Is buying a used but rebuilt semi truck a good deal?

could be a great deal. you would want ALL paperwork, outlining the work done, any warranty, parts replaced, how many owners, any salvage titled, etc..

someone just pressure washing the engine and painting it, is not a rebuild

 

Frankly I don’t know why anyone would want to start off with a new truck, 2000 and down with an n14 or even a Detroit that you can pay cash for, which will actually run

 

You're looking at dump trucks, right?

200,000 miles is A LOT of use on a dump truck. Bet there's close to 8,000 hours on the rebuild.

 

Do a internet search onn the vin#. If the company had it rebuilt at a regular shop, the history can be viewed in the search.

 

Looking at engine hours on a local or off road truck is a much better way to determine usage.
Our shop determines maintenance intervals and fuel consumed on hours instead of miles.
It wouldn't work for everybody but it's better for us. The off road trucks might work a fourteen hour day and travel less than two hundred miles.

 

Pull the ECM data.

 

Exactly why I NEVER use miles for anything engine related. Drivetrain for sure but it makes no sense to use it for engine. Even for OTR trucks. One truck might run 500 miles in a 12 hour day and get shut down for the night. Another might cover the same miles over 12 hours but then idle for 10 hours. Can't tell me those 10 hours of idle time every night don't contribute to wear.

 

Used trucks that can work in California are a unicorn.......

Good luck finding one.