Penske used trucks

Penske is a crap shoot just like any place you buy a truck.

A lot of their used trucks were daily , short term rentals and the rest off lease from carriers. They have decent service records.

What make of truck , type of truck are you looking for

 

In the same vain, not worth a new thread - what about Swift or Celadon trucks? The Swifts are mostly 07 or 08 Volvos; the Celadon one is 2010 ProStar with very few miles. More curious as to the maintenance programs either of these companies would have had.

 

Schneider is selling a bunch of Freightliners with Detroits right now. The best ones will be rated Condition: Premium.... less than 2% make that rating... they will be extra clean with no damage... Hopefully that will mean they were driven by the same experienced driver for a long time... could be one reason they are in better condition that 98% of what they are selling.

The website doesn't have a very good search features... you can't screen through search to show only the Premium rated trucks. The easiest way to do it is to open up the truck list as a spreadsheet with excel (there is a link you click on for this) , then you can quickly run your eye down the condition column and write down the truck numbers of the Premium ones.... then pull each of those up by truck number.... there won't be many..... out of 200 trucks for sale at any given time only 4 or 5 will meet the Premium screen.


Also look for the "On Sale" trucks..... they have several lots around the country and each has one or two trucks "ON Sale".... usually a huge discount.... 30,000 street asking price truck, will be priced around 18,000 on sale.... which is probably the wholesale as is where is going rate.....


They are fleet trucks and you are buying a pig in a poke.... they are sold As Is, Where Is..... But they do have detailed records... They are cycling out a lot of pre-emisssions 12.7 liter Detrots now that would make an excellent first truck from a cost to operate standpoint.... especially if you consider in the cost to rebuild which will be on the horizon for any truck in your price range.

As an extra bonus they all come in a stunningly chic shade of Orange.

http://www.schneidertrucks.com/

If you are really more worried about the drive line wrapper and your truck-stop image, consider other fleet trucks.... TMC has sexy ex-fleet trucks for sale too.... but you pay for all that bling-bling that doesn't contribute to your bottom line, just strokes your ego.

http://blackandchromesales.com/

Other carriers have direct sales, like Warner,

http://www.werner.com/content/fleet_truck_sales/

Swift,

http://www.swiftequipmentsales.com/

The reasoning behind buying a fleet vehicle is a steady PM schedule that was followed by a company that was never so stretched in a short month like December to forgo repairs that were needed, and thorough records.... The downside is an inexperienced company driver with no equity in the truck.... maybe a new graduate...was grinding gears or worse in the thing for who knows how long...

Also check the classified section on this site...

The ideal truck to buy is from a successful O/O that has records, and drives the truck him/herself everyday..... they come through the classifieds here from time to time.... but they usually trade off before the truck gets into your price range....

 

I have had my own trucks for @20yrs. In that time I have never bought an ex fleet truck or a repo.
Used trucks for me are ALWAYS ex O/O trucks that were traded in and not snatched back by a finance company.
Fleets extend their PM intervals far too long IMHO, and that doesn't even account for the person driving it who doesn't give a crap. The companies know they are trading them out when the warranty expires, so they dont care. Most fleet "mechanics" are also not up to par in my experience.
Repo's are a nightmare waiting to happen, if the guy cant afford a payment he sure wont get an oil change will he?
There are obviously bargains to be had, but not worth the risk to me personally.
I break in new trucks the right way, with an oil change at 5k miles, then another at 10k miles. Every 10k miles for PM's from then on, with boxes getting done with synthetic at 200k miles. I grease it myself every 5k miles or less, depending on where I am driving.
I have ONE truck, not a fleet, so it gets looked after religiously regardless of a "bad month" or not. It's just false economy to most long term O/O's.
An example is, last January I had 1 head gasket leaking slightly, so it got all 6 HG's replaced, along with the injector nozzles while the heads were off. I would rather pay a little more up front than a wrecker bill down the road.
I am currently hunting for a new ride for tax reasons, and will either sell my current '06, or just keep it around, as it's been paid for since '11 and has a boat load of new stuff on it. Mind not made up yet I guess.....
As far as Penske, I wouldn't touch one. The company that leased them doesn't give a crap about maintenance, neither does the driver. No big deal some say, but when you have been pulling hard, and would rather save 25 cents of fuel, instead of letting the pyrometer cool down to save the turbo, it just doesnt make sense to me. Same as warming a rig up, it takes @20-30 minutes of idling before I will put my rig in gear to get driving. Last thing I need is a blown seal due to oil pressure too high, and will gladly pay for a little diesel to make that so.
All just my .02 of course....
Martin

 

I had excellent luck with a Penske truck. Several years ago I bought a 2001 F/Liner, daycab. Payed slightly above average wholesale, it has been an excellent purchase.
Here is what I look for in a lease / rental truck. Find a small fleet, or better yet a private carrier, that turns back in several at a time, and the lease company offers them for sale.Sometimes a truck dealer will get a good deal for buying in quantity, and will offer them on the lot at a good price. Out of that bunch, look for one that has a few more options than the others. Maybe a better seat, more chrome, extra mirrors, better sound system etc. A big plus if the drivers nick-name or CB handle was painted on the door,maybe in small letters.
Here is my thinking. Smaller fleets usually have a favorite / older / lead driver who the company feels deserves a little something extra because he has been there a long time, has a good safety record, takes care of his truck better than others, for some reason he is a 'favorite' of the company.He usually treats the truck like an O/O does.They like to show their thanks by giving the driver a little recognition, like the extra crome, better seat, better radio, etc.Makes the other drivers try to earn the extra stuff on their trucks. A better truck for a better driver.A better driver usually means the truck has been treated better.But of course check all the records you can find.

Just my thoughts.

 

dont buy truck from dealer or penske man . Buy private , you will save over 30% ..travel if you have to . I got mine of craigslist.


if you do decide to buy from penske make sure only one company had it .

just remember its a RENTAL TRUCK ... people dont take care of it ..good luck

 

Melton Truck Lines has used tractors with APU's. Their website shows what's available.