck.

 

Most non factory warranty’s are not worth the paper they are printed on, cash goes to the front of the line for repairs anyway

try to find an owner op going out, but personally I would either go 2000 down or brand new, but 2016ish was about the turning point for trucks, 2008-2015ish trucks are dog #### and cheap for a reason.

I don’t even run heavy anymore but I could never accomplish anything with a 2.8x gears, way too tall unless it has a direct drive trans, but then you still have to get the truck going to drive, nor would I ever want to bounce around on a short wheel base truck, but that’s just me

you are going to need more then 10k reserve, 10 cash is fine, but I would have another ~20k in credit available to you, even if you can afford to pay a bill, sometimes it’s nice to float repairs on the card for a few weeks while your waiting for a check